Life in Bloomington

My husband has been offered a job interview in Bloomington and I wanted to research the city. What kind of shopping can one find in Bloomington (Target, Gap, Nordstroms, etc.)?

I have read many statements on tripadvisor with people raving about how conservative southern Indiana is. To be frank, this scares me. Is it true? I lived in Madison, WI for the past 5 years.

Do concerts beyond classical music come to town? What does one do on weekends?

What are the best neighborhoods to live in - in Bloomington (not too many students, but not conservative)?

Thank you to anyone who can offer suggestions.

Life in Bloomington

Only have a few minutes, will try to leave a longer response later today.

First, I suggest you check out some of the other forum entries. A few relate to Bloomington as a (relative) bastion of liberalism in an otherwise conservative state (Bloomington is sometimes referred to by other Hoosiers as ';the People%26#39;s Republic of Bloomington;'; but of course this is somewhat relative), life in general, things to do, etc.

While not wanting to mark it as a long term trend, I will point out that Indiana did ';go blue'; this year, but it is only the second time in about the 75 years.

I actually know a few people who have lived in both Madison (area) %26amp; Bloomington and/or have some other kind of connection. In general, this had led me to believe the two cities are fairly comparable re: political leanings, lifestyles, etc. (albeit Bloomington being much smaller).

It would help me tailor my response somewhat if you gave more direction about your interests, things you like to do, whether children are in the picture, etc. and if there are any specific questions (beyond the few you posed in your original post) that you would like answered.

That%26#39;s all I%26#39;ve got time for now. As I said, I will try to leave more later today.

Hope this is helpful (at least for a start),

Life in Bloomington

Got a few more minutes and will add details to my earlier response. Again, if you can narrow down areas you%26#39;d like to know about I can provide more pertinent information regarding them.

You%26#39;re correct that Indiana in general, and southern Indiana more so, is bible belt conservative heartland. That said, Bloomington and to some extent Monroe county, are a (relatively) liberal enclave. Bottom line: I wouldn%26#39;t be scared at all. In fact, I think that conservatives moving to Bloomington are more likely (and with some reason) to be ';scared'; (see other postings on the forum on this topic).

I use the term scared lightly here, not that there is really anything to be scared about, simply that their ';fears'; of living among democrats, liberals, environmental wackos (to borrow the phrase), feminists, college students, homosexuals, hippies, unitarians or whatever; are greater and you%26#39;ll find more of these types in Bloomington than you will rabid right wing republicans or moral majority types (not that they don%26#39;t exist).

To respond to some of your specific questions:

Shopping is certainly not as good as Madison. That said, there are 3 or 4 main shopping areas and you will find just about anything you might want. These areas are the eastside (a medium size mall with nearby strip malls); this has lots of regional and national chains, but also some local shops including the main store of the local co-op grocery (they have 3 locations). Downtown, while having some national chains, is general more local both in shopping %26amp; eating. It is very walkable and with only a few relatively brief, minor lapses, has stayed vital for 100+ years. Lastly, there is the westside (by SR 37) which is mostly highway strip mall ';heaven;'; predominately national chains, but a few local stores in the mix.

Of the 3 stores you mentioned, the only one Bloomington is missing is Nordstrom (and there is periodic talk of one coming to town). As a piece of trivia, the word is that the Bloomington Target is the busiest in the country during August/September when the students move (back) to town.

In terms of music, I think you%26#39;ll be very happy. With IU one of the best music schools in the country means there is almost always something going on and much of it is free (or nearly so). These tend to run opera, ballet, classical, jazz, but does hit other styles occasionally. (As one example, how many towns the size of Bloomington in regular Joshua Bell concerts?)

As could be expected, there is the a college music scene going on with about half a dozen small bar venues that tend to bring in (smaller) current pop music groups, cover bands, etc. The music scene is fleshed by another half dozen or so places (bars, restaurants, etc) that cater to the local music scene and or other (less mass market) music genres (for example there%26#39;s a least two places that have jazz on a regular basis). It%26#39;s worth noting that this local scene is often a higher quality than might be expected due to the IU music school (both from current students and ';hanger ons';). Also, as can be expected with a college town, there are occasional larger tours that hit Bloomington as part of their national tours.

%26lt;this is a quote from another reply that can be found in the forum with minor updates%26gt;

In my opinion another real music gem is the Lotus World Music Festival held every fall. (Full disclosure, I%26#39;m on the board of directors). It%26#39;s a multi-day/multi-venue festival which closes down a few streets in the downtown and creates a wonderful ';street scene.'; Roughly 15-20 artists over 6-10 venues, over two nights, all for about $50. (There%26#39;s also other/extra stuff, both free and separate admission). Any one of the acts would cost you at least half that for a single set anywhere else. It presently includes a free concert in a park near downtown (typically 3-5 artists) which is geared for families (educational %26amp; crafty components). While attendance is hard to measure as a hard number, an estimate for last year%26#39;s festival is 10,000+. It turned 15 years old in 2008.

%26lt;end quote%26gt;

Theatre can also be found; both local originated (either from IU or one of the local theatre groups) and national tours. Also, there a few college based based summer stock companies that are function out of venues in nearby smaller towns (I think one may even run year round).

';What does one do on weekends?'; - depends on what you like. If you give me a few things you like to do on the weekend in Madison, I%26#39;ll give you the Bloomington take on them (if any). Just to name a few at random: outdoor stuff (hike, camp, water stuff - major %26amp; minor lakes all around), sports (both participatory/spectator and all levels/skills), culture (see music above, but also theatre, museums, galleries, etc), special events (concerts, lectures, Lotus festival, Bluegrass festival, etc), day trips (Indianapolis, Nashville (IN), or some of the other small towns/cities nearby - too many to mention), movies (there%26#39;s two multiplex theatres showing first run files and more than one venue for second run/art-house type movies) - personally with an 11 (almost 12) year old child, kid oriented stuff plays a major role - and there%26#39;s more than you can shake a stick at in the area.

I wouldn%26#39;t worry about conservative v. liberal neighborhoods, pick the place you want to live and go with it. All but the most diehard conservatives are tolerant of Bloomington%26#39;s diversity - and vice versa. Plus, it%26#39;s an ever shifting landscape. Our neighborhood was almost exclusively republican the prior two election cycles (at some point my brother remarked on the dearth of anti-Iraq war lawn signs), however, this year there were more (down ticket) democrat signs then you could shake a stick at; maybe it was just a sign of the time (pun intended), but . . . .

While I am a little loath to recommend neighborhoods (wanting to avoid stereotypes, they%26#39;re constantly changing and don%26#39;t forget ';one man%26#39;s meat is another man%26#39;s poison';), if you could give me more ideas on what you like in a neighborhood and/or priorities, I could probably name a few you that ';score well.'; I%26#39;m talking about things like house size, commute time, schools, walkability, lawn (or acreage) size, or proximity to parks/outdoor activities, shopping,and/or cultural events. Or for that matter, something as fundamental as urban v. rural. (It%26#39;s easy to live in a rural setting and still only have a short - 10 to 20 minute (or less) - drive into Bloomington proper.)

To finish this (session?) up, there is also Indianapolis (a ';little'; big city) and a many other towns/cities within about an hour or two drive which opens up all kinds of other shopping and culture options. To those in Bloomington, this sounds like a real ';trip,'; but if you%26#39;re used to a big city (I lived in LA for awhile) driving a hour to get somewhere (and the hour back) is much less of a deal. (Of course, after you%26#39;ve lived in Bloomington for awhile . . . .)

Hope this was helpful,

Don%26#39;t ask me how, but happened to think of a few other things and another major ';music resource'; - the Bloomington Parks %26amp; Rec Dept.

Parks %26amp; Rec puts on a couple of series of concerts (among other things, like a ';People%26#39;s University'; and occasional movie nights), mainly over the summer, but depending on when you think summer starts/ends might include spring %26amp; fall).

There is a lunch series held a day or two a week, usually in a small downtown park. The also have an evening series where they set up a portable stage in one of the main parks - as I remember these are generally either Friday or Sunday evenings. And, the best part on all of these, is they are completely free. It%26#39;s generally local artists and the music styles are varied (blues, bluegrass, folk, jazz, generally a more acoustic bend, but not always).

Also, thought of a few other weekend/special things. There is a farmer%26#39;s market held near city hall on Saturday mornings and another one (or two?) held during the week held at other locations. Obviously this isn%26#39;t held all year, but it starts earlier and runs later than many people might think. Lots of good fresh local produce and general friends/socialization to be found at these. I never get there as often I%26#39;d like/should and generally regret that I didn%26#39;t get there more often after it closes down for the year.

In terms of one-time type events, there are a couple of arts fairs held throughout the year; probably the main one is the 4th Street Arts fair held Labor Day weekend. This closes down a few blocks and attracts artists from all over the country (it is a juried show) albeit with primarily a regional (midwest) and local representation (as the artists have travel expenses to consider). There%26#39;s a another one or two, but 4th Street is ';the biggie.';

Lastly (for this posting) another semi-major event is the ';Taste of Bloomington'; (combined with one of the other arts fair), probably familiar with this type of event as it is not unique to Bloomington.

Again, hope this is helpful,

Dear Huntlawoffice,

Thank you very much for your detailed answer. It has helped me a lot and does relieve some anxiety about the culture of Bloomington. I think that you have painted a clear picture of what the city has to offer. I fear, however, that I have been spoiled living in Europe off and on for the past years and the idea of settling down in an area so far away from everything scares me a bit.

As for lifestyle, we prefer to live close to campus, but not in ';the student ghetto'; (that%26#39;s what it%26#39;s called at the Univ. of Kansas) = old houses with character, friendly and open neighbors, kids playing in the street. We enjoy biking for leisure and transportation. We enjoy independent and foreign films. We enjoy traveling - day trips. We enjoy independent and British rock music. We enjoy flea markets, garage sales, farmers%26#39; markets, etc. We are HUGE fans of coffee shops and a wide variety of ethnic restaurants.

While we do not have children, we do want a family and I have read that Bloomington has a great education system - is there a neighborhood with primarily young families?

We really just love to explore and learn new things. This is difficult to do in the US due to its size, but we really enjoyed the Farmers%26#39; Market in Madison - we made a strong attempt to go every Saturday. We also loved the nature (lakes) of Madison.

I prefer not to drive to often - for the environment and I just don%26#39;t enjoy it.

But... with all of these things being said, if my husband were to be offered the position, we would take it, I am simply looking to ease my anxiety of moving to a small town in the Mid-west.

Again, you have done wonders so far to create a lovely picture of Bloomington and I do appreciate the time and thought that went into your response.

With kind regards,

Sarah

Sarah,

You%26#39;re welcome.

I%26#39;m always(?) willing to help people find out more about Bloomington and the ';gem'; it is of midwest/Indiana living. I%26#39;ll try to hit all of the points in your followup posting (and encourage you followup with more questions), but don%26#39;t think I can give definitive answers on some of your points.

First a quick point about ';settling down in an area so far from everything.'; Yes, it can be said that Bloomington is in the middle of nowhere, but I hope you also understand that it is much less so than you might expect for a similar sized town (i.e. one without a major university and the general diversity/world view that Bloomington has - at least partially because of the university). Stuff comes to Bloomington that you wouldn%26#39;t expect in a similar size town in the midwest.

Also, I will point out that travel from Bloomington has a slight bonus. With Indianapolis and a few other semi-major cities close by, air travel has many options. In fact a minor benefit from Indy is that it is serviced by a fairly large number of airlines, but is not a hub for any of them. This keeps airfares much lower than some major cities/airports.

As an example about 2 years ago we travelled to San Francisco and as part of booking our flights I noticed that one airline routed us through Cincinnati. This made me consider booking the flight out of Cincinnati (meaning a 2 hour drive rather than the 1 hour to Indy), the fare was ~$300 more! The reason, Cincinnati is a (minor) Delta hub. Thus, Delta has most of the gates and generally charges higher fares based on its near monopoly. That said, when an airline has fare sales, there are a bunch of options available that expand possible airports to use if you%26#39;re willing to add (arguably significant) drive time to your airport options (Chicago for example is 4-5 hours drive time).

Lastly regarding travel you might look at where you can get from Bloomington in a half-day drive (4-6 hours). Get a map and look at the midwest (centered on Bloomington) and see what is within about 300 miles or so. This circle will (roughly) include: Madison, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, (almost) Winston-Salem, Knoxville, Nashville, St Louis and everything close than these cities. Expand this to a day drive (say 10-14 hours) and you%26#39;ve got most of the east coast and US east of the Mississippi (other maybe New England and Florida) and get quite a bit west (say to Dallas or into OK, KS %26amp; Nebraska).

Moving away from this general travel topic and to some of the other points made in your response.

The big test for ';close to campus'; is walking versus driving. It%26#39;s pretty hard to be a long drive from Campus and still live in Bloomington (talking ~15 minutes drive time). Using the same time test for walking will be a much more limiting factor and would exclude many neighborhoods. Obviously biking would work out to be somewhere in between. (As a quick aside the downtown area is basically directly west of campus, so everything said about campus also applies to downtown.)

Bloomington obviously has a large student population, but the ';student ghetto'; (know exactly what you mean and not disrespect taken) aspect is is a state of flux. This is because there has been a major increase in downtown (primarily student) housing in the last 5 years or so (and prior to that a major increase in apartment complexes catering to students). Thus, you%26#39;ve seen a shift from detached (single family) housing areas being the student ghettos to the downtown apartment buildings/apartment complexes. And, to some extent, a similar shift of these former student rentals back to single family housing (albeit at a slower rate). That%26#39;s not to say students no longer live in the houses close to campus, however in my mind, it seem clear that the party areas seem to be more clustered in the higher density housing then they used to be.

To (briefly) say something about some neighborhoods you might consider (based on being within 15-20 minute walk of campus).

Probably first on the list would be Elm Heights - this is the area directly south of campus, extending to roughly Bryan Park (one of Bloomington%26#39;s larger parks). Closer to campus has more of the student housing, but the student density can vary widely in just a block (as can the size, quality %26amp; character of the houses).

Moving clockwise you get to the SW of campus, also a possibility, but less character (and cost) and perhaps a slightly higher student/youth density.

Directly west of campus is the downtown. There are a few apartments/condos that cater to the non-student (but most are student oriented) and these might be possibilities. Also, what is called the ';near westside'; is having somewhat of a renaissance, albeit somewhat spotty. There remains a real mix of housing %26amp; socio-economic classes in this area and while the Bloomington schools are generally good, this area has the least desirable elementary school.

Continuing to the NW this is another spotty area that has been shifting - lots of students - but probably fewer than in the past; particularly in the single family houses. That said, this area (farther from campus proper, near the stadium) has some of the more infamous student housing apartment complexes). Overall this area meets much of your criteria, particularly the area close to downtown, but I think would require a more ';feet on the ground'; approach/';individual results will vary'; attitude then say, the Elm Heights area (which by the time you get close to Bryan Park would approach a 90+% safe bet rate).

There really is almost nothing North of campus (at least not within walking distance as the north portion of campus has the athletic complexes w/large parking lots, on campus housing, etc).

On the east side about the only neighborhood within walking distance is Green Acres. This is actually the neighborhood where I grew up. It has been a mix of single family/student (mainly the few blocks close to campus) for my entire memory (going back to the sixties), but waxes %26amp; wanes as to the mix. There are a few blocks which have gone almost entirely student and got a ';party block'; reputation which perpetuated itself (at least for a brief period). If you%26#39;re willing to drive to campus/downtown, some of the farther east neighborhoods (Park Ridge, Park Ridge East among others) would be possible and from these there are other things you can walk to (shopping, parks etc.)

That brings you pretty much full circle around the campus area. I%26#39;ll make clear that the above discussion only considered areas within about a ~15-20 minute walk to Campus. There%26#39;s LOTS of other possibilities if you start talking about driving (or even biking) to campus.

I will now bring up a few other points regarding some of your other comments.

Biking. First, if you%26#39;re a serious biker and haven%26#39;t heard about it, check out the Hilly Hundred. It%26#39;s a major biking event held every fall, that%26#39;s all I%26#39;ll say for now. Second, Bloomington has and is expanding a system of bike lanes and other trails/greenbelts. (Current project is portion of the ';B-line trail'; in downtown.) I suggest you get a copy of the Bloomington bike map and/or find out about these (the map %26amp; other information can be found at on the City of Bloomington%26#39;s website - specifically - http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=265;). Depending on how important this is to you it might be a major influence on neighborhood consideration and/or selection.

You%26#39;re in luck re: Garage sales, flea markets, etc and there%26#39;s even a handful of thrift stores around. As mentioned before Bloomington%26#39;s main farmer%26#39;s market is fantastic! (Think was selected as the best in Indiana recently). Also, re: neighborhood considerations the main Saturday market is held in the City Hall parking lot - near 7th %26amp; Morton.

Similarly you%26#39;re in luck re: coffee shops %26amp; ethnic restaurants. In addition to the ubiquitous Starbucks and other ';semi-coffee'; chains (such as Dunkin Doughnuts), Bloomington has at least 4 independent coffee shops (above %26amp; beyond the restaurants that serve espresso, etc). As far as ethnic restaurants not sure if it%26#39;s still true, but at one time Bloomington was one of 2 cities in the USA that had a Tibetan restaurant (NYC being the other) and we had/have three of them! I%26#39;ll bet there is something missing, but I literally can%26#39;t think of a (major) ethnic food option not represented (although for years I was baffled that Bloomington didn%26#39;t have an Indiana restaurant). There%26#39;s specific cluster of them along 4th street (on the campus end of downtown - see the other forum post).

That%26#39;s all I%26#39;ve got time for now - I%26#39;ll try to post again re: kid neighborhoods, outdoor stuff (lakes) and films options.

Sarah,

Going to try to keep this one fairly short (good luck there Chris).

Regarding';kid dense'; or ';kid friendly'; neighborhoods, unfortunately can%26#39;t give you much detailed information - well I can a little on the friendly aspect - but not the ';existing kids'; aspect. I can say that parks (and other open spaces) and schools tend to be the criteria people choose when considering where to live with children in Bloomington. There are two high schools (North %26amp; South) - both are good - but each have different strengths %26amp; weaknesses and perceptions (right or wrong) that go into the mix. For example North has more of a ';liberal'; reputation based on its (long ago) history when ';it'; was University HS (and affiliated with the University). Similarly, South is seen as more ';conservative,'; somewhat as just a juxtaposition with North, but also based on demographics %26amp; geography which historically have sent more of the ';gown'; children to BHSN and the ';town'; children to BHSS. (As a quick aside there are also a few private %26amp; ';alternative'; schools and another school district in the county.)

Elementary schools and middle schools are obviously also in the mix. All are generally good, although as might be expected, those which serve the lower socio-economic areas of town have lower reputations/results (at least by the state%26#39;s testing standards).

The last reason I find it hard to recommend for ';density'; factors is the ongoing turnover of neighborhoods. Our block is a good (micro) example, when we moved into our house about 10 years ago our daughter became the 3rd child on the street - most of the other houses were seniors. As sales have occurred we are now up to about 10 kids and have more ';child bearing age'; neighbors. I fully expect this to rise as more houses turnover and there are more births in the future.

Moving to outdoor stuff. One of the state%26#39;s major lakes is just a short drive/bike ride south of Bloomington (with something like a half dozen camping/recreation areas on it). And, south of this are hundreds of thousands of acres of the Hoosier National Forest (including a large wilderness area). Also, lots of state parks, forests, lakes, etc. (all of varying size, type and facilities) can be found within a short driving time (an hour or two) and this includes another major national forest (albeit more in the ';purchase area mode,'; i.e. less contiguous, but growing). One of the state parks is Brown County State Park (outside of Nashville about a 1/2 drive from Bloomington) which at one time was the 10th in the country in attendance (not bad when you consider the other in the top ten were places like: Smoky Mountains, Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc).

Regarding films. We have a local film series call Ryder which shows 2nd run art/cult/foreign films at various venues around town (a bar, large IU classrooms, etc). Also, there is a small ';screening room'; style movie house and various IU organizations show movies on campus most of the year. As mentioned before the Parks %26amp; Rec Department has summer film series and an occasional showing throughout the year. The first run movie theaters are somewhat hit or miss for these types of films. At one point they had as tiny ';art theatre,'; but it has closed. In theory a couple of the smaller theaters at one of their multiplexes is an ';art house,'; but again, somewhat hit and miss. Overall the selection is certainly better than similar sized towns, but pales in comparison to anything approaching a major city; much less something like NYC or SF.

That%26#39;s all for now, hope it has all been helpful and don%26#39;t hesitate to post additional questions and/or requests for information.

Chris,

Thank you again for your thoughts. It is very difficult to find information online about Bloomington and some of the other tripadvisor posts kind of scared me. I feel like I have a much better impression of the area.

We have heard many good things about Bloomington from professors and friends. I%26#39;m a little hesitant to take this too seriously as people raved about Madison, WI and it was not our favorite city. I loved living in Lawrence, KS at it seems that Bloomington may be slightly similar (minus many coffee shops).

Perhaps after my husbands interview, I may have more questions. Thank you again for all of your time and thought. Appreciation on a forum post cannot express how grateful I am that you took the time to offer help and relieve anxiety :)

Sarah

Sarah,

A few final thoughts, ideas, comments, etc.

Glad I could help. And you are right to note that positive comments about Bloomington by those who live here should be taken with a certain grain of salt; obviously we like/love Bloomington or we wouldn%26#39;t be living here (well most of us anyway).

I would think you%26#39;d find Bloomington more along the lines of Lawrence rather than Madison (although I%26#39;ve not been to either town), I%26#39;m basing that on what I know about them regarding size, demographics, climate, etc. relative to Bloomington.

Regarding websites you might want to check out there%26#39;s a list below. You%26#39;ve probably seen many of them, but I%26#39;ve tried to separate the wheat from the chaff - that is avoid all the lame, stale ';Bloomington'; sites out there that show up on a google search - most are abysmal and are just plain vanilla, downright worthless, crap - weak attempts to throw up some generic website that you hope will generate a buzz and become some kind of Bloomington portal.

The convention/visitor website, pretty good with listing major events, etc. (things tourists would come for, but usually enjoyed by the locals as well): http://www.visitbloomington.com/

City of Bloomington website, obviously geared towards functionality, but you will find a wealth of information regarding Bloomington (such as the bike route map I mentioned before): http://bloomington.in.gov/

Local newspaper, obviously will cover mostly current events, but again, gives you some idea of Bloomington%26#39;s character, and that of the surrounding area, unfortunately, some (most?) content is restricted to subscribers: http://www.heraldtimesonline.com/

There is also a student newspaper, obviously more oriented towards the university: http://www.idsnews.com/

If you want to start checking out the local real estate market, here%26#39;s where I suggest you go: http://www.homefinder.org/

A site created by a downtown merchant organization: http://www.downtownbloomington.com/

As a plug, I point you to the Lotus Festival website: http://www.lotusfest.org/

In terms of seeing the IU campus, check out the university%26#39;s on-line tour: http://www.iub.edu/tour/

I%26#39;ve mentioned the Ryder Film Series, here%26#39;s the website to give you an idea of what/where/when they screen movies: http://www.theryder.com/ There%26#39;s also a link on this page to their ';magazine side'; - they do a (bi?) monthly free arts oriented newspaper (with some emphasis on literary arts).

Oh, boy I almost forgot, you should figure out a way to get a copy(ies) of Bloom Magazine! It is a fairly recent (couple of years?) bi-monthly high quality ';upper class'; glossy magazine similar to the ';%26lt;insert your city name here%26gt;'; magazines you will find in most major cities. The website is: http://www.magbloom.com/ Not sure how much of the content you can access as I always try to get a hardcopy.

Obviously suggest you also consider links you might find on any of these pages.

That%26#39;s all(?),

Chris

Awesome! Great links, great advice - you are right, some of the sights are difficult to come by on a standard Google search, so thanks for the tips.

Sarah