Bloomington, Indiana

Anonymous
Pros and Cons of moving to Bloomington?
8 months ago
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I would probably be bringing my job with me (I just need internet). What's good and bad about it?

Things I like: It's a college town. It's green and leafy (at least in summer). Compared to Texas, the summer temperatures are great. It seems tolerant. (I'm not gay, but I don't really like the vibes of intolerant places.) And it seems like housing is more affordable here.

Causes of some concern. It's kind of small. That has charm, but it could be an issue for some things. I've heard doctors are in short supply -- not great, as I'm not young anymore. It's in Indiana, which is about as conservative as Texas. That was my least favorite thing about Texas.

Anonymous
8mo ago
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I've been living in Bloomington for a little over a year (moved here for my partner). I generally like it, but I think living close enough to downtown that I can walk to a lot of stuff, but far enough away that I don't have to listen to college kids, is a big part of why I've been enjoying living here.

Here are some of my observations/things I've heard from other people:

Definitely a blue city in a red state, and the state government has sometimes passed laws that undercut the local government. Locally, politics are liberal/progressive, but there's a lot of NIMBYism. (I'm originally from Connecticut, though, so that's nothing new to me.) Very queer friendly, though.

While it's hard to make friends as an adult anywhere, it can be especially difficult here, because, at least from what I've seen, a lot of things are geared towards college kids. If you know where to look, though, you can find cool stuff going on!

Housing, especially affordable housing, can be difficult to find. Because it's a college town, a lot of the new housing is built for students, and generally leases are going to run August 1ish-July 31ish. (Also be prepared to re-up your lease in September, since apartment hunting for the next school year starts practically as soon as the new school year starts up.)

Yankeehoosier
8mo ago
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My wife and I went to school and met and later retired here after living in Chicago. Bloomington offered us an enjoyable place to live, with much lower taxes and a more tolerable climate. Its plusses and minuses:

(+) - Beautiful natural surroundings

Friendly, helpful people, great neighbors

Higher costs than elsewhere in Indiana but lower than US average

IU's cultural activities, concerts, sports events (Big Ten)

Highly rated schools (public, private, charter).

(-) - Very limited job opportunities

Housing costs affected by student rental rates, higher county property and income taxes

Per capita median income much lower than national average

Health care access with IU Health.

heavyope
2y ago
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There are a few locations that are distinctly student-oriented, such as Kilroys, Sports, and obviously on-campus facilities. But overall, a lot of bars, restaurants, and events/activities are overwhelmingly community-based. I have enjoyed living here as someone in my late 20’s and feel there’s still a large presence of people in my age group here.

That being said, there are times when the college scene gets a bit tiring. It’s the worst from August-November I’d say. Bad traffic, busy restaurants, terrible parking options, construction, and really monolithic street fashion might deter you slightly from the downtown area. Otherwise, it’s a pretty solid town to live in.

The Bloomington Experience