Can someone please offer comments about Richmond IN? (Indianapolis, Muncie: house, layoffs)

[ngrome]

I see some inexpensive housing in that area, so wondering how it is in terms of safety, cost of living, etc. Thanks in advance.

[Mdfl]

Richmond is one of the small Indiana cities that have lost a lot of industry over the years. It's a shame because it was once a city of many successes (read its history). This has left it with a lot of beautiful homes that need saving. It also has plenty of small tidy homes that are very inexpensive. Many people mention drug problems, but I think you find that all across the country. If you are looking for a yuppie boom town this is not it. There is a small downtown area that is being revitalized with shops and restaurants. So if you just want a smaller city with a low cost of living and colleges , a hospital, and nearby airport(Dayton) this is certainly worth checking out.

[ngrome]

Originally Posted by Mdfl

Richmond is one of the small Indiana cities that have lost a lot of industry over the years. It's a shame because it was once a city of many successes (read its history). This has left it with a lot of beautiful homes that need saving. It also has plenty of small tidy homes that are very inexpensive. Many people mention drug problems, but I think you find that all across the country. If you are looking for a yuppie boom town this is not it. There is a small downtown area that is being revitalized with shops and restaurants. So if you just want a smaller city with a low cost of living and colleges , a hospital, and nearby airport(Dayton) this is certainly worth checking out.

Thank you for your input. No my wife and I are far from yuppies We are actually closer to retirement and want to live in a quiet town with inexpensive housing, remain in the Midwest with its four seasons (don't want to move anywhere hot, we've tried that in Florida and came back to Illinois), but want to get away from the high taxes of Illinois while still be within reasonable drive to visit Chicago. The revitalized shops and restaurants do sound attractive, I wonder if there are any big box stores in the area. Richmond still sounds interesting enough to keep under consideration. Thanks.

[skeddy]

are they still making school buses there?

[Mdfl]

The school bus plant is one of the lost businesses, along with many others. As for present day stores,they have a Lowes ,and Menards ,and Meijers, and of course a Walmart. I think the mall has closed in recent years,like many others across the country.

[GraniteStater]

It wouldn't be a place I would ever be interested in, I've driven through a few times. It will take decades to improve, home prices are severely depressed, median household income is very low, educational attainment is below average, and it has some rather poor city management. I guess if you're looking for a very cheap place to live with some amenities and services it would work, but expect lots of mediocrity.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Richmond is basically Muncie without Ball State. If you think you might like to live in Richmond, you might want to consider Muncie where you can get more bang for your buck and a similar cost of living. Because of Ball State, Muncie has more to offer than Richmond in terms of sports, entertainment, recreation, restraunts, shopping, and it's closer to Indianapolis.

[Happy Buyer]

Well I drive through and work in Richmond all the time for the company I work for https://indianacashforcars.com/ I think its like most cities with its good and its bad. We do go to the run down part of Richmond and pick up cars, but we also go through the nicer parts. I have never has a problem there at all. We eat in Richmond and shop there at least a couple times a month. We live about 30mins away. The sad part is when my wife tells me about her going there as a child and how nice and booming it use to be. But they have a harbor freight and a Texas road house so I'm good.

[SonySegaTendo617]

Originally Posted by Mdfl

The school bus plant is one of the lost businesses, along with many others. As for present day stores,they have a Lowes ,and Menards ,and Meijers, and of course a Walmart. I think the mall has closed in recent years,like many others across the country.

I used to visit Richmond every so often, as my brother attended college at Earlham College. Which is located in that very city, btw! From contacts I'll occasionally talk to who still live their, their mall(Richmond Square, and since I last visited Hull bought that mall, and blandized the interior where now its super dull looking inside) is still BARELY open as of now. It still has a Dillard's(and surprisingly hasn't been downgraded to a clearance center), but not sure what other stores still anchor this mall. Most big box chains and stores are on the east side of town, with a handful of stores on the west side of town(i.e. the former Kmart and a few others,I think El Rodeo Mexican restaurant might still have a location over there, as also having Lee's Fried Chicken on that side of town).

Also it does have an alright downtown business district, and the business district near the old train/former Amtrak depot has a few good local businesses such as Little Sheba's(restaurant), and also Richmond Furniture Gallery if you want to check out furniture, antiques, etc. Believe it or not it's former Elder-Beerman store(the now bankrupted and extinct retailer Bon-Ton, same owner as E-B, Carson Pirie Scott/Carson's, Younkers, Herberger's, Bergner's, Boston Store, etc) was located in downtown Richmond, but never relocated to Richmond Square Mall unlike other stores(Sears, etc). I think one of the city or county parks in town has a waterfall flowing through it, if I'm remembering correctly.

There's a little bit if a divide between Richmond city residents, and those at Earlham College. That said, I thought Richmond was alright, for a smaller Indiana city. It isn't say Indianapolis or even Dayton for that matter, but if you were to live in Richmond you aren't setting your expectations for amenities too high, are you? I thought Richmond was fine as a smaller city, even though it is like other Midwest rust belt cities and towns in losing a lot of jobs in recent years.

If you have any other questions about Richmond, let me know. I'll do the best I can, to answer. Maybe there's someone else on C-D who infrequently gets to Richmond more often than me nowadays, and help answer your Richmond(IN) questions?

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by ngrome

We are actually closer to retirement and want to live in a quiet town with inexpensive housing, remain in the Midwest with its four seasons .... but want to get away from the high taxes of Illinois while still be within reasonable drive to visit Chicago. The revitalized shops and restaurants do sound attractive, I wonder if there are any big box stores in the area. Richmond still sounds interesting enough to keep under consideration. Thanks.

Since Richmond gets mentioned from time to time, I figured I'd add my thoughts. First off, all these dying or dead smaller sized rust belt cities aren't likely to come back anytime soon. The growth is still renewal of older larger urban cores and the suburban areas of those larger urban cities. These smaller cities are trying, but more and more people want to locate somewhere with more stable employment, especially those who are (or have a spouse) with a field that isn't all that stable. It is easy enough for a younger person to go and get say a teaching or nursing job in these smaller areas, but the money likely will be less than the growth areas, and even though the jobs are likely stable, if population numbers trend down, layoffs are a possibility. Then one is scrambling to fight for jobs in the outskirt areas, possibly battling other former co-workers who might have also been let go.

Being retired means this isn't an issue, but one issue could be healthcare. If these places take an economic and population hit, their healthcare options might also take a hit (many already have as I've known many people in metro areas of 250K people who have to travel to larger cities (at least 1M+) for more specialized treatment options).

There will likely be at least one big box store of some type and on-line can fill-in for any issues of finding anything the store doesn't carry.

Given all that, if looking at a Richmond Indiana, I'd look for more stable cities instead. Someone already mentioned Muncie. That is a better choice than Richmond.

Some will disagree, but I think even parts of Anderson would be better than Muncie. I only say this because Anderson housing is still down compared to the rest of the Indy metro area. The drive to medical specialists in Indy/Hamilton County would be easier than from Muncie. While Anderson doesn't have a Best Buy, they do have a Walmart and Meijer. If a Best Buy is needed, the drive to Muncie or Noblesville isn't that horrible. Anderson has two big box hardware stores and a smaller Harbor Freight store. There is a Kohls and Hobby Lobby as well. Hamilton Town Center Mall is a quick drive down I-69 and they basically have everything now.

Kokomo could also be another option. They have a Sam's Club for bulk buying. Hamilton County and everything it offers is a quick trip down US 31. They also have a Best Buy and Target from what I see on Google maps.

Richmond isn't horrible. I visited last year to checkout the town. They have some offerings and the cost-of-living is likely much cheaper than larger metro areas and their suburbs. However, the decline really hurt these areas. Stuff comes and goes. Whatever industrial jobs come are small scale and their future is always iffy. They don't pay the old UAW level benefits, so money doesn't come flowing back into the region. I feel these cities are flat-lined and their futures questionable. They get government grants for building nice trails, updating parks, and trying to spruce up their downtown cores and such, but in the end, that's all they have. Most aren't going to land a Fortune 500 company, and even if an big name automotive manufacture came back to town, the jobs and pay wouldn't be the same as before.