Indianapolis or Fort Wayne to move too?

[cdr18]

It is a little over 2 hours to get to Indianapolis.

[wh15395]

Originally Posted by krock1dk

It is NOT an hour-and-a-half from Ft. Wayne to Indy. Try 2 hours--at least from downtown to dowtown.

Sorry if I offended you lol. I was talking about getting to Indy, which begins at 96th street on 69.

[sweetana3]

I would vote for Indy both for educational and vocational opportunities. I find Indy really feels like a smaller city. Nooks and crannies for everyone. I live downtown and find that there are many spots in the city where you could live and never travel more than a few miles in a circle and find everything you would need.

Better to decide on job and education needs right now.

[belovenow]

Fort Wayne seems to be the obvious choice to me.
1) Fort Wayne is much closer to your family; 2.5 and 4.5 hour long drives are radically different - do not underestimate the importance of being a quick trip to or away from family. Indy is a good 2.5 hours from Fort Wayne, so don't underestimate that time/mileage.
2) Fort Wayne in the Southwest section in particular is what you're probably seeking - suburban, affluent, with lots of people who relocated to Fort Wayne from elsewhere, great public schools, lots of shopping and quick access to highway 69 and to downtown.
3) Fort Wayne is more affordable than Indianapolis and has a lot to offer (we have museums, a better zoo in my opinion, and a lot of things to do/see, plenty of shopping, and a great airport which is easy to fly into and out of).

[wh15395]

Originally Posted by mbuszu

Fort Wayne seems to be the obvious choice to me.
1) Fort Wayne is much closer to your family; 2.5 and 4.5 hour long drives are radically different - do not underestimate the importance of being a quick trip to or away from family. Indy is a good 2.5 hours from Fort Wayne, so don't underestimate that time/mileage.
2) Fort Wayne in the Southwest section in particular is what you're probably seeking - suburban, affluent, with lots of people who relocated to Fort Wayne from elsewhere, great public schools, lots of shopping and quick access to highway 69 and to downtown.
3) Fort Wayne is more affordable than Indianapolis and has a lot to offer (we have museums, a better zoo in my opinion, and a lot of things to do/see, plenty of shopping, and a great airport which is easy to fly into and out of).

I have to disagree about the airport. I guess you could say it is easy to fly out of if you can afford a $500 ticket if you want to go somewhere like California. I would also say that Indianapolis has much better shopping and museums than Fort Wayne, but that is just because it is bigger.

[cdr18]

Obviously Fort Wayne can't compare to the shopping in Indy, that's a given. However, given the size of Fort Wayne, it does offer a lot of amenities for a city of it's size in the midwest.

[mmhl]

As someone coming from a smaller town as well, I have to say, Fort Wayne has everything I need shopping wise. The science museum is fun & I can't wait to visit the zoo. But really, if you are close to your family, I would go with Fort Wayne. It has a very good quality of life & you could then visit family in a day trip if need be- from Indianapolis it would almost have to be a weekend. As someone who is going to be separated by a long distance from all family due to job circumstances, I say if you have the choice, live as close to your family as possible!

[belovenow]

Originally Posted by wh15395

I have to disagree about the airport. I guess you could say it is easy to fly out of if you can afford a $500 ticket if you want to go somewhere like California. I would also say that Indianapolis has much better shopping and museums than Fort Wayne, but that is just because it is bigger.

Well I've never purchased a $500.00 round trip ticket to... well anywhere, and that's the truth (my flight out and back from Europe wasn't even that expensive), but I suppose I always look for good deals. Fort Wayne has one budget-priced carrier called Allegiant Airlines. It is great, has direct flights at very low prices to many vacation destinations (no, California isn't included in the last list I looked at). The Airport has a small easy to navigate terminal, and great people working there. Fort Wayne's Airport isn't a "hub" - but it is definitely nice to fly in and out of. If you disagree that's ok, but as a frequent flyer myself, I can tell you that I am always happy to arrive back home and am frequently reminded of how great the airport is when I visit others such as O'Hare, JFK, LaGuardia, Cincinnati, or Orlando.

Regarding better shopping and museums - each to his/her own I guess. I feel like we have all the shopping anyone could want in Fort Wayne and if you really want more all you have to do is plan a day-trip to Indianapolis. Shopping isn't something I do as a hobby though... and I do a lot more buying online these days than ever before in the attempt to find the best deals. Museum-wise, I cannot argue that Indianapolis doesn't have some awesome places, but I can tell you that going there for a day trip or two every year or so is enough to get my family's fill.

Lastly - to the OP; please heed the advice given multiple times now regarding relocating close to family; it is sound. I'm in a "been there, done that scenario" and having moved well over a dozen times myself with no agenda other than to help others avoid learning the hard way, trust the wisdom: try to stay as close to your family as possible, moving away and not having their support structure is life-changing.

[leasmom]

Great. I only hear positive things about both Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, thats good to hear. I think I like Fort Wayne so far because its smaller and thats more of what we're used too. But I like that its not far from Indianapolis so if we wanted to go do something in a bigger city we could. I hope its the right fit for us. Thanks everyone!