I got my new job in Indy and I'm head that way in early mid-July! (Indianapolis: extended stay, apartment complexes)

[MrBiggz]

Hiya!


I've posted here before, asking just general questions and it mostly just pondering the what ifs. Now my what ifs have turned into reality. I got the job that I had interviewed for! YEAH!! And I'll be moving out there in the second week of July. Don't have a place yet, so I'm staying in an extended stay. Hope to find someplace in the first week there!


Now, here's my plight that I'm hoping some of you can help me with. I'm hoping to get answers from current renters since they'd know the scene better then a home owner. But I'll take either suggestions if you know the areas really well. Now I make a modest salary roughly 46k/yr. That money has to stretch quite a ways. My wife cannot work due to the nutritional disability she suffers from. That's a whole other story. So when I apartment hunt I have to get the most bang for my buck since I get no other assistance for her other then what I make. Have to pay rent, bills, insurance the whole nine. No we don't have any children. Although we'd like a two bedroom due to the fact that we may have company every now and then.


Safety is paramount! Obviously Indy is quite a larger city then Albany NY where we hail from. So I expect there to be a bit more crime. I understand it's not perfect. I just don't want to worry about her at home alone while I'm working and then if we disappear on the weekend is somebody going to break in?


I currently pay $600 for a flat I think it's around 900sq ft. but the rooms are oddly shaped so everything is a tight squeeze! I'm guessing something in the 1000+ sq ft range .. with going no higher then 750/mo with the rent.


With out giving you the whole inventory of our unit. We have a full living room (sofa, love seat, recliner; it's that puffy type furniture),Coffee table and two end tables and a regular 32” TV. Bedroom we have a queen size bed with head and foot board which I think extends it out a foot on both direction, a full size dresser, chest of drawers and two night stands. Dining room we have a table 4 ½ ft sq with four chairs. And there various other house items .. cedar chest and a small cario cabinet.


I know it's a long shot .. but point me to places where I could look at? I've combed the indystar and it's hard to tell. What 's good and not .. the apartmentratings.com site doesn't help matters either since you really can't tell the bullsh*t from the real opinions.


I really would like to know from a renters perspective how your utility bills are! Granted you use air and heat in the cold months. I try to keep the house between 72-75 in the winter. She suffers with extreme anemia, so even 75 feels cool in the winter, although it's livable.


I have to take into consideration everything that people tell me and scope it out online and sort of make a decision here. Please be as complete as possible. And if you need to know more info just ask!


I thank you for your time and help! I just want to move .. settle .. work .. and chill!


(sorry for typos and grammatical errors, I was dead tired when I wrote this)

[sweetana3]

Let us know the geographic location of the job so we can give you best case closest to work. Savings on commuting will help you stretch your dollars. Plus would you be willing to use the bus even occasionally?

ps I would also try to live in less space unless you have kids. Less space = less utilities and less rent usually, or you can afford a higher quality unit.

[MrBiggz]

1099 N. Meridian St. is where the job is. I have no fear of buses. I take the bus to and from work in Albany.

We have no kids their all grown. Although we to expect to have visits from them and the grandkids from time to time so a 2nd bedroom is a must.

I think I highest I could possbily go is 800 and that is if there is like heat, water included. From what I've heard before IN utilities are significantly lower then NY. Everything is high in NY.

Possbile places I have scoped out so far 'online' are :

Lakewood Lodge Apartments
6630 Glenbrook Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46240

Harbour Pointe Apartments
4400 E. Fallcreek Parkway N. Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46205

Avalon Lake
6724 Greenshire Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46220

Hickory Place Apartment Homes
8525 Laurel Valley Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46250

Oh and the recruiter that's been helping me found these www.zidans.com/ and from what he told me there are poeple that work at the company that live at pickwick farms 1540 Handball Lane 46260. Although the square footage seems rather small. And some of there other properties seem to be in questionalbe area just from what I've been told (using that east is bad).

There I believe are all in North Indy. I've heard to stay away from east Indy. How is the west and south? Right now where I am it's not pristine and it's not shoot'm up bang bang either. I'm right on the fringe of 'hood' in Albany. There's the occasional drug transaction up the street and I really haven't heard of anybody being broken into in my area either. I'm not afraid of people and people are usually intimidated by me. I don't mean to be .. I'm a big teddy bear actually. Oh, and if its a faily diverse area that would awesome! I'm white, my wife is african-american (we've been together for 16 years, married for 8) so we've seen just about everything!

Again .. if you need more info .. ask!

[knitjenious]

Hi Biggz! Congrats on the new job and relocation!

I know I talked with you in your earlier post (I'm the one relocating from Buffalo soon) and looking at where you're going to be working I can tell you I looked at a place at 14th and Central managed by MRE that was a 2 bedroom, $750/month (plus gas and electric), super cute with historic woodwork detail. The girl was very nice and the company also owned the building across the street. In any case, based on my experience I am betting you might something in the Old Northside area with a little dedicated search time on the ground. (I'm thinking north of 65,south of 22nd, between Meridian and College-ish; the area closer to Central/College seemed a little nicer than the area right around Meridian but none of it seemed bad to me) Depending on your definition this could be totally walkable (to me that's about 1 mile or less ... who doesn't need to save on gas right now!)

When I asked landlords about utilities most of them said gas heat might run about $100 in the winter (for places around 800-900 sq ft), electric like $50-ish? But they were just sort of guessing too ... maybe someone else who currently lives there has a better idea on this.

I shared in your somewhat frustrating experience of trying to search from a distance but was surprised at how quickly things came together once I was there.

Good luck and congrats again!

[BU191433]

Harbour Pointe Apartments is an interesting possibility. It is not in a nice area of town - although not horrible - sort of on the edge of a really bad area and yet it is a little isolated. It gets good reviews on apartmentratings.com - I would be leery of the area though.

I know of a place you should check out for sure. It is on 62nd street a diverse area

Here is the place.

Fountain Parc Apartments Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Indianapolis apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com


There are some other apartment complexes in the area and I would stay away from those. But Fountain Parc I have heard good things. It is generally an older clientele that lives there, it is not a hip place to live, so you won't run into college students or just out of college kids. Commute to your job is easy - no interstates - probably 20 minutes at the most. Not sure about bus lines, but I think bus comes through 62nd and Allisonville, so that is a possiblity. This area is also close to Castleton, Broad Ripple. The apartments aren't fancy or new, but I used to have a friend who lived there and they are well maintained. I really don't know the price though

[BU191433]

Hickory Place is probably a good place if you want to choose Castleton. Traffic especially during December can be a bear in that area. But if you like to be close to a large mall Hickory Place is probably decent. There are a ton of apartments in Castleton though. I don't have any first hand knowledge of the place.
Hickory Place Apartments Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Indianapolis apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com


Avalon Lake is pretty close to Fountain Parc - I have heard some bad things about it from people I knew who lived there. You might want to check it out in person - both places are near Binford Blvd, which is a 4 lane road that makes it somewhat easy to get around town

Avalon Lake Apartments Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Indianapolis apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com


Lakwood lodge I don't know much about, I used to live in the area close to all three of these places, so I know the area right near keystone

Lakewood Lodge Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Indianapolis apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com


More than anything you need to come here and get a feel for the different areas.

Downtown would be nice but in general you get less for your money there, or you are in a questionable area. I think you are on the right track on the type of places you are looking at and the area of town. When you get here, and start to look at places, be sure to keep us updated, so we can help

[MrBiggz]

Originally Posted by BU191433

More than anything you need to come here and get a feel for the different areas.

Downtown would be nice but in general you get less for your money there, or you are in a questionable area. I think you are on the right track on the type of places you are looking at and the area of town. When you get here, and start to look at places, be sure to keep us updated, so we can help

When I was in Indy this past Monday the folks told me that public transport really isn't in the culture that much. So I don't mind commuting I mean 10 miles is ok, 15 is border line. The other cool thing I saw while I was there was, well, it more like what I didn't see while I was there was potholes!! NONE! Yippy! If you look in the dictionary for word pothole, the picture of new york is right there!

I wish I had a laptop. I have to drag my PC and monitor and printer with me to the extended stay. Wow, I said it, the computer is a neccessity (spelling)

People keep the info coming! Please! Anybody have any input on south and/or west Indy?

[sweetana3]

There are a lot of apartment complexes on the south side. From closer to I465 off 31 to closer to Greenwood Park Mall a little farther south. The area is safe, easy access downtown, and everything you would need right there. Does not seem to have the traffic tieups that Castleton does and I could pretty much live there and never come downtown. A mix of older and new but all appear well kept on the outside.

There are also a lot of nice new complexes off I65. Most all the bigger places have available now signs. Not sure of the cost but there are a lot available. I65 would give you terrific quick access downtown and several local large stores so you would not have to drive far to do grocery shopping.

If you want specialty stores, the northside is the best but for everything you need south or far west are fine. I would lean south because that is my comfort level only.

[sweetana3]

ps at 10th and Meridian you will only be about 4 blocks if that from my house. Nice area to but pricey unless you find a one off. There are some apartment complexes but each one would have to be inspected by you to see if they meet your needs. Just imagine walking to work. We have a grocery about 5 blocks south and a huge new $150million dollar library about 3blocks from your new job.

If you check out the bus routes, because you are on Meridian, there are a lot that travel that main street. Check out which ones and see where they go and when and whether any of the housing is close. Nice to have a bus for those times you may need it. I took the bus downtown from 56th and Illinois and on 52nd for years.

Just for info, check out Riley Towers downtown. Tallest apartment building and has gotten good reviews. Lots of corporate types use it and we have a couple of long time employees who live there. Again, you could walk to work and what a huge savings that would be. Plus about 2 blocks to mass Ave. and easy stroll downtown, library, etc.

A benefit to being downtown is first the low cost commute and second, you can drive whereever you want to shop. You can go to any side of town and the airport is a $12 limo ride away.

[MrBiggz]

Sweet ..

I checked on Riley Towers. Real nice, to pricey for my blood. If they came down 250-300 on one of their 2bd I'd be tempted!

I saw the library from the building I'm in. Nice! Lots of glass!

I'll have to check the south end out!