IUPUI student from Kansas looking for advice (Indianapolis, Crawfordsville: apartments, for rent)

[kfedwards88]

Hi!

I will be a first-year graduate student at IUPUI in the Fall, and I need some more information about Indianapolis. I'm from Hays, KS (cue the Wizard of Oz references), and Indy will be the first major city I will have lived in.

My main concern is housing. The campus apartments are ridiculously expensive for campus housing, but I'm not certain what else is available. The research I've been doing tells me to stay away from any Zender properties, but that only eliminates so many options.

Ideally I'd like to be downtown near campus, but I am open to suggestions of safe apartments (my parents are VERY concerned about safety, so the most dangerous neighborhood discussion has been helpful), and ideally I'd like to pay betwee $500 and $600 for rent. Is this realistic?

I hear the public transportation isn't the greatest, and I will be bringing my own car. Is most of the parking metered in Indy? Have you had many problems with car burglaries?

I'm looking forward to moving to Indy, but I'd like to be a little more knowledgeable before I get there. And advice is welcome. I hope you can help me out!

Thanks so much
Katie

P.S. Maybe you can settle a debate between me and my friends---What are people from Indiana called? People from Kansas are Kansans, but Indianans just doesn't sound right!

[Michelle Morris]

Hi Katie!!

My husband is from Kansas, and he almost went to college in Hays. Good thing he didn't or I wouldn't have met him in Pittsburg, KS. His brother just graduated from University of KS (That's the one with the Jayhawk, right??).

I don't know a whole lot about which apartments to try and which to avoid. you might want to check out stallardonline.com, I know they have some neat looking ones, but I'm not sure they will be the right locations for you.

And we're called Hoosiers.

[Naptowner]

Originally Posted by MikiJayne

Hi Katie!!

My husband is from Kansas, and he almost went to college in Hays. Good thing he didn't or I wouldn't have met him in Pittsburg, KS. His brother just graduated from University of KS (That's the one with the Jayhawk, right??).

I don't know a whole lot about which apartments to try and which to avoid. you might want to check out stallardonline.com, I know they have some neat looking ones, but I'm not sure they will be the right locations for you.

And we're called Hoosiers.

The immediate vicinity of IUPUI is kind of expensive. If you can't find something in Canal Square (and I doubt you can within your budget), you're better off looking north in the Broad Ripple area and planning to commute.

[Future Trooper]

Originally Posted by kfedwards88

Hi!

I will be a first-year graduate student at IUPUI in the Fall, and I need some more information about Indianapolis. I'm from Hays, KS (cue the Wizard of Oz references), and Indy will be the first major city I will have lived in.

My main concern is housing. The campus apartments are ridiculously expensive for campus housing, but I'm not certain what else is available. The research I've been doing tells me to stay away from any Zender properties, but that only eliminates so many options.

Ideally I'd like to be downtown near campus, but I am open to suggestions of safe apartments (my parents are VERY concerned about safety, so the most dangerous neighborhood discussion has been helpful), and ideally I'd like to pay betwee $500 and $600 for rent. Is this realistic?

I hear the public transportation isn't the greatest, and I will be bringing my own car. Is most of the parking metered in Indy? Have you had many problems with car burglaries?

I'm looking forward to moving to Indy, but I'd like to be a little more knowledgeable before I get there. And advice is welcome. I hope you can help me out!

Thanks so much
Katie

P.S. Maybe you can settle a debate between me and my friends---What are people from Indiana called? People from Kansas are Kansans, but Indianans just doesn't sound right!

try this website it's very resourceful:
Indianapolis Metro Area*Indiana Apartments for Rent | Search Indianapolis & Vicinity, IN Apartment Rental (http://www.apartments.com/Indiana/indianapolis&vicinity/indianapolismetroarea - broken link)


People from indiana are called Hoosiers

[Toxic Toast]

Quite a few IUPUI students live in Fountain Square.

[domergurl]

You'll be a Hoosier, my dear But in the case of IUPUI ... they're the jaguars.

[kfedwards88]

Thanks for the links and clearing up the Hoosiers business for me!

I've heard the name Broad ripple tossed around a lot lately. What would the commute be like from Broad Ripple to Downtown? Google Maps claims it'll be about twenty minutes or ten miles. Is that accurate? I've also considered the Speedway area, but I haven't pinned down any apartments there yet.

I haven't really heard of Fountain Square before. What's that area's reputation like? Is is a good neighborhood, or more of a party area?

Does anyone know of a map that deliniates the major neighborhoods from the smaller areas? Wikipedia was saying that Fountain Square and Broad Ripple are two of the cultural districts, but when I clicked on the listing on neighboorhoods, there were 54 listed. What are the major areas to know for the beginner?

Thanks so much!

P.S. Re: MikiJayne, Yes, KU is the one with the Jayhawks :-) Thanks for the link. I've seen one or two of the Stallard properties and they look pretty interesting.

[MissingIndiana]

Originally Posted by kfedwards88

Thanks for the links and clearing up the Hoosiers business for me!

I've heard the name Broad ripple tossed around a lot lately. What would the commute be like from Broad Ripple to Downtown? Google Maps claims it'll be about twenty minutes or ten miles. Is that accurate? I've also considered the Speedway area, but I haven't pinned down any apartments there yet.

I haven't really heard of Fountain Square before. What's that area's reputation like? Is is a good neighborhood, or more of a party area?

Does anyone know of a map that deliniates the major neighborhoods from the smaller areas? Wikipedia was saying that Fountain Square and Broad Ripple are two of the cultural districts, but when I clicked on the listing on neighboorhoods, there were 54 listed. What are the major areas to know for the beginner?

Thanks so much!

P.S. Re: MikiJayne, Yes, KU is the one with the Jayhawks :-) Thanks for the link. I've seen one or two of the Stallard properties and they look pretty interesting.

I think any of the apartments in the downtown area that you would actually want to live in are going to be out of your budget a little bit. For instance, a small 1 bedroom aparment at the Canal Square Apartments which is very near IUPUI I have found to be around $800 per month. Fountain Square is on the southeast side of downtown to the N and W of the interstates around Virginia Ave and South street. Not sure about apartments in this area, but I have a cousin that lives there in a house and he hasn't had many problems. I think the area has improved a lot, but it is still fairly close to worse neighborhoods.

I would second the idea that Broad Ripple might be better for you. I also agree that it would probably take about 20 minutes to get downtown depending on traffic. Unfortunately there are not many decent areas near downtown that are not right downtown and extremely expensive, especially for a new, young college student who has never lived in an urban area before. Really, other than downtown itself, you need to get north of 38th street a little ways or outside of the I-465 loop to the west or south to find the better areas. I might recommend looking at CityView apartments. They are at 38th street and Meridian which is not the best area, but isn't horrible and they have gated parking and 1 bedroom apartments between $550 and $990 per month depending on floor plan. I assume the higher priced ones are also on the side that has amazing views of downtown. Never lived there myself, but visited a friend a couple times. In general though, I would stay off of 38th street and most areas south of 38th in the city. Outside of downtown, of course.

[CaleeGirl]

hey! have you found housing yet? I'm going to be a new IUPUI grad student too! And I have no idea where to live...

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by kfedwards88

Thanks for the links and clearing up the Hoosiers business for me!

I've heard the name Broad ripple tossed around a lot lately. What would the commute be like from Broad Ripple to Downtown? Google Maps claims it'll be about twenty minutes or ten miles. Is that accurate? I've also considered the Speedway area, but I haven't pinned down any apartments there yet.

I haven't really heard of Fountain Square before. What's that area's reputation like? Is is a good neighborhood, or more of a party area?

Does anyone know of a map that deliniates the major neighborhoods from the smaller areas? Wikipedia was saying that Fountain Square and Broad Ripple are two of the cultural districts, but when I clicked on the listing on neighboorhoods, there were 54 listed. What are the major areas to know for the beginner?

Thanks so much!

P.S. Re: MikiJayne, Yes, KU is the one with the Jayhawks :-) Thanks for the link. I've seen one or two of the Stallard properties and they look pretty interesting.

First and foremost, don't let the "everything south of 38th street is ghetto" scare you from missing the good areas south of 38th Street. Fall Creek Place, Herron-Morton, Irvington, Old Northside, Ransom Place, Holy Cross, Garfield Park-South, Speedway, etc.; there are a lot of great neighborhoods/areas south of 38th street.

Fountain Square is a pretty big area, the focal point being the intersection of Shelby/Prospect/Virginia. If you draw a box with English Ave the northern border, State Ave the eastern border, I-65/70 the western border, and Pleasant Run Prkwy the southern border; you would have an approximation of where Fountain Square is. Fountain Square is an up-and-coming area, and even in the past two years since I graduated college, I can tell the difference in the neighborhood. It certainly is not a neighborhood without problems, but so far I have never had an issues as far as crime is concerned. The biggest concern is the trash that mysteriously shows up in my alley from time to time, and on my block, parking can be quite the hassle.

There are alot of other solid neighborhoods in Indianapolis; I certainly don't want to come across as someone pumping up his own neighborhood. Irvington is good, Little Flower is also good on the east side. Garfield Park-South is good just south of downtown and Fountain Square.

One note on Speedway, I wouldn't live in the apartments in Speedway. Speedway is a good area for living in a house; not so much for apartments. There are some good apartments just outside of Speedway on the westside; on Crawfordsville Road just west of 465 and along West 38th outiside of 465 (as recently as 2007, I lived in an apt at 38th and Eagle Creek Parkway). Just don't live on the ground floor.