Looking for Rural Towns near Bloomington

[Buddhamom]

DH may be transferring to their Bloomington, IN office and I am looking for a list of small rural towns (under 10,000) that are near there and are a great place to raise children with good school systems and low crime rate. Also, there can't be race issues since my daughter is full AA. So throw some names at me!

[Buddhamom]

Wow, this isn't very encouraging. I guess I should assume no such place exists? Maybe we should consier staying here in our tiny town in New England *LOL*

[marrymeflyfree]

Hi Buddhamom!

Sorry to see that you haven't had any replies. It's been years since I lived in Bloomington (went to college there), but I think you will be pleased with the area unless things have drastically changed. I remember Bloomington itself as being a pretty liberal town and very welcoming of diversity. But my view may be biased as I was young and idealistic at the time, and 99% of my time was spent around the university.

I don't know specifics on crime rates and schools, but the Brown County area is quaint and friendly. Cute downtown - perhaps more populous than you're looking for, but there's a wonderful state park there with plenty of rural area surrounding.

Good luck with relocating. I have many, many great memories from my time there, and I hope you are welcomed.

[oliviaharis]

Bloomington

It's the sixth best place to settle down in the United States, according to Money Magazine. It's the seventh lowest stress city, according to Psychology Today, and the eighth best place in the nation to retire, according to Rand McNally's Retirement Places. Bloomington has been twice designated has an All America City based in its high quality of living.
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oliviaharis
Michigan Drug Addiction

[Wabi Sabi]

There are lots of small rural towns in the surrounding counties, but if diversity is important to you you're best sticking in Bloomington. You can easily live out in the country with acreage yet still have a Bloomington address and be in the Bloomington school system. It's the best of both worlds, IMO.

Will you be looking to rent a home or to buy?

[marrymeflyfree]

One other thing that popped into mind today....are you Buddhist? When I was a student there, the Dalai Lama's brother was a professor at IU. I was fortunate to hear His Holiness speak there in...96, I think. I'm not sure if the brother is still on the faculty, but I think I remember something about a Tibetan cultural center being built there around the time that I left.

[Wabi Sabi]

Originally Posted by marrymeflyfree

I think I remember something about a Tibetan cultural center being built there around the time that I left.

Yep:

http://www.tibetancc.com/info/index.asp

The TCC is a perfect example of what I was suggesting earlier- it's in a more rural area, yet still has a Bloomington address and you're only 15ish minutes from town.

Also, because of the Dalai Lama's family ties here in Bloomington and the TCC he visits here fairly frequently.

One other suggestion I have for you is to pick up a free copy of Bloom magazine when you're in town (that is, assuming that you'll be visiting at some point before you make the decision to move.) You'll find lots of interesting info in the magazine about locally owned businesses plus local art and culture.

http://www.magbloom.com/

Bloomington is really a great town. They have everything from an amazing art musuem to the Tibetian Cultural Center to our very own roller derby team all in one small(ish) town.

[Buddhamom]

Thank you for the replies! I do like to have diverse culture for my daughter since we do not have that here, but we now have a small organic veggie and fruit farm and we love our privacy so it is a hard toss up. Yes we would be buying. I can't believe how inexpensive your homes are there, WOW! We would be coming from CT so we would be saving a LOT! And yes, we are Buddhist Our town here has 1200 people and my daughter's grauating class (2009)is 20 kids and they are from 3 seperate towns *LOL*

Now what can you tell me about the tornadoes? I heard you get a lot and that scares me a bit.

[mary3mama]

Bloomington is a great place for liberalism (maybe the only place in southern Indiana) and organic foods and diversity.

We looked into moving there from Indy, actually, but dh got a job in DC so we moved here instead.

I'd suggest checking the Groups and Gatherings: Indiana thread at the top of this tribal area. There you can find many listings and contact info. You might want to look into joining the group in Indy called IndyAP. There are members all over the place, including as far away as Columbus, IN.

Several of the members there have lived at one time or another in Bloomington and might be able to help you acclimate.

It's a truly beautiful area around Bloomington and at Brown Co. State Park. Makes me miss Indiana!

[Wabi Sabi]

Originally Posted by Buddhamom

Yes we would be buying.

http://www.homefinder.org

Originally Posted by Buddhamom

Now what can you tell me about the tornadoes? I heard you get a lot and that scares me a bit.

I've lived in Indiana my whole life and haven't been through one tornado (knocking on wood.) If it's a concern just make sure you tell your realtor that you want a house with a basement!

[Wabi Sabi]

Oh, and I obviously have no idea what kind of a home you'd want, but just to give you an example of how you can get a couple of acres with plenty of room for gardening and still be in town check this out:

http://www.homefinder.org/buy/buy-de...3&sCRecord=252

[Ursa Mater]

The areas surrounding Bloomington proper would probably be your best bet. There are still a lot of places that are close to town, yet afford the space for a nice farm, plus there are a few farmer's markets and organic food stores in the area to sell your wares at. Bloomington is great! The hinterlands? Maybe notsomuch for minority children, but it is getting better.

[marrymeflyfree]

Originally Posted by Buddhamom

Now what can you tell me about the tornadoes? I heard you get a lot and that scares me a bit.

I lived there for about 5 years, and remember only one tornado. I'm not sure if a tornado actually formed, but the sirens went off. I think you will be fine, but look for homes with basements if you're really worried.

One thing I do remember about the weather, besides all the snow, is the flooding. If I remember right, it was pretty well limited to surface streets (lack of proper drainage or something), but it was common around campus after long/hard rains. I would suggest checking the flood maps just to be safe since you are interested in farming.

This whole thread makes me really miss Bloomington, though! I really loved it there....