Residents Enjoy Affordable
Living and Abundant Culture in Delightful Bloomington, Indiana
Cost of Living: Below the National
Average
Bloomington has an excellent public school system.
Nearly
70% of high school students are college-bound, and SAT scores are
above the national average. There are sixteen elementary
schools, nine private schools, three middle schools and three high
schools, as well as alternative schools and charter schools.
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Health care facilities in Bloomington are somewhat limited,
which may be considered a drawback to living here.
Bloomington Hospital is the only full service hospital in the
area, with comprehensive cancer care, cardiac care, a pain center
and a 24 hour emergency department. The excellent Indiana
University Medical Center is fifty miles away in Indianapolis.
Life here is pretty much dominated by the Indiana
University, which has nearly 40,000 students from all walks of
life. The campus itself is lush and green, quiet and yet
humming, and it is often ranked as one of the prettiest college
campuses in the country. Strolling along meandering paths
through colorful gardens and mature, wooded grounds makes for a
wonderful afternoon get-away.
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With such large university at its core,
Bloomington has a diverse offering of cultural and educational
activities, enough to keep residents busy and involved; those with
kids will appreciate that many of these are very inexpensive.
The I. U. Musical Arts Center is considered one of the finest
music schools in the world and presents concerts and recitals,
often with internationally recognized guest performers, nearly
daily throughout the year. It also has the longest
running opera season in the western hemisphere. The
spectacular I. U. Art Museum was designed by I. M. Pei and has a
permanent 25,000 piece collection, including works from Rodin,
Monet and Picasso. The I. U. Auditorium Theater hosts
numerous dance productions, ballet performances and touring
Broadway shows. The Lilly Library houses some of the rarest
books and manuscripts, including a Gutenberg Bible, in the world.
I. U.'s Department of Theater and Drama presents dramatic
productions throughout the year. Adult residents may
also take non-credit course work through I. U.'s School of
Continuing Education; no formal admission to the University is
required.
Bloomington is not far from the rugged hills and
valleys of Brown County where there are small lakes and plenty of
opportunities for boating, camping and hiking. Nearby Lake
Lemon and Lake Monroe, in particular, are popular with town
residents. Hoosier National Forest is also close at
hand and a wonderful spot for fishing and picnicking.
Within town, there are 21 parks, a golf course and
the Lake Griffy Natural Area, all managed by the Bloomington Parks
and Recreation Department. There are three additional public
and private golf courses, including the University's top-rated
course. And, of course, there is Big Ten basketball; autumns
seem to bring sports fever to town. The Little 500 is a
200-lap bicycle race made famous in the movie Breaking Away.
With 3,000 wooded acres, Bloomington is lush and
clean, with a revitalized downtown (Kirkwood Avenue is home to
many shops, boutiques, galleries and bookstores) and nearly 300
restaurants. Shopping is more than adequate; there are a number of
malls (College Mall is the largest) where most anything one needs
can be purchased. Bloomington has a gentle feeling but
with a cultural energy not often found in cities of similar size.
Crime rates are also below the national average, something
families and single women in particular will appreciate.
Summers are typically warm, even hot, and humid.
July temperatures can reach the mid to high-80s. Humidity is
in the 70% to 80% range. The city receives 3 to 5 inches of
precipitation, rain and snow, each month. Winter
temperatures dip into the low 30s and top out in the 40s.
The sun shines roughly 60% of the time. Autumns are simply
spectacular!
We have not found many drawbacks to retiring in
this quite delightful city. The hot, humid summers may be a
deterrent to some, and the fact that so many students call
Bloomington home may not appeal to everyone. Traffic can be
an issue, too, particularly when students return in the fall and
University sporting events begin. Jobs, particularly
part-time ones, are rather scarce. Overall, however, this
college town has a lot to offer and should not be overlooked when
researching possible relocation destinations.
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