T.J.
T.J. SuperDork
6/23/11 9:54 a.m.

Looking at a possible relocation to the area around Bloomington Indiana. I've been there a couple times, but not enough to really know the place. Other than IU and John Mellancamp, the little Indy, and Breaking Away, what do I need to know?

Where are the closest tracks? (I know Indy is not too far, what else?) What is the local Autox scene like?

Any other thoughts about the area?

92CelicaHalfTrac
92CelicaHalfTrac SuperDork
6/23/11 9:57 a.m.
T.J. wrote: Looking at a possible relocation to the area around Bloomington Indiana. I've been there a couple times, but not enough to really know the place. Other than IU and John Mellancamp, the little Indy, and Breaking Away, what do I need to know? Where are the closest tracks? (I know Indy is not too far, what else?) What is the local Autox scene like? Any other thoughts about the area?

Don't know Bloomington area SCCA, but it's a pretty area with lots of entertaining backroads.

Indy is about an hour or so, and well... it's Indy. Lots of racing.

The IndySCCA region is pretty awesome. Good guys, good events. Think we've been averaging 80-100 cars per event so far this year. National Tour comes through here every other year. (Think we switch with Toledo.)

If you like drag racing, there's usually something going on 3 days out of the week at the local tracks.

Living is cheap. No inspection, do what you want to your car.

Unfortunately, i don't know a whole lot about Bloomington itself. Sorry!

Oh, and you're more than welcome to help me wrench anytime.

yamaha
yamaha Reader
6/23/11 9:58 a.m.

columbus region and indy region are cool for the scca, and the closest road coarse is Putnam Park in Putnamville, and I think the closest dragway is LORI by the Indy airport. Bloomington is a fun place really......except when its underwater or college girls are disappearing.....

GrantMLS
GrantMLS Reader
6/23/11 10:07 a.m.

Not to far from Puttnam - fun track.

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
6/23/11 10:41 a.m.

This town looks to be about the same size. I'm sure they're real similar.

jg

mtn
mtn SuperDork
6/23/11 10:53 a.m.

You are about an hour from go cart tracks going either north or south.

I can tell you a lot about a tiny town near there, but nothing about Bloomington itself.

16vCorey
16vCorey SuperDork
6/23/11 11:02 a.m.

It's a little hippie-ish, but there are a lot of local shops and restaurants. I've never really found it to be particularly awesome, but I've got some friends that live there and they love it. I do really like the lack of chain restaurants flooding the place, like they do here.

T.J.
T.J. SuperDork
6/23/11 11:03 a.m.

Looking at a job at Crane, IN which is around 35 miles south of Bloomington.

16vCorey
16vCorey SuperDork
6/23/11 11:10 a.m.

An old friend of mine worked (maybe still works?) at the Naval base in Crane. I think he did explosives testing. Anyway, the SIRSCCA hosts 7 or 8 autocrosses a year in Lawrenceville, IL, which is about an hour from Crane.

mtn
mtn SuperDork
6/23/11 11:20 a.m.

A very good family friend works at Crane. He's never been allowed to tell us what he does.

If you are ever in need of a veterinarian in the Crane area, chances are that you are going to my uncle.

griffin729
griffin729 HalfDork
6/23/11 11:52 a.m.

My Dad used to do some contract work at Crane. All of southern Indiana is pretty much what everyone else has said. I spent a fair bit of time in Bloomington back in the early 90's when my sister was going to IU, nice town. At least the south part of the state has some contour to the terrain. Unlike the north end where I'm living now. It's way to flat up here.

mtn
mtn SuperDork
6/23/11 12:00 p.m.
griffin729 wrote: My Dad used to do some contract work at Crane. All of southern Indiana is pretty much what everyone else has said. I spent a fair bit of time in Bloomington back in the early 90's when my sister was going to IU, nice town. At least the south part of the state has some contour to the terrain. Unlike the north end where I'm living now. It's way to flat up here.

The great flatlands of Indiana and Illinois. What a boring drive we have to deal with.

griffin729
griffin729 HalfDork
6/23/11 2:10 p.m.

Yeah, but at least the great flat lands in Indiana are only north of I-74. I spent the time from when I was 2 until I was 13 in SW Indiana and there were actual hills. I like the south part of the state.

T.J.
T.J. SuperDork
6/23/11 2:51 p.m.

I was surprised the first time I went there. I thought it was going to flat farmalnd. There were a lot of hills, trees, and fun roads to find.

yamaha
yamaha Reader
6/23/11 3:05 p.m.

Screw bloomington, drive the extra 20min and live in Nashville, IN

Also, around brown county you'll find people from indy cruising all the time.

Hasbro
Hasbro Dork
6/23/11 6:02 p.m.

Weird, I'm reading a novel that takes place in Bloomington and is about Dr Kinsey's assistant .

The Inner Circle by T. C. Boyle

aircooled
aircooled SuperDork
6/23/11 6:19 p.m.

I have heard Gary IN is a place you might not want to visit, but that is a ways north.

mtn
mtn SuperDork
6/23/11 8:05 p.m.
aircooled wrote: I have heard Gary IN is a place you might not want to visit, but that is a ways north.

Northwestern Indiana isn't even the same state.

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