Hot Hoods: Carmel, Indiana

Lately I have been doing some soul searching.  Recently (and maybe not so recently) I was accused of being a lunatic and I know myself well enough not to argue  this accusation BUT  I did decide that this was no longer a good thing and there needed to be a change.  The anger and frustrations were self imposed,  so I have been going through a soul cleansing of sorts  (OF SORTS – Rome was not built in a day!!!  ) In an effort to move towards a more Zen like state,  I am going to introduce a new topic,  Hot Hoods!!!  Where I would like to live and places that make my toes curl! 

I have been traveling a lot and recently found myself in Carmel, Indiana.  The city is GREAT – I was impressed!  Carmel is a burb of Indianapolis, IN.  The growth this city has experienced is economically driven, it has a lot of hospitals and medical facilities.  The jobs morphed into a newly constructed city center and center for the arts, which then lead to a need for new downtown neighborhoods.  They are impressive because of how thoughtfully they were laid out.  The buildings and housing seem to flow and make sense!

I want to focus on the Village of WestClay – Beazer.  (see photo on the left) These homes are geared towards young professionals and empty nesters.  I could only find the rendering to the buildings online but the actual properties are AMAZING!  The amenities include twelve parks, six pools, and three fitness centers.  The description is as follows;  "This maintenance free community includes features such as Traditional architectural styling and detailing, modern conveniences and functionality, generous sidewalks and green spaces."  I agree with the description whole heartedly.  Best part – prices range from $199,00 – $244,000.

Basic Carmel Info:

Carmel, IN has it all. Located just north of Indianapolis in Hamilton County, Carmel is a dynamic edge city with award-winning schools and a population of 38,000,. It is not surprising that the reason many families choose to live in the Carmel is its excellent public school system.  The city is one of the fastest growing cities in Indiana. It has thriving business community, family-oriented neighborhoods, and is committed to preserving its vitality through controlled expansion and prudent planning.  Carmel, first settled by German immigrants, also includes ancestries of Irish, English, Italian, Polish, and the United States. It is a diverse community with many community oriented activities and agencies.  In 2000 Carmel recorded a median resident age of 32.7, median household income of $81,583 and median house value of $205,400. The average cost of a new home in 2005 was $270,000.

Carmel is at the same time an affordable and upwardly mobile community. Carmel residents boast a high school graduation rate of 97% and a College degree or higher of 58.7%. Unemployment in Carmel is at 2.3%, much lower than the national average and the average commute time to work is 24 minutes.

In the pursuit of creating a great place to live The City of Carmel was named a STERLING TREE CITY USA in honor of the City's participation in the TREE CITY USA Growth Awards for the past 10 years. A total of 116 cities have received this honor, of which only two others are in the state of Indiana