A New Place to Live
Making the Move
When you are about to begin your medical training in Indianapolis, there are many practical matters to deal with. Where are you going to live? Buy food? Work out? These suggestions will help you get started.
Note: We are compiling relocation guides for the Centers. If you would like to contribute, please email mgray@iupui.edu.
Apartment Hunting
You’re going to be spending a lot of time at school, but you always need a good place to go and get your sleep every night (finals week notwithstanding). Indianapolis has hundreds of living options, and what you should choose simply depends on what matters most to you. Proximity to school and price are two important factors to consider, and sadly enough they are pretty much exclusive of one another.
Keys to finding a good apartment:
- Start early. Many apartments have long waiting lists, especially those near school.
- Look for move in specials. May-August is the peak season for leasing apartments, so you may have a hard time finding these deals, but they can be had with some searching.
- If money is a big issue for you, consider finding a roommate. Two bedroom apartments are generally less expensive. See the Finding a Roommate section below!
- Ask the leasing agent about the length of your lease. If you know you’ll be going back home after school ends in May, you can look into signing a lease for less than a year, but you’ll have to pay a little bit more per month and will have to find housing once you come back.
- Ask about locations of things that matter to you: Grocery stores? Coffeeshops? Bars? Libraries? Gas stations? Malls?
- Clarify with your leasing agent exactly what your rent covers. Some places don’t charge for water, and a few (Riverpointe, for example) pay even more.
- Be prepared to fork over a few hundred bucks for an application fee and deposit, as well as your first month’s rent before moving in.
- If none of these resources help you find the apartment you want, you can always search www.forrent.com or www.citysearch.com for other listings.
Here are a few suggestions to help you get started…
Downtown – If you want to live downtown, START EARLY as there are often waiting lists.
You definitely pay for convenience when you live downtown. However, while the rent may be higher, students who live downtown can walk or ride a bike to class, saving both time and money. They also don’t have to pay eighty bucks a year for a parking pass at school, can go home for lunch, and are a short distance from downtown nightlife. One downside is that outside of O’Malia’s, there isn’t a decent grocery store within 15 minutes.
The following are some of the more popular places for students to live:
- Lockefield Gardens: This is the closest apartment complex to campus. It is located across the street from campus and has a shorter walking distance to class than from the parking lot. This is probably the best value in downtown Indy, as a nice one-bedroom will run you about $567-$664 depending on what floor plan you choose. 317.631.2992 M-F 9:30-6, Sat 9-5, Sun noon-5
- The Gardens of Canal Court: This is one of the nicest apartment complexes downtown, and the rent (between $842-1005 for one, $942-1197 for two bedrooms) reflects that. These apartments are a 10-15 minute walk to school and offer access to the canal. The units are fairly spacious and the grounds are very well kept. Outdoor parking is free, or you can get a garage for 75 bucks/month. 317.636.2126 or 800.846.0444 M-F 9:30-6, Sat 9-5, Sun noon-5
- Canal Square: This complex is just south of The Gardens of Canal Court, and is also about a 15 minute walk from campus. One advantage of this place is that it offers free secured parking for one tenant, but it’s 75 bucks/month for each additional car in case you have a roommate. Ask about the campus shuttle service. 317.631.7030 or 800.357.7048 M-F 9-6, Sat 10-5, Sun noon-5
- Riley Towers: Features Indy’s only high-rise living. You can spend anywhere from $535 for a studio up to $1200 for a two-bedroom “town home”. Rumor has it that there will be a shuttle to campus: Ask them about it. (rtowers@indy.net) 317.635.300. 650 N. Alabama M-F 9-6, Sat 10-5, Sun noon-5
- Riverpointe: This complex is located just west of the White River, and offers the cheapest of all the downtown apartments. For about 500 bucks you get a one bedroom apartment with all utilities paid including cable and high-speed internet. Two bedrooms are even cheaper per person. The Four Seasons it’s not, but they do offer a shuttle to campus and a playground. 866.423.4816 M-F 8-6, Sat 10-4, Sun closed
- The Block: These apartments are located in the historic Block Building above TJ Maxx, and offer direct access to the Circle Center Mall. If you want a cool loft and have the money (about a dollar per square foot) this is a really nice place to live. The apartments are brand new and offer super-tall ceilings and downtown views. You also get a complementary membership to Gym 2.0 in the mall. Parking is pricey, but the mall and downtown access might just make it worth all that coin. 866.446.3244 M-F 9-5, Sat. by appointment
Other Downtown Housing
There are lots of other apartment complexes located downtown. These are just a few popular choices. You might also consider renting a house close to school. There is about a three block radius bounded by Indiana, 10th, West St., and St. Clair that offers a lot of remodeled homes for rent. This may be an especially good deal if you have a couple of people to live with. If that doesn’t work out for you, here’s a list of property management companies that run a lot of the downtown complexes.
- Van Rooy – 317.684.7300 or www.vanrooy.com
- Sexton – 317.846.4444 or 800.846.0444 or www.sextonproperties.com
- Zender – 317.488.8800 or www.zender.us
Outside the immediate downtown area:
One popular location is the West 38th street area (38th and I-465 area), where many apartment complexes are located. These apartments are about a 15 min drive to campus.
The advantages to living near the Broadripple area (50-60th and College Ave.) are the many popular nightspots nearby. The commute from Broadripple will be 20-30 min.
Few students live on the North/Northeast side (Keystone and Castleton areas) due to the lengthy morning commute (30-45 min).
Other apartment complexes are listed online at apartmentguide.com. Similar apartment guides can be found at local newspaper vending machines. The Rent Indy section of the Indianapolis Star is helpful as well.
Finding roommates
Some students have tried to find roommates from the medical school (or law, dental, PT schools, etc...). Unfortunately, there is currently no formal way to communicate with members of your class prior to the beginning of school. Talk to Jose Espada with questions...he is an excellent resource for many different things...get to know him early on!
Try these options:
- http://msa.iusm.iu.edu/FinancialAid/housing/ (this site has multiple resources and can be very valuable)
- E-mail MD2B@listserv.iupui.edu to contact current students who are searching for roommates.
- Come to school and look around the lounge area. There are often signs for “roommate wanted”.
- Ask upperclassmen to help in your search. They have good insight into what areas are good/bad and also may know someone who needs a roommate.
Contacts
The following students have volunteered to serve as contacts for any incoming students. Please feel free to email them with any questions or concerns regarding living arrangements that could not be answered in the previous segments.
Within close proximity to school:
| Canal Square Apartments | |
|---|---|
| Brian Ward | rcward@iupui.edu |
| Gardens of Canal Court | |
| Richie Rogers | rrogers@iupui.edu |
| Rania Abbasi | rabbasi@iupui.edu |
| Lockefield Gardens | |
| Erik Kroger | ekroger@iupui.edu |
| Residence at White River | |
| Steve Birrer | sbirrer@iupui.edu |
| Patrick Barrett | prbarret@iupui.edu |
| Brian Schmutzler | bschmutz@iupui.edu |
| Eagle Creek Apartments | |
| Joe Smith | jps2@iupui.edu |
| Van Rooy Properties | |
| Adam Will | adwill@iupui.edu |
Outside the immediate downtown area
Email these students to get their perspective on living further from school!| Outside the immediate downtown area | ||
|---|---|---|
| Castleton Area | Ryan Moore | ryaamoor@iupui.edu |
| Greenwood area | Daniel Altman | djaltman@iupui.edu |
| Carmel area | Evan Armington | earmingt@iupui.edu |
Home Owners:
Email these students to get their perspective on owning your own home while in med. school!- Stephen Anderson—sttander@iupui.edu
Grocery Shopping
You may not have to do any grocery shopping. Various student organizations offer free pizza at lunch practically every day. If, however, you need Doritos too, you should check out these places:
O’Malia’s: This is the only supermarket downtown, located on the corner of New York and New Jersey. It’s pretty small and expensive, but also convenient. Because it’s such a small market, you may want to be wary of the produce as it tends to sit a while.
Kroger: There are Krogers all over the place. Popular ones are located on W. 38th St. just past I-465, Crawfordsville Road and I-465, and at Keystone and 65th. Kroger is pretty cheap, and you can save even more with one of those keychain swipee things.
Meijer: There are also many Meijer stores, specifically one located at 38th St. and Moller. A lot like Wal-mart.
Marsh: Lots of Marshes around – 38th St. and I-465, Crawfordsville and I-465, 82nd and Allisonville, 62nd and Keystone, etc. This is the best place to go for fresh produce and also the best place to go if you want to spend all your loan money on Wheat Thins.
Target: A really nice one at I-65 and Southport Rd. on the south side, one on 86th St. near Castleton Mall, and one on 82nd St. a mile west of Keystone. Lots of girls shop at Target.
Wal-mart: 86th and Michigan Rd. and I-69 and 96th (both with Sam’s Club), Keystone and 71st, etc. Cheap food, long lines.
Health and Fitness
“Try to do at least one fun thing a week to keep your sanity!
Get plenty of exercise and don’t eat junk food all the time (You don’t want to be working it off all summer long)!
– Class of 2008
As you’ll learn in medical school, being fit is good for you. Here are some options:
Daly Center Workout Room: This workout room is available to all medical students. It’s located next to the lockers in the student lounge and requires your student ID to swipe in. It’s small but convenient, and they’re always adding new stuff to it. If you don’t require much to work out, this is free and you can use the private showers in the bathrooms too.
IUPUI Natatorium: A world-class pool is available to you for 20 bucks a semester. Hours are limited. It’s located on New York and University just south of the IUPUI campus. Your 20 bucks will also give you access to a really small weight room with bad hours. For 35 bucks you get access to the Polaris room which is where the IUPUI athletes work out and is a larger, fully stocked weight facility with better hours. You can register in the basement of the Nat, and bring your student ID. You can also take advantage of open gym, which is held many weeknights (they’re always changing days, so beware) and brings out Indy’s finest ballers. Get there early if you want to play more than one game.
NIFS – National Institute for Fitness and Sport: This is the nicest place to work out, at least in the downtown area. They have an indoor track, countless treadmills/elliptical machines/bikes/steppers, a very large weight room, a large nautilus section, free lockers, and the old Market Square Arena basketball court. Members get discounted/free classes on everything from yoga to salsa to spinning to Ryu-Te, and have access to trainers, body fat testing, etc. The only downside is the lack of a pool. As a student you’ll pay 37.50 a month and you’ll have to pay an initiation fee, too. The facility is located just south of the Natatorium on University as it curves east. Also ask about a free trial membership.
Other: Many people choose to forego any gym membership, as many apartment complexes offer small workout facilities. There’s also Gym 2.0 located near the Circle Center Mall, and several Bally’s Fitness centers around town.
Running: One very popular place to run is along the canal downtown. It’s a pedestrian-only path follows the scenic waterway through downtown Indianapolis, and is a hot spot for rollerbladers, joggers, walkers (with and without dogs), and especially ducks. It is 1.5 miles from end to end. Other locations include the Eagle Creek Park trails on the west side, Northwest Way Park, Greenway, Whitewater Park, the Monon Trail, Butler University Campus, and the outdoor track at the Natatorium.
Biking: People bike along the canal, but it’s not that long. You could do your best Lance Armstrong on the Monon, which stretches through the city from 10th St. near 65/70 all the way up to Carmel (a good 15 miles or so) or try the paved bike trail that follows the White River Greenway and passes through Riverside Park.
Intramural Sports: Soccer, volleyball, rugby, lacrosse, basketball, etc., you can sign up for them all depending on the season through the Natatorium (274.3518) Sign up early as space is usually limited and fills up fast.
Religion
“Establishing some sort of support system is key to maintaining your mental health.”
“Find an activity or activities that refresh you spiritually, physically, and/or emotionally and make it part of your weekly schedule.”
– Class of 2008
The following list of religious communities is by no means exhaustive of the religious communities in Indianapolis. It simply represents many of the religious communities where medical students choose to worship.
If one of these communities does not meet your needs, the links following a faith will provide a more complete list of local religious communities that may help you locate the community that is right for you.
| Protestant Churches (www.churchangel.com/indy.htm) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Calvary Temple | 2901 N Post Road | 897-7199 | www.calvarytempleindy.org |
| Services Sundays mornings at 10am | |||
| Common Ground Christian Church | 6151 N Central Avenue | 251-1484 | www.cground.org |
| Services Sundays at 9am, 11am and 7pm | |||
| First Church of the Nazarene | 9401 E 25th Street | 897-7700 | www.indynaz.org |
| Services Sundays at 9am and 6pm | |||
| Hazel Dell Christian Church | 14501 Hazel Dell Parkway | 846-9828 | www.indynaz.org |
| Services Sundays at 8:30am and 10am | |||
| Traders Point Christian Church | 7680 Lafayette Road | 291-7429 | www.traderspointchurch.org |
| Services Sundays at 10am and 6 pm | |||
| Haughville 7th Day Adventist | 2716 W 20th Street | 636-6268 | |
| Eastside 7th Day Adventist | 3242 N Sherman Drive | 547-4230 | |
| Jesus Christ Church of Latter Day Saints | 502 N Capitol Avenue | 630-1777 | |
| Young Singles Association (4th Branch) | 502 N Capitol Avenue | 630-1778 | |
| Jehovah's Witness - Downtown Congregation | 428 N West Street | 631-4997 | |
| Catholic Churches (Catholic Archiocese of Indianapolis) | |||
| Holy Trinity Catholic Church | 2618 W St. Clair | 631-2939 | www.holytrinityindy. catholicweb.com |
| Services Saturdays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 9am | |||
| Little Flower Catholic Church | 4720 E 13th Street | 357-8352 | www.littleflowerparish.org |
| Services Saturdays at 5pm and Sundays at 8:30am, 10:30am and 6pm | |||
| St. John Catholic Church | 126 W Georgia Street | 637-3941 | www.catholic-forum.com/ churches/314stjohn |
| Services Saturdays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 8am and 11am | |||
| St. Anthony's | 379 N Warman Ave (just south of Michigan and the closest catholic church to campus) |
636-4828 | |
| St Mary’s | 317 North New Jersey | 637-3983 | www.stmarysindy.org |
| St Monica’s | 6131 N. Michigan Rd | www.stmonicaparichindy.org | |
| SS Peter and Paul | 1347 N Meridian St | 634-4519 | http://sspeterandpaul cathedral.org |
| Jewish Synagogues and Congregations | |||
| Beth-El Zedeck (Conservative/Reconstructionist) |
600 W 70th Street | 253-3441 | www.bez613.org/portal /index.pl |
| B'nai Torah (Orthodox) | 6510 Hoover Rd | 253-5253 | www.btorah.org |
| Etz Chaim Sephardic Congregation | 6939 Hoover Rd | 251-6220 | www.etzchaimindy.org |
| Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation | 6501 N Meridian Street | 255-6647 | www.ihcindy.org |
| Shaarey Tefilla | 3085 West 116th St, Carmel, IN | 733-2169 | http://www.shaarey tefilla.org/ |
| Islamic Centers and Mosques | |||
| Daniel Muhammed Islamic Center | 2040 E 46th St | 251-9796 | |
| The Islamic Center of Indianapolis | 2846 Cold Spring Road | 923-0328 | |
| Islamic Society of North America | 267 Old Street Rd | 839-8157 | www.isna.net |
| Muhammad's Mosque | 2418 N Sherman Dr | 546-4664 | |
| Vedantic Hindu | |||
| India Community Center | 4420 W 56th St | 291-0131 | |
| Buddhist | |||
| An Lac Temple | 5253 E 30th St | 545-1234 | www.geocities.com/ Tokyo/index1.html |