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Life in Bloomington
Life in Bloomington
Bloomington’s eclectic charm is legendary. It was chosen as one of the top ten college towns in America for its “rich mixture of atmospherics and academia” by Edward Fiske, former education editor of The New York Times.
Our culturally vibrant community of 69,000 people is nestled among the rolling hills of southern Indiana just 45 miles south of Indianapolis, the state capital. Mild winters and warm summers are ideal for outdoor recreation in the state and national forests, state parks, and lakes surrounding Bloomington. Bloomington is also home to a thriving arts scene, highlighted by the annual ArtsWeek celebration in February and the Lotus World Music and Arts Festival in September. A tantalizing array of international restaurants, including Afghan, Cajun, Chinese, French, Greek, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Tibetan, and Thai, among others, are within easy walking distance of the Indiana University campus.
In its annual rankings of livable cities, Rand McNally lists Bloomington as one of the eight most desirable places to live in the United States, based on economy, personal safety, climate, housing, services, and leisure activities. We’ve also been named one of the least stressful cities in the U.S. by Psychology Today. The cost of living is significantly lower than in many cities with research universities.
The
Indiana Memorial Union is the world's largest student union, with a 200-room hotel, several restaurants, a bookstore, and a bowling alley.
IU athletic teams often are top contenders for national titles, most recently our seventh NCAA national championship in soccer.
The
IU School of Music, long considered the best in the country, sponsors more than 1,000 musical events each year.