Bloomington IN Moving Companies

Bloomington, Indiana

Nestled in the rolling hills of southern Indiana, Bloomington is a best-loved city that boasts spectacular scenery, excellent educational institutions and unique shopping and dining experiences. Bloomington is one of the great places to live, work and play. Few communities in the nation match its unique character and friendly and safe environment. Those moving to Bloomingtom will discover a wide array of opportunities in employment, education, arts and culture, the city is continually improving the quality of life for everyone.

History:
It is known as the "Gateway to Scenic Southern Indiana." A group of settlers from Kentucky, Tennessee, the Carolinas and Virginia established the city in 1818. The area includes a number of Indiana state parks, nearby state and national forests, as well as city parks and recreation. One early industry was the salt works in 1822 and the Virginia Iron Works, which made a variety of iron kettles and other goods. Seward's blacksmith shop opened in 1821. Seward was most famous for creating the courthouse fish and beautiful iron fences. A limestone mill was opened in the Stinesville area in 1827. Several limestone mills were built by the 1860's. The coming of the railroad in1853 made travel easier and made transporting limestone more feasible. New communities grew up along the railroad. The 1900's brought many changes and growth to the area. The Depression hit Monroe County hard. In 1939, the city bought land west of town for an airport and completed it in 1944. In the period between the late 1950s and the 1970s, some of the older business closed. Showers sold their business and Seward's closed. The limestone companies also suffered during this time. College Mall opened in 1965 and brought a new way of shopping to town. Since the 1980s, the economy has been moving toward high tech, entrepreneurship, nonprofit, service and governmental employment. There are many artists and musicians, and quality of life is a valued community asset.

Economy:
The population of Bloomington and Monroe County continues to grow, and this in turn fuels businesses that serve the local market. As shown in, both the city and the county have grown substantially over the past two years, and the city continues to account for a minority of total county growth. Growth of the overall economy of the Bloomington metropolitan statistical area presents a mixed picture. The area's retail output grew more slowly than U.S. retail output, while its manufacturing output nearly equaled the national growth rate at 14.5 percent. Output of the professional and technical services sector gained a respectable 25.3 percent, outpacing the nation in this sector. Demand is good for houses in the $100,000 to $250,000 range, but weak for higher-priced homes. As elsewhere, financing is available but limited to buyers with strong credit ratings and equity to bring to the purchase. The local real estate outlook may represent a ray of light toward the end of 2009 as credit markets loosen up and the remaining surplus of houses fills increasing demand. However, actions yet to be determined by the federal government could greatly affect prospects for a housing turnaround in the Bloomington area.

Tourism:
For the shopper in the group, Bloomington's downtown area is full of funky and interesting shops. Check out the local heritage at the Monroe County History Center or the Wylie House Museum. You won't want to miss exploring Kirkwood Avenue, the main artery connecting downtown Bloomington with the campus of Indiana University. Once you are on campus, the collections of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction are like nothing else on earth. Bloomington is the proud home of two of Indiana’s oldest and best wineries and two local breweries. Oliver Winery is the state’s oldest and largest; it offers free tastings in a timber framed tasting room. Butler Winery and Vineyard provides the free tastings at two Bloomington locations – downtown and at their vineyard on the outskirts of town. Finally, the city is home to three lakes. Popular activities include pontoon and speedboat rentals, canoe and kayak rentals, hiking, camping, wildlife viewing and an assortment of other outdoor activities.

Looking for more outdoor fun? The Hoosier National Forest is the only national forest in Indiana. The forest surrounds much of Lake Monroe, providing several thousand acres of pristine forestlands to enjoy.

Colleges and Universities:

• Indiana University Bloomington
• Ivy Tech Community College

Interesting Facts:

• Bloomington is known as ‘Tree City USA’ because it has more than 18,000 public trees.
• Singer John Mellencamp lives in Bloomington.
• The Tibetan Cultural Center in Bloomington was founded by the brother of the Dali Lama.