Bloomington

Blue Ridge’s main entrance has a wrought-iron gate that originally belonged to an Indianapolis neighborhood. Limestone columns flank the large and ornate fixture, which itself occupies a flower bed filled with short pines and bushes. This neighborhood on the northern end of Bloomington has long been popular for its spacious and stylish mid- to late 20th century houses. “It’s great for anyone commuting to Indianapolis due to the easy access to Interstate 69. I’ve had different athletic personnel target that neighborhood because it’s close to the athletic facilities,” says Steve Smith, a broker with FC Tucker/Bloomington Realtors, who’s made a few sales in Blue Ridge. Those athletic facilities include the homes of both Indiana Hoosiers football and basketball. Blue Ridge also neighbors the man-made Griffy Lake and Griffy Woods Nature Preserve, both of which are destinations for fishing, boating and hiking. Angela Van Rooy, the city’s neighborhood services program manager, calls Blue Ridge a “pretty part of town. So anybody who’s interested in outdoors type stuff, you can walk out your front door and you’re there.” The houses in Blue Ridge are distributed across a mix of flat and hilly terrain covered by a mature canopy. Although a few narrow walking paths wind through the neighborhood, many here are comfortable walking and jogging on the roads. Lots ranging from a third of an acre to about an 1 acre make room for lush garden beds and driveway basketball courts. The architecture here includes bi-levels, split-levels, ranch-style houses, mid-centuries, Colonial Revivals and Traditionals. Several houses also have distinct limestone siding, and few others show creative touches like half-timbered exteriors and rotunda-style roofing. “You don’t have cookie-cutter homes … and the homes generally have good bones and good character,” says Trish Sterling, the broker owner of Sterling Real Estate. Price points here can go from $450,000 for a 2,100-square-foot ranch-style house to $690,000 for a 3,600-square-foot Traditional from the late 1990s. The 109-acre Griffy Lake provides a nearby fishing hole stocked with species like largemouth bass and channel catfish. Visitors to this expansive park get scenic views of the water as they either hike through the 1,220-acre nature preserve or walk on top of the lake’s dam. Over the years, many have left written mementos on the dam. The Griffy Lake area also provides camping sites and a park for those who want to let their dogs roam. “The Griffy Lake nature preserve is a big thing. It’s one of the amenities the city uses a lot. Even the schools have programs, nature based programs in that area,” Van Rooy says. Expansive playgrounds with spiraling slides exist at both the Upper Cascades and Lower Cascades parks. The two parks sit on both ends of the Cascades Golf Course, which has three separate nine-hole playing areas. The nearest shopping and dining options for Blue Ridge are right off the State Road 45 bypass. They include an Aver’s Pizza, which specializes in gourmet pies and neighbors a Kroger grocery store. Those looking for a hearty breakfast can stop by the Lincoln Square Pancake House, a family-owned chain with locations across Central Indiana. La Bonita Restaurant & Market’s is a favorite for Mexican fare, and its menu includes authentic street-style tacos with soft corn tortillas. Craft beer fans — and particularly those who prefer lagers — enjoy stopping by Heartwork Brewing. The small batch brewery stands out with its use of a unique water filtration method usually seen in major craft beer cities like Nashville and Denver. Those looking for sweet pastries can stop by Square Donuts, which is known for its assortment of square-shaped donuts. Students here start at Marlin Elementary School, which receives an A from ratings site Niche. Marlin places an emphasis on physical fitness, and its extracurriculars include basketball and soccer clubs run by fifth and sixth graders. The students who lead these sports clubs run activities during recess aimed at helping peers who are interested in playing soccer and basketball. Students here then go on to Tri-North Middle School and Bloomington High School North, which both also receive A grades from Niche. The ratings site ranks Bloomington High School North as among the top 25 best high schools in the state for STEM. The school neighbors the Hoosier Hills Career Center, where high schoolers go for college credit and advanced placement courses. The proximity to the IU athletic venues south of the State Road 45 bypass puts Blue Ridge within convenient reach of many college sporting events throughout the year. The facilities include the Indiana University Memorial Stadium and neighboring Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, respectively the homes of Hoosiers football and basketball. Blue Ridge is considered advantageous for commuters to Indianapolis due to the neighborhood’s location on the northern end of Bloomington and proximity to Interstate 69. The neighborhood is about 49 miles south and 50 minutes from the state capital. Bloomington residents going on out-of-state flights go to the Indianapolis International Airport about 45 miles north of the city. The Bloomington Transit keeps a few bus stops on nearby North Kinser Pike and offers alternative transportation around the city. The neighborhood is about 3 miles from downtown Bloomington. The IU Health Bloomington Hospital about 3 miles south of Blue Ridge is the closest major medical facility in the city to the neighborhood.