I have the oppurtunity to interview for a job in Marion, Indiana. Besides being close to Gas City, what does Marion have going for it? What are the negatives about it? It looks like a very small town. Is this correct? I have three kids in grade school, how would they like the city.

Looking for pros and cons.

Thanks
Jon

FWIW, Jon, I'm pretty sure where I read that Marion has dropped in population, not uncommon for many Hoosier communities.

That could mean just about anything.

Racing wise, it's a good location for northern Indiana. Gas City, Kokomo, Winchester, Eldora, Plymouth and Montpelier aren't that far away.

Things I've heard about Marion are not good, one side of the town is nice and the other is not good at all as far as crime and whatnot. I'm not saying it's like Indianapolis or anything but I do believe the city is trying to make it better

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Jon,

Like many other cities of this size in the Rust Belt, manufacturing jobs have left the city. With this happening, the city has re-invented itself with more service industry type jobs. The housing market has been depressed but seems to have bottomed out and has a slow recovery underway. Great time to buy a place if that would be in your plans.

I know the Superintendent of Schools very well and he is very well liked in the community and listens to the parents, teachers, administrators and students. He is making a difference with subtle steps and the folks seem to be buying into the program.

Activities for kids are about the same as all midwestern cities. YMCA, soccer, little league, AAU basketball, etc... The close proximity of Fort Wayne has advantages to living in a smaller community while being within driving distance to a larger metro area.

A couple of close by attractions would include the Honeywell Center in Wabash which has entertainment options second to none and also Indiana Wesleyan & Taylor Univesity in Marion & Upland respectively.

I know a lot of people there and most like the small town atmosphere and the friendly neighborhoods. Don't know where you currently live but I think Marion is a great place to call home. And no, I don't live there but know enough about it to make that statement.

Danny pretty much spelled out the racing options. A couple he missed were Baer Field in Fort Wayne, Miami County in Peru and U S 24 in Logansport.

Good luck on your decision no matter what it is.

Take the job and live in Kokomo half hour drive and Kokomo is growing with lots to do and still close to all the race tracks. We have raised a family here and do not mind calling it home.

Jerry #66j
stida,com/HalfMoon Brewery & Resturant

I agree with Jerry, Kokomo is a very nice place, I was born and raised and still currently live in Kokomo. It's a bigger town with somewhat of a small town appeal

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Here is some crime data from Marion. It compares it to other cities Nationally.

Another question, how bad are the winters? How much weather do you get off of the great lakes? Not a fan of the cold.

Did you look into Gas City. It looks like a nice clean,safe town. I lived in a small town for 40 years and now live in the country. You can have towns like Kokomo with all the stop lights and traffic. My kids played in the streets and walked anywhere in town without us worrying about them.
My kids now live in the city and they think it's nice but when they come home they say it so much more relaxing.
Just my two cents worth

I used to live in Marion and now live in Fairmount, which is about ten miles south. Marion is ok depending where you live. Marion schools have had their ups and downs and from what I have heard are/ were close to being taken over by the state. However, in Grant county your kids can go to any district if grades and behavior are ok. The outlying districts are smaller and have a more rural demographic. The economy has taken a hit on the city of Marion, but they are still developing quite a bit along the bypass, specifically on the southwest side. If you want to know anything else, just message me.

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