Bloomington (Indiana)

Bloomington is a city of 86,000 people (2019) in Southern Indiana. Bloomington is home to the flagship campus of Indiana University and the IU Hoosiers. As it is a much larger city than the county seats of nearby counties, it serves as the de facto employment, service, and shopping center for several adjacent counties.

Understand
Like most Indiana cities, Bloomington is arranged mostly on a rectangular grid. College Ave and Walnut St, a pair of one-way streets, form the main north-south thoroughfare through the central city, dividing the city into the east and west sides. The east side is centered around the main campus (Bloomington Campus) of Indiana University. The west side historically was the industrial part of town, with a number of factories churning out a variety of industrial products, from limestone blocks to elevators (Otis) to television sets (RCA).

While the university keeps growing, many of the industrial plants have now been closed, and the north-side railway running a few blocks west of Walnut St (Monon Railroad, later acquired by CSX) has been converted to a popular walking and bicycling trail (the B-Line Trail).

Bloomington is the county seat of Monroe County.

By plane

 * Indianapolis International Airport is the nearest commercial airport to Bloomington, located about 50 miles away. Scheduled bus service between the airport and Bloomington is provided by the Bloomington Shuttle Service. The shuttle vans or buses depart the airport's Ground Transportation Center every hour or every two hours (depending on the day of the week) from 6:40AM until 10:40PM. (The schedule may be reduced during the COVID pandemic, though). Tickets are priced at $29 one-way, as of 2021. The shuttles stop at the Indiana Memorial Union on the IU campus, as well as at a number of other locations on the IU campus and in the downtown area. The Miller Transportation (AKA Hoosier Ride) buses also sometimes (twice a day, as of 2021) stop at the Indianapolis Airport on their way between Indianapolis and Bloomington; their fare is $15 (plus a small booking fee), and they stop at the downtown bus station in Bloomington. Taxi fare from the airport to Bloomington is around $90.
 * Monroe County Airport 972 S Kirby Rd. +1 812-825-5406. All scheduled service to this airport, a few miles southwest of the city, stopped in the early 1990s; it is only used by general aviation.

By car

 * I-69 – Interstate 69 heads southwest through rural areas of forest and farmland to Evansville, and north through similar areas to Martinsville. Completed to Evansville in the early 2010s, and to Martinsville in 2021, this highway is new enough that it has comparatively few services; some exits have no nearby buildings at all, and you must follow signs for nearby fuel and food.
 * S.R. 37 – Before the extension of Interstate 69 to Martinsville, SR 37 was the main highway through Bloomington. North of Martinsville, SR 37 resumes and is under heavy construction to convert it to Interstate 69, with completion to Indianapolis planned for 2024. SR 37 still exists south of the city, going toward Bedford and eventually to the Ohio River town of Tell City.
 * S.R. 46 State Road 46 is a small two-lane road that goes east into Brown County, past Brown County State Park to Nashville, IN, and Columbus, IN.  To the west, it goes through Spencer to Terre Haute, IN.  It avoids downtown Bloomington via a four-lane bypass on the city's northern side.

By bus

 * Miller Trailways/Hoosier Ride. Twice-a-day bus service from Indianapolis (Greyhound Bus Station) and Evansville. The bus stops at the Bloomington Transit central station (3rd St and Walnut St), two blocks south of the Courthouse Square. One can purchase tickets at the Miller Trailways website; alternatively, if one also travels by Greyhound, one can purchase a single through ticket at the Greyhound website, with one of the coupons covering the Miller Trailways segment of the trip (typically, from Indianapolis to Bloomington).
 * Bloomington Shuttle Service, run by Go Express Travel. Multiple daily runs (every one or two hours, depending on the day of the week) between Bloomington and the Indianapolis airport (see above). This company also runs direct buses to the Chicago area on some weekends, for the convenience of IU students.

Get around

 * Bloomington Shuttle Service offers shuttles to four destination points in town, charters, limousines, and service to and from Indianapolis Airport.
 * Bloomington Transit is a full city-wide bus system with various routes to choose from. While serviceable, most buses only run every hour or half hour, and Saturday routes only run every hour.  Only the routes serving campus (Route 6 and Route 9) run on Sundays. The system's main hub is the downtown transit center, at 3rd and Walnut Sts.  Single-trip tickets cost $1, with a variety of discount passes available to those who need to use the system on ongoing basis. IU students and staff can ride the system for free with their ID cards.
 * Indiana University Campus Bus is a separate system from Bloomington Transit. To avoid confusion with the city bus system, instead of numbers, campus bus routes are identified by letters. While mostly of interest to students, the campus bus system is open to general public, and charges no fares.
 * Rural Transit operates several routes, on very limited schedule, to a number of locations just outside the city limits, as well as to the nearby towns of Ellettsville and Spencer (Owen County).
 * Electric scooter rental (from two companies, Bird and (Lime) is available, and pretty popular. The city has promulgated regulations in regard to their use.
 * Taxi. The city is served by taxis, although the fares are high at 50¢ per quarter-mile plus a $4 charge for being picked up. One local taxi company is Red Tire Taxi; there are others.

Parking
Parking near the university is regulated. A daily visitor parking pass may be purchased for $6 at the Biddle Hotel lobby of the Indiana Memorial Union (although this may only be purchased on the day of). This pass will allow visitors to park in many different lots & garages around the campus. Additionally, there are some metered parking spots on campus and some lots and garages on campus that are pay-parking (per half-hour). There are a few lots and garages that are free on Saturday & Sunday. For more detailed information, go to Indiana University Parking Operations: Visitor Permits

There are some street spots just off of the campus that either have 1 hour or 2 hour limits from 8AM-5PM (these tend to not be metered spots).

On-street parking throughout downtown is limited and, typically, metered. Visitors are advised to use parking garages instead.

By bicycle
Bloomington is a fairly bicycle-friendly city, with a network of bike trails and recommended bike routes. (See map). B-Line Trail is probably the most popular of them. The trail runs along the route of the now-dismantled railroad that used to separate the better-off east side of Bloomington from "the other [western] side of the tracks".

For spare parts and repairs, there are a number of bike shops in town, as well as the non-profit Bloomington Community Bike Project whose workshop you can use for DIY repairs.

Do
A large number of events open to general public (lectures, concerts, film showings) take place almost daily on the IU Bloomington campus, at least during the academic semesters. See the calendar of IU Bloomington events.

Another calendar of city events is maintained by the local public radio station, WFIU.

The Holiday World amusement park in Southwestern Indiana is a two-hour drive from Bloomington.



Buy
Shopping areas in the city include:
 * Kirkwood Avenue -- Kirkwood Avenue is the street leading from the Downtown Square to the Sample Gates, the main entrance into the Indiana University campus. It offers a couple of clothing shops, a souvenir shop as well as an Indiana University gift shop. It's usually packed with IU students, so take a stroll, find some grub, do some people watching, or some shopping.
 * College Mall -- Located on the east side of town, College Mall is a typical small town shopping mall. It's nice to spend a few hours in it at one a rainy day but don't expect too much. Anchor stores are Target and Macy's, with specialty stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Old Navy, Victoria's Secret, Wet Seal, and Yankee Candle.  Food options include a couple pizzerias, Auntie Anne's, Subway, and a food court.
 * The Westside -- Around the junction of Third Street with State Road 37: typical shopping centers (T.J.Max, Kohl's, Big Lots) with an assortment of restaurants.
 * Fountain Square Mall -- The Fountain Square Mall is an upscale mall situated downtown just across from the courthouse. It houses By Hand Gallery, a local artist's coop; a game store; toy store; vintage clothing; and the traditional expensive clothing shops. Across the street to Caveat Emptor as well, a must-see for used book enthusiasts. You can barely get through the aisles for the stacks of books. You can also take a break from shopping to get a relaxing massage at Massage on the Square located on the first floor of the mall.

Books and maps
Back in the early 1990s, Bloomington sported over 20 independent bookstores, and was sometimes described as a city with a largest number of bookstores per capita in the USA. Since then, most of them have gone out of business as Borders and Barnes and Noble arrived (the former of which having later succumbed to competition from the likes of Amazon.com; the latter is still there, in East 3rd St). Still, a few good independent book stores remain. Two of them ("Caveat Emptor" and "The Book Corner") can be seen on the east side of the Courthouse Square; another one ("Boxcar Books", a non-for-profit co-op) is in 6th St between Dunn and Grant.

See also the annual Community Book Fair under Events: October.

Groceries
Kroger is the main supermarket chain doing business in town; there is an Aldi and a Walmart on the west side as well.

Being a major university town, Bloomington has more "organic" and "international" grocery stores than anywhere else in southern Indiana. Bloomingfoods is a local food co-op, emphasizing organic products and featuring eat-in deli sections in its two locations around the city. Lucky's Market, a small national chain somewhat similar to Trader Joe or Whole Foods, has a store at W. Country Club Dr. and S. Walnut, on the south side of town. Fresh Thyme, with a location near College Mall and another one on the west side, is another similar chain.

There are several "ethnic" stores. World Foods Market (in 2nd St near Walnut St) is particularly strong on Middle Eastern products and wine. Tenth St Market & Deli, located near Eigenmann Hall, provides all kinds of imported groceries to international students living in the student housing in the area. Two "Asian" (Chinese / Korean) grocery stores can be found on the city's east side, in the general area of College Mall (Rongcheng at 10th and Bypass, and B-Town International Market near the east side Kroger).

April thru November, a lively farmers' market operates on Saturdays near the City Hall. A smaller market also runs at a nearby location on Tuesdays in June thru September.

Eat
Bloomington is known in the Midwest for its selection of world cuisine. Visit East 4th Street between Grant and Indiana Avenues for a huge selection of the best ethnic fare. There are some enduring classics and a small bit of turnover in this district. Formerly there was once even the Snow Lion, an excellent Tibetan restaurant owned by the Dalai Lama's brother! Don't be afraid to travel outside of downtown for great food, remember that University real estate doesn't come cheap, and some of the best new restaurants get their start in the suburbs before moving downtown.

Summer is a great time to avoid student crowds, but many restaurants often cut short their hours and even close-up 1–2 days a week, so call ahead from June–August if you don't want to risk a "Back Soon" sign. All Bloomington restaurants and bars are non-smoking.


 * Mother Bear's Pizza This place is ancient, a Bloomington tradition. BBQ Cheese pizza for one - Absolutely amazing. This, along with Nick's, is arguably the most famous and treasured restaurant in the city. Claims to have been voted "4th Best Pizza in the Country" a few years back.
 * Noodle's and Co. A chain that has opened in an old theater building. Serves Italian, Asian and American style noodle and pasta dishes.
 * Runcible Spoon A wonderfully comfortable restaurant, converted from a house complete with living room furniture and bookshelves. Delicious entrées all around, with great coffee brews, very veggie/vegan friendly, cheap wine, good selection of beers, and a good (but pricey) breakfast. Definitely come for the ambience and pretty alternative girls. Excellent food and coffee, but your coffee will be cold by the time your food gets there, as speedy service is not their forte.
 * Trojan Horse Excellent Greek & American food with the best atmosphere, and usually the best servers, in Bloomington. Tavern upstairs. (corner of Kirkwood & Walnut)
 * Village Deli The perfect American breakfast. Over-priced, as with all breakfast foods, but do not leave without ordering Paxton's Potatoes (not Take 2). The home fries will win you over here. Packed on the weekends, but generally a crowd pleaser.
 * Yogi's Best place to go if you're in a group of four or more. Largest beer selection in Bloomington.
 * Mother Bear's Pizza This place is ancient, a Bloomington tradition. BBQ Cheese pizza for one - Absolutely amazing. This, along with Nick's, is arguably the most famous and treasured restaurant in the city. Claims to have been voted "4th Best Pizza in the Country" a few years back.
 * Noodle's and Co. A chain that has opened in an old theater building. Serves Italian, Asian and American style noodle and pasta dishes.
 * Runcible Spoon A wonderfully comfortable restaurant, converted from a house complete with living room furniture and bookshelves. Delicious entrées all around, with great coffee brews, very veggie/vegan friendly, cheap wine, good selection of beers, and a good (but pricey) breakfast. Definitely come for the ambience and pretty alternative girls. Excellent food and coffee, but your coffee will be cold by the time your food gets there, as speedy service is not their forte.
 * Trojan Horse Excellent Greek & American food with the best atmosphere, and usually the best servers, in Bloomington. Tavern upstairs. (corner of Kirkwood & Walnut)
 * Village Deli The perfect American breakfast. Over-priced, as with all breakfast foods, but do not leave without ordering Paxton's Potatoes (not Take 2). The home fries will win you over here. Packed on the weekends, but generally a crowd pleaser.
 * Yogi's Best place to go if you're in a group of four or more. Largest beer selection in Bloomington.
 * Mother Bear's Pizza This place is ancient, a Bloomington tradition. BBQ Cheese pizza for one - Absolutely amazing. This, along with Nick's, is arguably the most famous and treasured restaurant in the city. Claims to have been voted "4th Best Pizza in the Country" a few years back.
 * Noodle's and Co. A chain that has opened in an old theater building. Serves Italian, Asian and American style noodle and pasta dishes.
 * Runcible Spoon A wonderfully comfortable restaurant, converted from a house complete with living room furniture and bookshelves. Delicious entrées all around, with great coffee brews, very veggie/vegan friendly, cheap wine, good selection of beers, and a good (but pricey) breakfast. Definitely come for the ambience and pretty alternative girls. Excellent food and coffee, but your coffee will be cold by the time your food gets there, as speedy service is not their forte.
 * Trojan Horse Excellent Greek & American food with the best atmosphere, and usually the best servers, in Bloomington. Tavern upstairs. (corner of Kirkwood & Walnut)
 * Village Deli The perfect American breakfast. Over-priced, as with all breakfast foods, but do not leave without ordering Paxton's Potatoes (not Take 2). The home fries will win you over here. Packed on the weekends, but generally a crowd pleaser.
 * Yogi's Best place to go if you're in a group of four or more. Largest beer selection in Bloomington.
 * Mother Bear's Pizza This place is ancient, a Bloomington tradition. BBQ Cheese pizza for one - Absolutely amazing. This, along with Nick's, is arguably the most famous and treasured restaurant in the city. Claims to have been voted "4th Best Pizza in the Country" a few years back.
 * Noodle's and Co. A chain that has opened in an old theater building. Serves Italian, Asian and American style noodle and pasta dishes.
 * Runcible Spoon A wonderfully comfortable restaurant, converted from a house complete with living room furniture and bookshelves. Delicious entrées all around, with great coffee brews, very veggie/vegan friendly, cheap wine, good selection of beers, and a good (but pricey) breakfast. Definitely come for the ambience and pretty alternative girls. Excellent food and coffee, but your coffee will be cold by the time your food gets there, as speedy service is not their forte.
 * Trojan Horse Excellent Greek & American food with the best atmosphere, and usually the best servers, in Bloomington. Tavern upstairs. (corner of Kirkwood & Walnut)
 * Village Deli The perfect American breakfast. Over-priced, as with all breakfast foods, but do not leave without ordering Paxton's Potatoes (not Take 2). The home fries will win you over here. Packed on the weekends, but generally a crowd pleaser.
 * Yogi's Best place to go if you're in a group of four or more. Largest beer selection in Bloomington.
 * Trojan Horse Excellent Greek & American food with the best atmosphere, and usually the best servers, in Bloomington. Tavern upstairs. (corner of Kirkwood & Walnut)
 * Village Deli The perfect American breakfast. Over-priced, as with all breakfast foods, but do not leave without ordering Paxton's Potatoes (not Take 2). The home fries will win you over here. Packed on the weekends, but generally a crowd pleaser.
 * Yogi's Best place to go if you're in a group of four or more. Largest beer selection in Bloomington.
 * Village Deli The perfect American breakfast. Over-priced, as with all breakfast foods, but do not leave without ordering Paxton's Potatoes (not Take 2). The home fries will win you over here. Packed on the weekends, but generally a crowd pleaser.
 * Yogi's Best place to go if you're in a group of four or more. Largest beer selection in Bloomington.
 * Village Deli The perfect American breakfast. Over-priced, as with all breakfast foods, but do not leave without ordering Paxton's Potatoes (not Take 2). The home fries will win you over here. Packed on the weekends, but generally a crowd pleaser.
 * Yogi's Best place to go if you're in a group of four or more. Largest beer selection in Bloomington.

Bar and pubs



 * Soma Cliquish hipster heaven, where anyone who's alternative, fashionably or otherwise, goes to be seen (everyone looks up at the door when it opens to see who's coming in). Don't forget to drop a few coins in the tip jar or be prepared for snide comments and dirty looks. Good coffee nonetheless.
 * Root Cellar Located in the basement of FARM, one of Bloomington's delicious downtown restaurants off Kirkwood avenue, the Root Cellar offers a selection of beer and whiskey (other beverages available at the posher bar upstairs). Eclectic vintage decor in a cave like setting make this a popular destination for Bloomington's hipsters, graduate students, and young professionals. Occasionally features music - check out Soul in the Hole (first Saturday of every month) for a great Motown dance party or New Wave Night (every 2nd & 4th Saturday) for wild dancing - 1980s style.
 * Soma Cliquish hipster heaven, where anyone who's alternative, fashionably or otherwise, goes to be seen (everyone looks up at the door when it opens to see who's coming in). Don't forget to drop a few coins in the tip jar or be prepared for snide comments and dirty looks. Good coffee nonetheless.
 * Root Cellar Located in the basement of FARM, one of Bloomington's delicious downtown restaurants off Kirkwood avenue, the Root Cellar offers a selection of beer and whiskey (other beverages available at the posher bar upstairs). Eclectic vintage decor in a cave like setting make this a popular destination for Bloomington's hipsters, graduate students, and young professionals. Occasionally features music - check out Soul in the Hole (first Saturday of every month) for a great Motown dance party or New Wave Night (every 2nd & 4th Saturday) for wild dancing - 1980s style.
 * Soma Cliquish hipster heaven, where anyone who's alternative, fashionably or otherwise, goes to be seen (everyone looks up at the door when it opens to see who's coming in). Don't forget to drop a few coins in the tip jar or be prepared for snide comments and dirty looks. Good coffee nonetheless.
 * Root Cellar Located in the basement of FARM, one of Bloomington's delicious downtown restaurants off Kirkwood avenue, the Root Cellar offers a selection of beer and whiskey (other beverages available at the posher bar upstairs). Eclectic vintage decor in a cave like setting make this a popular destination for Bloomington's hipsters, graduate students, and young professionals. Occasionally features music - check out Soul in the Hole (first Saturday of every month) for a great Motown dance party or New Wave Night (every 2nd & 4th Saturday) for wild dancing - 1980s style.
 * Soma Cliquish hipster heaven, where anyone who's alternative, fashionably or otherwise, goes to be seen (everyone looks up at the door when it opens to see who's coming in). Don't forget to drop a few coins in the tip jar or be prepared for snide comments and dirty looks. Good coffee nonetheless.
 * Root Cellar Located in the basement of FARM, one of Bloomington's delicious downtown restaurants off Kirkwood avenue, the Root Cellar offers a selection of beer and whiskey (other beverages available at the posher bar upstairs). Eclectic vintage decor in a cave like setting make this a popular destination for Bloomington's hipsters, graduate students, and young professionals. Occasionally features music - check out Soul in the Hole (first Saturday of every month) for a great Motown dance party or New Wave Night (every 2nd & 4th Saturday) for wild dancing - 1980s style.
 * Root Cellar Located in the basement of FARM, one of Bloomington's delicious downtown restaurants off Kirkwood avenue, the Root Cellar offers a selection of beer and whiskey (other beverages available at the posher bar upstairs). Eclectic vintage decor in a cave like setting make this a popular destination for Bloomington's hipsters, graduate students, and young professionals. Occasionally features music - check out Soul in the Hole (first Saturday of every month) for a great Motown dance party or New Wave Night (every 2nd & 4th Saturday) for wild dancing - 1980s style.

Sleep
A majority of Bloomington hotels are concentrated along the city's main north-south axis, Walnut and College Ave (aka Business Route 37, i.e. the highway from Indianapolis), between the downtown are and the city's northern edge, where the highway enters the city. The downtown ones are convenient for a traveler without a car, as they are walking distance to downtown attraction and the IU campus; those on the northern side may have better parking and better highway access.



Connect
Free Wi-Fi and public computers for residents and visitors are available in the Monroe County Public Library (Kirkwood Ave, between Grant and Lincoln St).

The main university library (10th St and Jordan Ave) also offers free temporary computer accounts to visitors; ask at the circulation desk.

Free WiFi is available at a number of locations around the city. Besides the public library and many IU buildings, it is available at the new central station of Bloomington Transit (at 3rd and Walnut), and at some large stores (such as Kroger, Lucky's, Fresh Thyme, or Kohl's).

By phone
Most telephone numbers in Bloomington consist of +1 812 plus a seven-digit number, but the entire 812 area is now served by an overlay complex of two area codes, with 930 being the second. A local or in-state telephone call now requires all 10 digits of the local number be dialed (omitting just the leading +1 from a local landline call).

Signage on many established businesses may still display the original seven-digit numbers; dial 812 before these if no area code is indicated.

Media
WFIU (an affiliate of the NPR) and WFHB are two radio stations with a significant amount of local content. There is also the student-operated WIUX.

There are two local newspapers, the Herald-Times and the student-run Indiana Daily Student.