how to find an apartment in indianapolis without getting scammed (or crying in a kroger parking lot)
look, i’ve lugged my camera gear through six sublets in this city since 2021-including a "cozy" basement that doubled as a mushroom farm. indy’s rental scene? it’s like trying to photograph a ghost. half the listings are AI-generated lies, and the other half smell like old hot dish. here’s how i survived.
first rule: *bates-hendricks is getting fancy but still has $800 one-bedrooms if you stalk indy craigslist at 3am. heard some developer whispering at thompson’s bar about it being the "next fountain square" (cool, cool, just don’t price me out).
weather right now? the sky’s been spitting gray mist all week like a broken polaroid. but hey, we’re a three-hour drive from chicago if you need to escape.
> "avoid anything near 38th and lafayette unless you enjoy fireworks at 2am" - drunk guy at the sinking ship, who then showed me his stab-proof vest collection.
last year’s avg rent jumped 9% to $1,100. my freelance gigs sure didn’t. found this hack though: garfield park area landlords are weirdly chill if you offer to photograph their properties. traded headshots for a $50 rent discount on my current spot. here’s the conservatory where i shoot experimental reels when the light hits right.
> "they’ll tell you ‘hardwood floors’ but really it’s plywood painted brown," warned a barista at provider while i chugged my fourth cold brew. she wasn’t wrong.
red flags i’ve learned: no in-person tours = scam. $500 studio in broad ripple? scam. listings using the word ‘charming’? probably a scam. checked r/indianapolis and found 12 people got duped by the same fake luxury loft last month.
final tip: fountain square artists are fleeing to southport* now. my friend got a live-work space there with exposed brick (real brick!) for $950. stalk fsq art squad’s ig for sudden vacancies when creatives burn out.
indy’s like that grainy film photo you accidentally love-flawed but weirdly perfect. just don’t sign anything until you’ve tested the shower pressure.
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