Passenger Trains > One of the best first-home markets: Beech Grove, IN

From an article about the best places for first-time homeowners to buy:  number 4 on the list of 10:Beech Grove, IndianaMedian Home Price: $165K in December 2021
Population: 14,717
Nearest Metro: 6 miles southeast of Indianapolis
Local Professional: Chris Hartwell, real estate broker at White Stag Realty. Hartwell has worked in the region for nearly three years, is a former Beech Grove resident and still lives nearby.

What makes Beechgrove, Indiana an attractive city for first-time homebuyers?
“It’s a great area for a first-time homebuyer, just because the price points aren’t inflated. It’s, for being as close to a downtown area, safe, community and family oriented. It’s more of an established, traditional, market as far as the houses go. There’s bungalows, there’s Victorian houses, there’s some vinyl siding houses, you get a little bit of everything.”

“There’s a hospital, you got your medical community. There’s the Amtrak Maintenance Facility right there in Beech Grove that has a lot of jobs as well. You’re 10 minutes into downtown Indianapolis, 5-to-10 minutes away from Fountain Square with new restaurants and bars. There’s several little mom-and-pop restaurants and bars in the Beech Grove area as well. Beech Grove is close to Garfield Park, which is a pretty massive park. They have a lot of concerts and festivals. You can take your dog and walk for hours.”

first place i went to a steak and shake

Beech Grove Police is one of eight featured departments on the "On Patrol Live" TV series, on the Reelz cable/satellite channel...you can get a glimpse of what happens there.

Mostly at the Walmart. lol

Beech Grove used to have higher property taxes than Indianapolis, which surrounds the whole town. I purchased a home
30 years ago in Indy located 1 mile from the BG city limits and saved 1/3 on my tax bill for a home similar to the ones I
looked at in the "Grove".

This has changed due to state legislation capping property tax rates.

10 years ago the mayor of Beech Grove reported that only 10% of the local Amtrak employees lived there.

Trivia: Actor Steve McQueen was born in Beech Grove...

Sister used to live there and still owns a house they'll hang onto for awhile until they know where their son's work is going, They're not railfans. Their kitchen window overlooks the yards.

As she says, BG was a decent place, but now everyone under 50 is drunk all the time. Plain booze or fancy doesn't matter. That's why the BGPD segments on On Patrol Live are interesting, but a little repetitive.

Rebecca Morgan
Jacobsburg, OH

It’s not that bad of a place. I live 2 1/2 miles from it. Far from the worst place in the Indy metro area.

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