Schools matter — but so do commutes, affordability and other amenities
By Zack O’Malley Greenburg
Steve Schwartz and his wife, Lori, have spent the last 30 years running Schwartz’s Bait and Tackle in Noblesville, Ind. Just 15 miles north of downtown Indianapolis, they sell fishing equipment and rent canoes to locals like Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri and former Formula One racer Derek Daly.
They’ve also discovered something most Americans are still searching for: the ideal place to raise a family. Their sons, Pete and Eddie, 26 and 22, who still help out at the store, are the products of an idyllic upbringing in Hamilton County,
“It’s the best of the best,” says the 47-year-old Schwartz, also a Hamilton County councilman, referring to the area and its quaint hamlets, low crime and desirable cost of living. “It’s a great place to raise your family. It’s safe, it’s fun, it’s affordable and it’s growing.”