Franklin, Indiana is a great place to live if you are looking for homes for sale on the Southside!
Franklin is a true example of a small town getting encroached by big city development, in a good way! Franklin seems to retain its charm and small-town feel, at the same time enjoying the benefits of economic growth and modernization.
Franklin has a population of around 23,000. The town and surrounding unincorporated parts of Franklin, Union and Needham Townships is served by Franklin Community School Corporation.
It is the county seat of Johnson County with the courthouse in the middle of the town square. Franklin is the host of the Johnson County Fair, which is held in July. This week-long event draws in the locals for food, fun and entertainment!
Franklin has a rich history, originating in 1823. It has had an active historical preservation foundation since 1983 called Franklin Heritage Inc. Franklin has managed to stay relevant by both the upkeep and ongoing use of historic buildings, and modernization of streets and amenities.
Founded in 1834, Franklin College is a liberal arts and sciences college with over 50 majors. The campus is on 207 acres in downtown Franklin, which includes a 31-acre biology woodland.
What are the homes for sale in Franklin like?
Homes for sale in Franklin, Indiana range from historic 1800s mansions to brand new homes in subdivisions or your own land. You can get anything in Franklin! People take care of their property, which makes homes for sale here a sound investment. At any time you will find between 40-50 homes listed for sale in Franklin, with about 1/2 being in subdivisions. There are a lot of choices and price points which makes it easy to find a home that you love!
How far is the commute from Franklin to Indianapolis?
Franklin is a great place to live if you commute to either Indianapolis or Columbus. It is just under 30 minutes from Franklin into the downtown area of either city. Franklin has one exit to I-65, but if you live north of Franklin, you can also use the Whiteland exit in your drive to Indy, making your commute even shorter!
What is great about living in Franklin?
I’m particularly fond of Franklin. My husband commutes to Columbus, Indiana, and so I secretly wish we would have bought a house there! Shhhh!
Franklin has all your basic shopping needs: Super Kroger, Kohl’s, Walmart, Ross and Big Lots. It has a few franchise restaurants including Applebee’s, Bob Evans, Steak ‘n Shake, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wing’s Etc., Chili’s, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Pizza King.
But the big draw of Franklin is the quaint downtown area with specialty shops and local non-chain restaurants. Shops for gifts and home decor are Trinkets N Threads, The Marshmallow Monkey, Vintage Whimsy, The Rugged Roost, Madison Street Salvage, Salvage Sisters and Blackbird Nest. For clothing and accessories you’ll love ByTavi and Brick Street Boutique. Other specialty shops include Gray Goat Bicycle Company, Toodleydoo Toys and Wild Geese Book Shop. One shop that you don’t want to miss is Frank’s Guitars. Frank has a collection of memorabilia from his years of playing with famous singers like Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Marty Stuart!
For local non-chain restaurants, these are all downtown within a few blocks of each other: Ann’s Restaurant, Court Street Cafe, Historic Don & Dona’s, Greek’s Pizzeria & Tapp Room, Jefferson Street Pub, Richard’s Brick Oven Pizza, Shale Creek Brewing, The Grill Bar, The Willard, Gigi’s Sugar Shack & Cafe. The Hoosier Cupboard has Ice Cream and Candy, and head into Benjamin’s Coffeehouse for your morning joe, a pastry, or an afternoon dessert!
And finally, considered the jewel of historic entertainment in Franklin, is the Historic Artcraft Theater. As project of the Franklin Heritage organization, the theater is being remodeled and shows old movies every weekend. You will not find a more quaint area with this many local shops anywhere else on the Southside!
Franklin keeps a full schedule of festivals for the summer and the winter holidays. Strawberries on the Square is an all-day event at the end of May, with food trucks, activities and entertainment. Smoke on the Square is two full days in the end of July. There is a Beer & Wine Festival in August called Hops & Vines. And Franklin residents especially love their Holiday Lighting Festival the first of December! The town hosts a Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning from mid-May through the first of September. Find details for all the local events at the Discover Downtown Inc. website.
Summer is a great time to get out of the house, and Franklin’s Province Park has an Aquatic Center for the kiddos and a dog park for the pups. For the grown ups, Franklin actually has four golf courses! And the whole family can take in a movie under the stars at the Canary Creek Drive-in.
What people say about living here:
“I love the small town atmosphere and all the great events we have. We have great local small business shopping in the downtown area…it is all so quaint and plenty of parking. And we just keep getting more restaurants and things to do.”
“We moved here from the West Coast 10 years ago…everyone here has been friendly and helpful! Being a part of a small town and community has been a great change. We love the slower pace of life and affordability.”
“Great place to call home and great for the family. We love the parks. The schools are outstanding. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!”
Click here to visit the City of Franklin website.
