What made you choose to build in Sunrise on the Monon?
Alex: I was looking at a place that would be a reasonable commute, with working at St. Francis on the south side, but still be in Carmel or Zionsville. Since this was the closest to 465, I felt that this was the the best option to keep the commute within reasonable bounds. Plus, I just like being close to northern Indianapolis. It’s a good location with Keystone, Nora and Carmel and Zionsville is close too.
Did the access to the Monon Trail influence your move to Sunrise on the Monon?
Shalina: Yes, I will say yes. We looked in both Zionsville and Carmel, and we were looking at new home developments and for sure the Monon Trail really pulled us here. Living down on the south side, we came in the summer with our boys four or five times, just to ride our bikes up here [on the Monon]. So, we would drive 45 minutes, park the car and then go on a bike ride right by where we are living. I would be so jealous of all of the homes on the Monon, I was like, “This would be a dream if we could just live here”. So, when we found out that there was new development on the Monon, it was a big deal to us.
Alex: Yeah, it’s things we always do as a family; ride bikes or walk on the Monon and being right there is obviously helpful.
What are your favorite places to go off the Monon Trail and how close is it to your home?
Shalina: The Farmer’s Market up in Carmel and riding down to Broad Ripple too. We’ve gone to dinner with our boys by bike. The three-year-old can ride a balance bike about 3 or 4 miles. We’ve gone to dinner in the last month 4 or 5 times by bike, so it’s been really fun. It’s situated half way between Broad Ripple and Downtown Carmel and I don’t know how you could beat that.
Alex: The Arts and Design district and the Monon Center was a big selling point too, being so close with a water park for the kids.
Could you describe the feeling when you both walked into your finished home?
Shalina: It was our 10-year wedding anniversary the day of the closing, so that was really just a great day. It was overwhelming, but in a good way, when we walked into our home surrounded by our neighbors, toasting to our home. It was a really special day.
Alex: It did feel very welcoming, that so many neighbors took the time to come and show up. You know, this neighborhood is not even near filled out, so we really appreciated that.
What do you like most about your new home?
Shalina: I like the whole floor plan. It was a happy experience to get to design the home with people that you could trust and knew what they were doing. We’ve never done this before and it was a lot of decisions, but it was I’d say, 85% exciting and 15% nerve-wracking.
Alex: The grill. Grilling is a new hobby for me that I didn’t have before. It’s nice having the nature preserve right behind it – you can just look out and its just trees. It’s very green. Having the front porch very accessible and the back porch very accessible, both having views of greenery is something that I value.
Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
Alex: Every vendor was very professional and understanding that we don’t have the knowledge that they have and how to work with us and get us to show our preferences in a way that they could manifest them in the home.
Shalina: I think it was really helpful having Theresa work with us for the interior design stuff, just because these are things I’ve never thought about before. To be able to talk with any of the vendors and contractors about how we live our life and for them to instantly come up with solutions, they were excellent at that. They put in a laundry shoot for the boys. We said, “This is what we do in our kitchen”, and they made us a craft cabinet.
About Sunrise on the Monon
Sunrise on the Monon is nestled in a quiet neighborhood at 99th Street and Westfield Boulevard, with easy access to downtown Carmel, Keystone at the Crossing, I-465, and the Monon Trail. This friendly community offers private wooded lots and intimate village lots to create a sense of community where every home is unique.
DETAILS
HOME & LOT STARTING PRICE: $595K
SCHOOL DISTRICT: Carmel-Clay Schools
Forest Dale Elementary, Carmel Middle, Carmel High School
ARB REQUIREMENTS: Minimum 1,600 SQ FT Ranch
AMENITIES/FEATURES: Direct access to the Monon Trail
MODEL ADDRESS: 9864 Morningstar Lane, Carmel, IN 46280
MODEL HOURS: Thurs-Sun, Noon to 5pm