I moved out of the city a little over a year ago, and have never been to a meetup, but yeah the indie film scene is thriving.
If you're doing low-budget stuff you're gonna run into a lot of students or recent grads from Columbia. Craigslist is a great way to find cast and crew or to get involved on someone else's project. Was there something more specific you wanted to know about?
@mrpink, what is K-town? Kankakee? Kenosha, WI?