2011 ColDay Series:

 

Part 1: Cincinnati

Part 2: Lexington & Frankfort

Part 3: I-95

Part 4: Indianapolis

Part 5: Random Ohio

Part 6: Las Vegas

Part 7: Chicago

Part 8: Nashville

 

 

The capital of the Midwest's fourth largest state in population.

 

Indianapolis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And goodnight, from Hoosier Jail! :cry:

 

Awesome

Hah, you have to explain that last pix! 

 

And yeah, as usual good pix. 

 

Makes me want to go back to Indy (always say that, but instead I feel what the heck, go the distance to Chicago).

 

 

I will say that Indianapolis has some of the nicest, funniest police officers I've ever encountered. :D

Very impressive downtown, but where's the grit?

Indianapolis has plenty of grit.  I just chose not to showcase it.

Damn, you're good. This even makes me want to visit what I usually call India-noplace.

yawn.  :wink:

Well done.  You picked a gorgeous day, it's great to see so many people lining the landscape. 

Some really quality photos! Awesome!

Really nice, have a totally different view of Indy now. Impressive

My broken record comment is that 'man they should do more with that street between the Capital and the Monumnet!"

 

 

The neoclassical axis set-up between the two is almost like something in Europe.

 

 

Is this and the surrounding shots that Fountain Square neighborhood?

 

 

 

...if so the place is looking better than I remember it.  I think Aaron Renn, who runs that Urbanophile blog and posts here sometime, used to live there.  Seems like this could be an interesting area to check out on foot.

 

BTW, there is a neighborhood btw Fountain Square and Downtown called "Fletcher Park" or something that has some real old (pre- Civil War) housing stock, as old as Lockerbee Square.  It's small "workers cottage' stuff, but still neat to know that this stuff still survives. 

 

 

Architectural Trivia....this red brick thing was the tallest building in Indy until the Bank of Indiana was built sometime in the late 1960s or early 1970s:

 

 

 

...and you have to love that curving Art Deco baby high-rise on the Circle!  Thats a fun building.

 

 

 

Wow thats certainly an interesting city , i pictured it more sprawled.... :-D

...well, it IS sprawled.  But it does have a downtown and older areas.

Indianapolis has a great core, much better than it had become by the sixties-seventies. There's plenty of sprawl, though, especially going north into Hamilton County. Noblesville is on the verge of being engulfed by it.

 

This is the World War Memorial, built in 1928 to honor those who served and died in the "War to end all wars." (WWI):

 

 

If you go there, I urge you to go inside the Memorial. It's an Art Deco temple, virtually unaltered since its construction. Take the narrow stairway up to the memorial hall in the center of the building; it's a vast, imposing space and a stunning step back into history. Also, there's a tiny elevator that takes you to the top of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the Circle, for an interesting view. It may still be closed for renovation now.

 

Is this and the surrounding shots that Fountain Square neighborhood?

 

 

 

...if so the place is looking better than I remember it.  I think Aaron Renn, who runs that Urbanophile blog and posts here sometime, used to live there.  Seems like this could be an interesting area to check out on foot.

 

Good eye and yes that's Fountain Square :).  Thanks all!

Beautiful photos of Indy.  It looks so thought out and clean, but liveable.  The monuments are stunning by any measure, especially the War Memorial.  Of course my favorite picture is you looking like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and the cop next to you!  Nice!!

Great stuff.

If there is a city that does shared use paths correctly, it is Indianapolis.

 

Cincinnati has only a handful of such paths, nearly all by the University of Cincinnati. There is tiny signage like what is shown above to indicate it as such. but it's in such a remote corner of campus that no one uses it. It's not abutting any buildings, and only goes for several blocks before becoming a sidewalk. The other is the new Ohio River Trail segment, but is only divided from a 40 MPH highway with a 4' grass strip - and sometimes 2'! It also has a segment that narrows down to 2' as it squeezes by a building. I'd feel safer biking on the road than on the path.

 

At least Xavier is getting something that resembles more of Indianapolis. A 8' shared path, clad in brick - which Xavier had to pay for. The path was a compromise - no bike lanes on Dana Avenue, but a shared use path for two blocks. And sidewalks for the remainder. Sigh.

Great pictures ColDay. 

 

I just moved out of Indy after having lived there for 2 years.  I've lived in Columbus, Cincy, Indy, and now Philly and Indy was by far and away my least favorite.  Way too sterile and uninspired.  Yes, the Cultural Trail is nice and yes, thanks to a huge convention center their downtown is 'clean' and comfortable (and full of chains), but outside of DT Indy, the city drops off dramatically and there is virtually no density to speak of.  Needless to say, I am not much a fan. 

I'm just blown away by how busy their downtown was.  What the heck are all these people doing...shopping...and walking around here?  This is a MIDWEST city, your supposed to be dead and decaying!!!  Overall, I liked it.  I just don't care for those 6 lane wide streets.....which fortunately they are already narrowing.

Yup...that's about it.  Indy is 10 square blocks of perfection surrounded by nothing.  I really don't understand how people live there.  I would be incredibly stir-crazy.

Maybe they're not tied together all that well, but I think there are many interesting places in Indianapolis outside of the Mile Square. Four examples, some of which overlap, are Broad Ripple, the art museum's 100 Acres (and the art museum itself), the Monon Trail, and the Indianapolis Art Center. I would also say that, although it is certainly not entirely pedestrian friendly, Indianapolis is an interesting city to walk around in.

I'm just blown away by how busy their downtown was.  What the heck are all these people doing...shopping...and walking around here?  This is a MIDWEST city, your supposed to be dead and decaying!!!  Overall, I liked it.  I just don't care for those 6 lane wide streets.....which fortunately they are already narrowing.

 

There was probably a convention in town.