Indianapolis from the street level

[Marvin the Martian]

This guy visits cities and gets out and walks them to get to really know the town. He walked Indianapolis, west to east on Washington Street. Here is part of his observation:

People intermingled because they were not all that different. Not to always pick on New York City (which I love), but that isn’t the case there. New York City, which is extremely diverse by statistics, is more defined by its massive inequality. The mostly white Upper East Side is very different from the mostly immigrant Jackson Heights. The rare mingling that happens between the two is almost always transactional, not about shared personal values, and rarely begins or ends in true friendships. Relationships in New York often come with big power differences.​

​

While there are certainly big gaps in wealth in Indianapolis, nice neighborhoods filled with mostly white lawyers, doctors, and financiers, it isn’t what dominates the personality of the city, isn’t what most people experience, at least at the street level.​

​

I find that an interesting observation. But as the friend that posted the link on Facebook noted, how would his observation change walking Meridian? Indy skews more north-south than east-west.

My oldest lived in two areas near east Washington, near a work release center and in Little Flower. I will say the description he gives of the east side really fits, and props to him for getting out and walking it. Most of us would not.

Walking America: Indianapolis

Crossing the city on foot, from beltway to beltway

walkingtheworld.substack.com

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

This guy visits cities and gets out and walks them to get to really know the town. He walked Indianapolis, west to east on Washington Street. Here is part of his observation:

People intermingled because they were not all that different. Not to always pick on New York City (which I love), but that isn’t the case there. New York City, which is extremely diverse by statistics, is more defined by its massive inequality. The mostly white Upper East Side is very different from the mostly immigrant Jackson Heights. The rare mingling that happens between the two is almost always transactional, not about shared personal values, and rarely begins or ends in true friendships. Relationships in New York often come with big power differences.​

​

While there are certainly big gaps in wealth in Indianapolis, nice neighborhoods filled with mostly white lawyers, doctors, and financiers, it isn’t what dominates the personality of the city, isn’t what most people experience, at least at the street level.​

​

I find that an interesting observation. But as the friend that posted the link on Facebook noted, how would his observation change walking Meridian? Indy skews more north-south than east-west.

My oldest lived in two areas near east Washington, near a work release center and in Little Flower. I will say the description he gives of the east side really fits, and props to him for getting out and walking it. Most of us would not.

Walking America: Indianapolis

Crossing the city on foot, from beltway to beltway

walkingtheworld.substack.com

I've always wanted to do this in different cities.

 

[anon_6hv78pr714xta]

I like these comments:

Tim Oct 18, 2021Liked by Chris Arnade Nice work. You’re mining a good groove. But it could be that making stuff for a living and getting dirty doing it may actually be a better way to live than it’s generally given credit for - even by you, who’ve gone out in search of it for observation’s sake. Ever notice how many people in the front rows are neurotic or otherwise messed up? We were meant to use our hands and bodies, like you do when you’re out snooping around. People who disdain that are just trapped in a retro way of associating lack of physical exertion with the trappings of status. Anyway, keep up the good work! 8ReplyGift a subscriptionCollapse

Pierce Wetter Oct 26, 2021 This is sort of a Front Row reply but there’s a book called “Shop Class as Soul Craft” that makes exactly this point. 1ReplyGift a subscriptionCollapse

Jon J Oct 30, 2021 "Making stuff for a living and getting dirty doing it" is what some of us call "the working class" and others, more traditionalist, "the proletariat." A bunch of people who are often forgotten about these days, though perhaps they are coming back into fashion among the intellectual class.

 

[larsIU]

This guy visits cities and gets out and walks them to get to really know the town. He walked Indianapolis, west to east on Washington Street. Here is part of his observation:

People intermingled because they were not all that different. Not to always pick on New York City (which I love), but that isn’t the case there. New York City, which is extremely diverse by statistics, is more defined by its massive inequality. The mostly white Upper East Side is very different from the mostly immigrant Jackson Heights. The rare mingling that happens between the two is almost always transactional, not about shared personal values, and rarely begins or ends in true friendships. Relationships in New York often come with big power differences.​

​

While there are certainly big gaps in wealth in Indianapolis, nice neighborhoods filled with mostly white lawyers, doctors, and financiers, it isn’t what dominates the personality of the city, isn’t what most people experience, at least at the street level.​

​

I find that an interesting observation. But as the friend that posted the link on Facebook noted, how would his observation change walking Meridian? Indy skews more north-south than east-west.

My oldest lived in two areas near east Washington, near a work release center and in Little Flower. I will say the description he gives of the east side really fits, and props to him for getting out and walking it. Most of us would not.

Walking America: Indianapolis

Crossing the city on foot, from beltway to beltway

walkingtheworld.substack.com

I worked on both the east and west side of Washington St back in the aughts (a detour from insurance type work). Lotta good working class folk. A lotta crime though too. Drug problems which seem to never get fixed (the addicted and the dealers).

My moms family grew up on the east side. First off English Ave and then later up near 30th And Drexel. That was back in the 50’s and 60’s. Went back when Mom died and did a loop around the house off Drexel. I spent my first couple years two houses down before my parents did the white flight to the suburbs.

A lot of beautiful old houses. Mostly run down now. Always felt bad for the older folks who’d lived there (and stayed there) for 30-40 years and took care of their houses and property. They’re just getting swallowed whole by rentals.

Thanks for the read Marv.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

I worked on both the east and west side of Washington St back in the aughts (a detour from insurance type work). Lotta good working class folk. A lotta crime though too. Drug problems which seem to never get fixed (the addicted and the dealers).

My moms family grew up on the east side. First off English Ave and then later up near 30th And Drexel. That was back in the 50’s and 60’s. Went back when Mom died and did a loop around the house off Drexel. I spent my first couple years two houses down before my parents did the white flight to the suburbs.

A lot of beautiful old houses. Mostly run down now. Always felt bad for the older folks who’d lived there (and stayed there) for 30-40 years and took care of their houses and property. They’re just getting swallowed whole by rentals.

Thanks for the read Marv.

My oldest lived on Drexel, further south than 30th. I said it was in Little Flower because it is just outside but is something people recognize. It was her second gentrification project, her and her husband were thinking it was going to gentrify. But after a couple years of watching their neighborhood app reporting "where were the gunshots last night", they gave up.

 

[UncleMark]

A lot of beautiful old houses. Mostly run down now. Always felt bad for the older folks who’d lived there (and stayed there) for 30-40 years and took care of their houses and property. They’re just getting swallowed whole by rentals.

Thread drift....

I like to watch Good Bones on HGTV. They're concentrated on the near south side, rehabbing and gentrifying the old neighborhoods.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Thread drift....

I like to watch Good Bones on HGTV. They're concentrated on the near south side, rehabbing and gentrifying the old neighborhoods.

My wife loves that show. I know a former building inspector for Marion Co in that area. He never got to work with them, because they had a deal with the county and had their own inspector pretty much on call so that production wasn't slowed.

 

[larsIU]

Thread drift....

I like to watch Good Bones on HGTV. They're concentrated on the near south side, rehabbing and gentrifying the old neighborhoods.

Look up Woodruff place. Amazing.

 

[Marvin the Martian]

Look up Woodruff place. Amazing.

Now I am worried, you mentioned both places my daughter lived. Drexel and Woodruff Place. Hmm

Woodruff is a great area.

 

[UncleMark]

My wife loves that show. I know a former building inspector for Marion Co in that area. He never got to work with them, because they had a deal with the county and had their own inspector pretty much on call so that production wasn't slowed.

I love seeing old neighborhoods being rehabbed. Prospect Hill and Jackson Heights are gems.

 

[larsIU]

Now I am worried, you mentioned both places my daughter lived. Drexel and Woodruff Place. Hmm

Woodruff is a great area.

Have you seen The Watcher on Netflix yet. Hmmmm indeed.

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

Herron-Morton Place

That is all.

 

[VanPastorMan]

This guy visits cities and gets out and walks them to get to really know the town. He walked Indianapolis, west to east on Washington Street. Here is part of his observation:

People intermingled because they were not all that different. Not to always pick on New York City (which I love), but that isn’t the case there. New York City, which is extremely diverse by statistics, is more defined by its massive inequality. The mostly white Upper East Side is very different from the mostly immigrant Jackson Heights. The rare mingling that happens between the two is almost always transactional, not about shared personal values, and rarely begins or ends in true friendships. Relationships in New York often come with big power differences.​

​

While there are certainly big gaps in wealth in Indianapolis, nice neighborhoods filled with mostly white lawyers, doctors, and financiers, it isn’t what dominates the personality of the city, isn’t what most people experience, at least at the street level.​

​

I find that an interesting observation. But as the friend that posted the link on Facebook noted, how would his observation change walking Meridian? Indy skews more north-south than east-west.

My oldest lived in two areas near east Washington, near a work release center and in Little Flower. I will say the description he gives of the east side really fits, and props to him for getting out and walking it. Most of us would not.

Walking America: Indianapolis

Crossing the city on foot, from beltway to beltway

walkingtheworld.substack.com

What is the reason to separate people based on their skin color? I couldn't afford to live in these high end communities and I am very white. Obviously immigrants are not going to be able to live in these upper communities either. Name me one people group who came to the U.S. and were rich right away? It would seem to me that black sports athletes who have lots of money should live in these highfalutin places to help the demographics.

 

[BCCHoosier]

What is the reason to separate people based on their skin color? I couldn't afford to live in these high end communities and I am very white. Obviously immigrants are not going to be able to live in these upper communities either. Name me one people group who came to the U.S. and were rich right away? It would seem to me that black sports athletes who have lots of money should live in these highfalutin places to help the demographics.

Or black doctors, lawyers, and business owners.

 

[8Stars5Banners]

Or black doctors, lawyers, and business owners.

Or black astronauts?

 

[Indianaftw]

False narrative. Take the same walk at night buddy.

 

[twenty02]

Herron-Morton Place

That is all.

H/M is what I would call fully gentrified at this point. A decade ago you could have bought as many empty lots as you wanted for $25-35k

 

[twenty02]

My oldest lived on Drexel, further south than 30th. I said it was in Little Flower because it is just outside but is something people recognize. It was her second gentrification project, her and her husband were thinking it was going to gentrify. But after a couple years of watching their neighborhood app reporting "where were the gunshots last night", they gave up.

If you're actually in Little Flower... that's a nice little community. But close doesn't count over there, and outside of it even a few blocks (north or west) isn't good

 

[twenty02]

I worked on both the east and west side of Washington St back in the aughts (a detour from insurance type work). Lotta good working class folk. A lotta crime though too. Drug problems which seem to never get fixed (the addicted and the dealers).

My moms family grew up on the east side. First off English Ave and then later up near 30th And Drexel. That was back in the 50’s and 60’s. Went back when Mom died and did a loop around the house off Drexel. I spent my first couple years two houses down before my parents did the white flight to the suburbs.

A lot of beautiful old houses. Mostly run down now. Always felt bad for the older folks who’d lived there (and stayed there) for 30-40 years and took care of their houses and property. They’re just getting swallowed whole by rentals.

Thanks for the read Marv.

30th and Drexel would be north of I70. That's been one of the worst areas of town as long as I've been around here

 

[larsIU]

30th and Drexel would be north of I70. That's been one of the worst areas of town as long as I've been around here

Yep. Ex’s parents lived at 25th and Ralston. This was in the aughts. Kinda muderery on the weekends.

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

False narrative. Take the same walk at night buddy.

 

[IUCrazy2]

I know we are trying to be "ha ha" funny but I think the rational position for some places around Indianapolis is basically, you are probably okay in most places in broad daylight as long as you are not involved in crime and after it gets dark you are smart to stick to a certain area centered around the circle and then certain corridors while leaving that area.

From there, I think that if you are young, childless, or well to do (so you can afford to send your kids to private school) there are areas of Indianapolis that aren't too bad. The best family areas of Marion County tend to be outside city limits (IMO) though.

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

I know we are trying to be "ha ha" funny but I think the rational position for some places around Indianapolis is basically, you are probably okay in most places in broad daylight as long as you are not involved in crime and after it gets dark you are smart to stick to a certain area centered around the circle and then certain corridors while leaving that area.

From there, I think that if you are young, childless, or well to do (so you can afford to send your kids to private school) there are areas of Indianapolis that aren't too bad. The best family areas of Marion County tend to be outside city limits (IMO) though.

So, you're saying that more crime happens in areas of higher population density, after dark, and you should avoid certain areas? Who knew?

Seriously though, that was a "Ha Ha" pic I saw and it did remind me of a few of the posters here who like to portray cities as post-apocalyptic hellscapes, even though they would never go there. Not long ago, someone posted how downtown Indy was okay until the sun goes down, then it becomes a scary ghost town with little non-crime related activity, and no one wanted to actually live there. Meanwhile, the amount of apartments, condos, and home renovations, as well as new restaurants and entertainment destinations, even in areas that 10 years ago would have been considered too dangerous, is amazing. Most of these doomsayers are posting from their suburban and rural bubbles. I mean, I guess I could post about how dangerous it is to walk on defunct railroad bridges in broad daylight out in rural Indiana.

 

[IUCrazy2]

So, you're saying that more crime happens in areas of higher population density, after dark, and you should avoid certain areas? Who knew?

Seriously though, that was a "Ha Ha" pic I saw and it did remind me of a few of the posters here who like to portray cities as post-apocalyptic hellscapes, even though they would never go there. Not long ago, someone posted how downtown Indy was okay until the sun goes down, then it becomes a scary ghost town with little non-crime related activity, and no one wanted to actually live there. Meanwhile, the amount of apartments, condos, and home renovations, as well as new restaurants and entertainment destinations, even in areas that 10 years ago would have been considered too dangerous, is amazing. Most of these doomsayers are posting from their suburban and rural bubbles. I mean, I guess I could post about how dangerous it is to walk on defunct railroad bridges in broad daylight out in rural Indiana.

Indianapolis is not much more dense than Carmel now. It is a difference of about 300 people per square mile, give or take, which is not much of a difference at all. For comparison, Chicago is over 12,000 and New York is nearly 30,000 per square mile. It isn't population density that makes Indianapolis a higher crime area than Carmel. It is the people that live there and everything that contributes to their lives.

There are areas of Indianapolis that are being reclaimed. No doubt. There are trade offs involved with that though. Saying that you are less likely to be a victim of any crime in almost any of the suburbs outside of Indianapolis is 100% true. You can still be "safe" in Indianapolis and I have never really felt unsafe, but it wouldn't be a choice for me now at my age because of the junk that comes along with living in those areas.

To each their own though.

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

To each their own though.

Careful...widespread adherence to those 5 words could bring this whole board crashing down. I like the "only good stuff" thread, but c'mon.

 

[UncleMark]

Careful...widespread adherence to those 5 words could bring this whole board crashing down. I like the "only good stuff" thread, but c'mon.

It's like fingernails on a chalkboard grammatically, for one.

 

[larsIU]

Nine Line. Chef's kiss.

 

[IUCrazy2]

Careful...widespread adherence to those 5 words could bring this whole board crashing down. I like the "only good stuff" thread, but c'mon.

We all have what we are comfortable with. I moved to Indy in 2001. Downtown had stuff going on but it wasn't the same kind of pull to live there. 22 year old IUCrazy would probably be somewhat interested in being in certain areas of downtown now because of the proximity to activities I was more heavily involved in then (sporting events, bars, meeting new people---let's be honest---women looking to date, etc.) I think there are areas downtown that are really vibrant for the young and single or recently coupled. I don't view it as appealing for raising children.

On the other hand, Carmel and Fishers are racing to have their own areas that are walkable and have some of that same appeal as downtown does without some of the other hassles. It is pretty crazy how much this entire area has changed the past 20 years.

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

It's like fingernails on a chalkboard grammatically, for one.

Maybe Crazy was respecting pronoun preferences by using the ambiguous "their".

 

[IUCrazy2]

It's like fingernails on a chalkboard grammatically, for one.

 

[larsIU]

I think there are areas downtown that are really vibrant for the young and single or recently coupled. I don't view it as appealing for raising children.

I've told the wife we're moving back to Indy after the kid gets out of college though your next comment has made me think about it.

On the other hand, Carmel and Fishers are racing to have their own areas that are walkable and have some of that same appeal as downtown does without some of the other hassles. It is pretty crazy how much this entire area has changed the past 20 years.

I used to complain that in the "Carmel Arts District" moniker the only thing correct was "Carmel". But it keeps getting better(ish).

I would still like to be near downtown b/c there is just more stuff to do there. Like, I'd probably become a Pacers season ticket holder if I lived downtown, or the Indians, Indy 11, etc. But driving down from Carmel for a Wednesday night Pacers game is no bueno.

 

[twenty02]

Scary.....

 

[larsIU]

Is that Martha or Nancy

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

 

[IUCrazy2]

What the hell?

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

What the hell?

It was for @mcmurtry66.

 

[mcmurtry66]

It was for @mcmurtry66.

that shirt is perfect!!!

 

[mcmurtry66]

It was for @mcmurtry66.

I used to work with this lawyer named bob. He was like a 55 year old associate. And didn’t care. I used to call him clip art office bob. He drove a Pontiac and would dress like that on casual fridays. Packed his own lunch. Called his wife three times a day. You probably remember Schnucks grocery stores here. Well they made a real fancy one in west county that has a wine and sitting section. For Friday nights they’d have their date night there. At the grocery store. Dressed up. If he withdrew too much from the atm he’d get a text asking “what’s going on?” I’d tell him, text her back: “titty bar with xxxx. What else God damn!”

anyway if he couldn’t be more amazing he did the greatest thing I ever saw. We pulled into the parking garage at the same time one morning and as he got out of the car he was holding a cup of coffee!!! In a full suit. I screamed laughing. Not a Starbucks cup. Not a thermos. An actually cup from home. No lid. Nothin. He would drink his morning coffee in a cup, in rush hour traffic down 40, like he was at his kitchen table. You would have loved his sense of humor. Just an uncanny ability to inject the most ****ingly annoying goody goody advice into any present scenario

 

[Bulk VanderHuge]

I used to work with this lawyer named bob. He was like a 55 year old associate. And didn’t care. I used to call him clip art office bob. He drove a Pontiac and would dress like that on casual fridays. Packed his own lunch. Called his wife three times a day. You probably remember Schnucks grocery stores here. Well they made a real fancy one in west county that has a wine and sitting section. For Friday nights they’d have their date night there. At the grocery store. Dressed up. If he withdrew too much from the atm he’d get a text asking “what’s going on?” I’d tell him, text her back: “titty bar with xxxx. What else God damn!”

anyway if he couldn’t be more amazing he did the greatest thing I ever saw. We pulled into the parking garage at the same time one morning and as he got out of the car he was holding a cup of coffee!!! In a full suit. I screamed laughing. Not a Starbucks cup. Not a thermos. An actually cup from home. No lid. Nothin. He would drink his morning coffee in a cup, in rush hour traffic down 40, like he was at his kitchen table. You would have loved his sense of humor. Just an uncanny ability to inject the most ****ingly annoying goody goody advice into any present scenario

Sounds like a great guy.

 

[mcmurtry66]

Ned Flanders

Sounds like a great guy.