Urban Indy

In a positive development, the ramp that connected East Market Street with the Interstate has been mostly removed. I am quite excited about the prospects for this portion of Market Street, and I think it was a brilliant idea to open this space up.   The ramp to nowhere: There are some nice brick structures on this street that have been basically ignored for decades: The long view down Market: Great old house: Axis is probably pretty happy about … Read entire article »

Last Friday, my friend from Veggie Indy and I went to tour the St. Joseph and Old Northside Neighborhoods.  He took some videos and we discussed a future video blog for this site.  For now, here are my pictures: Alabama Street is famous for its row houses, which shows just how few row houses there are in Indianapolis.  It has only 2 proper historic row houses. Row House Number 1:Ya, it was this kind of day: I’ve always … Read entire article »

It’s the Holiday season, the perfect time for some high-concept inspiration. Have a great Christmas. I may post next week, but if I don’t, then have a fantastic New Year as well. … Read entire article »

The Broad Ripple Gazette has printed an article regarding a possible reconfiguration of Broad Ripple Avenue towards a more pedestrian friendly environment. The renderings are available here. There were two companies that made presentations: Storrow Kinsella, and Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf. Here are my amateur impressions: It seems like the first rendering by BDMD is based on realistic locations, while the SK rendering is more of a concept. I love the word pergola. Each plan would remove some parking spaces from the Avenue. It looks as though at least one of the plans would also include a multi-story parking garage. Yuck. The BDMD idea of narrowing the street at the crosswalk parallel to Carrollton Avenue is much needed. I also like the storm water planters. The rendering by … Read entire article »

This isn’t really news, but I do feel like it deserves its own post here. This may be the best part about the Super Bowl coming to Indy in 2012. As this blog has mentioned before, East 10th Street has a great deal of potential as a business corridor. The Community Center has a new Deli, Reutz’s, a former Fountain Square mainstay. I’ve also seen that a building for the Food Co-op has been secured, although I’m not sure if it would be on 10th. The Super Bowl should also provide incentive for us to greatly improve our mass transit, but unfortunately I have not seen any positive momentum on this front, outside of the light rail (which would not be completed in time for the event). … Read entire article »

This IBJ story is one week old, yet I’m just now getting around to posting it. It’s a great idea. The largest downside that I see is that 38th Street is basically a freeway at that point, which does not lend itself well to buses or bikes. … Read entire article »

Mass Ave’s 400 Block is an excellent example of the possibilities for the future. The amount of stores located in such a small area is staggering, and yet there are still a few surface parking lots on the street, as well as a pocket park. Most of the businesses are Indianapolis-based (the only exception would be the Starbucks). Here’s a rundown for the uninitiated or visitors: South SideOld Point Tavern. One of Indy’s oldest bars, and a good place to get chili on a cold night.Mass Ave Toy Store. Quality selection of toys (even some that are not plastic!).Luna Music. Great character and selection in this small space. They know more about new music than anyone at Virgin or Tower.Chatterbox. What can I … Read entire article »

A few tidbits: There’s now a large sign for the Uptown Development at 50th and College. The sign features a rendering that is quite different for the one on the web page. The building looks to be a solid two-story structure. I still don’t know how I feel about this particular project. The sign also mentioning striving for LEED, which is interesting, because I’m not sure how “green” it is to take out 3 houses that were designed to last the ages. But, of course, I’m also pro-density and walkability. If this was a corner building at 49th and College that would remove the empty convenience store, I think you would see a full-throated endorsement. In the Urban Times newsletter, the SEND headquarters has a grant … Read entire article »

I spent Thanksgiving Day in Wabash, Indiana, and was able to take some downtown shots before I left.  I love this town as it is built on the side of a hill, which might be unique in Indiana.Here’s a shot of the hill:  It is more impressive in person than in picture. The famous Courthouse, where the city placed an electric light at the top and lit the city over a hundred years ago. I spent Thanksgiving … Read entire article »