A Teachable Moment

It was bound to happen eventually. News of the latest home builder to close shop has given us a chance to reflect on the model of suburban tract housing. IBJ's News Talk poses an important question:

–What will become of Morgan neighborhoods, many of which are little more than rows of poor-man’s drywall castles? Will they, like tail fins, be viewed as vestiges of a super-sized America? Or will they, as was the case through much of this decade, be sought out for the sheer room for the buck? A related question: Will Morgan houses ever attract urban pioneers of the distant future? Why?

I believe that the answer of this question could be the subject of a documentary film in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, what can we learn from the possible demise of tract housing? Quite a bit.

• If it's a large house, and the price looks too good to be true, then it probably is.

• There are actually restraints to growth. Growth for the sake of "the American Dream" can lead to making everyone else poor. From the Star Article on the subject:

The massive size of the housing developments proposed by the builder also ran into resistance at times from counties in the metro area unaccustomed to urban sprawl. Shelby County rejected a 300-acre proposal for a C.P. Morgan tract several years ago out of concern local government wasn't in position to handle the costs of expanding fire, water, waste and educational services, said former commissioner Roger Laird.

"It was going to be a high-density project, and we didn't have a good plan from them or anyone else on how to handle the sewage, water and everything else,'' Laird said. He noted that the site on I-74 at Pleasant View now is being considered as a possible location for a supplier to the Honda car plant in Greensburg.

Shelby commissioners who rejected the housing proposal received plenty of backing from local residents who objected to the big complex coming in.

"A bunch of us, people who have been here forever, wanted it stopped. We got together and convinced the commissioners to vote against it,'' said a member of the informal group, Dick Larkey of Larkey Insurance and Real Estate in Fairland.

• Newer does not always mean better. In fact, it's often just the opposite. My house was built in 1925. It's going to stand another 84 more years, at least.
  

• These houses were popping up as well-built places within the city were sitting empty. I do have a glimmer of hope that we can now turn our attention towards a more resource responsible infill development. For the ball to really get rolling on this, though, we need to improve our schools. Charters sound like a step in the right direction.

I hope that we do not forget this moment, and that we can begin to develop more sustainably.

Just a Snapshot in Time

I've been thinking recently at our moment in time. Studies such as this about Antarctic Glaciers melting away can be quite alarming. However, I believe that we need to realize the only constant on our planet is change. Mankind will have to adapt, and I believe that we have the capacity to do so. After all, humans existed at a time when the ground underneath my feet was once underneath a thick sheet of ice. Long before that, this land was at the bottom of the ocean.

The continent we know as North America was once attached to Europe. The magnetic poles that we rely on heavily have flipped between the poles numerous times, and nothing is stopping them from flipping again. And, perhaps most alarmingly, billions of years from now, the sun will exhaust its energy, and the Earth may cease to be place to inhabit. So, even though I have dedicated this blog to a sustainable Indianapolis, I have to realize that the way things exist is really just a snapshot in time. Savor it.

Places with Atmosphere, Part II

Well, the first post took off more than I expected, so I feel that I should post a follow-up.  I didn't mean for the list to be exhaustive, and I also feared a North Side bias.  However, I agree with most of the choices of the responders, and many of them are on the North Side.  Without further ado, Part II of Places with Atmosphere:

Shallo's.  Yes, it's difficult to find.  Yes, it's in a part of town that I avoid at all costs.  However, they have succeeded in creating a place worth the effort.

Brugge.  Get there early.  Drink good beer and eat good fries.  One of my favorite places in town.

Ralph's Great Divide.  Perfect for cold weather.  Cheesy potato soup is a must-have.

Mama Carolla's.  In an old "show house" from the 20's, with tiny little rooms.  Great place for date night.

Greek Islands.  It wasn't suggested by anyone, but it deserves mention.  When they light the cheese on fire, the fire can reach the dangling decorations.  What's wrong with a little danger with your meal?

Slippery Noodle.  It's amazing that I'd forgotten about this place.

Melody Inn.  History: Check.  Fun: Check.  Driftwood chandelier: Check.  Don't forget to check out the back room if you need some space for a while.

Northside News.   Best selection of magazines in town.

Duckpin Bowling.  Of course!  I went there on my wedding day.  So fun.

Sleepy Hollow.  Just found out this gem of a store in Irvington is closing in 2 weeks.  Get there before it does.  Sad.

Book Mama's.  Used books in a cool old place, and with a neat basement concert venue to boot.

Chatterbox. I've mentioned it before, but this place just adds layers of character. 

UPDATE: Irvington Streetscape Project

Commenter Graeme has updated me about the Irvington Streetscape Project, which has cleared a major funding hurdle. Good news here.

Big Hat Books

Big Hat Books recently completed a move from Westfield Blvd to 6510 Cornell.  This is a new construction, and I believe they did a great job with it.

Of course, they have the same friendly staff.  The building also contains a clothing store called Marigold.

Excellent Article on Indy's Slow Food movement

The Locally Grown Gardens blog has posted a nice article on the nascent Slow Food movement in Indianapolis. It seems that awareness on this front is increasing, which I believe is essential.

The light is on at the White House

The President had this to say yesterday:

"Transportation is not just fixing our old transportation systems but its also imaging new transportation systems.

That’s why I’d like to see high speed rail where it can be constructed. That’s why I would like to invest in mass transit because potentially that’s energy efficient and I think people are alot more open now to thinking regionally in terms of how we plan our transportation infrastructure. The days where we’re just building sprawl forever, those days are over. I think that Republicans, Democrats, everybody recognizes that that’s not a smart way to build communities. So we should be using this money to help spur this kind of innovative thinking when it comes to transportation. That will make a big difference."

It's quite refreshing to hear candidness like this from the top level. Now is the time for action.

'Round Fountain Square

It was a great day for a walk in one of Indy's more diverse neighborhoods.

These pics are out of order from how we walked, but Blogger's photo uploader is kind of funky.

There were 3 cats in this house, this one wanted its picture taken:

I was intrigued by this little place:

Colors!:

KIB's looking pretty nice, especially next to the house that's falling apart next door.

Places with Atmosphere

I love a good atmosphere. They seem to be tough to come by in this city, but they are the places I tend to visit most often. Here are some of my favorites:

Red Key. This is an obvious choice. The place hasn't changed much since the early 1950's, and has a great jukebox. It's been in a movie. A classic.

Broad Ripple Brew Pub. A non-smoking British style place in an old house. Darts are not an afterthought here.

Monon Coffee Company. Coffee places have taken a major hit in this city, sadly. This venerable institution is still going strong.

Working Man's Friend. Set in a neighborhood near a railroad track and an industrial facility, this place is surprisingly open and almost airy when the sun is shining. Along with the Red Key, the most famous burgers in town.

Radio Radio. Indy's first non-smoking music venue, you can almost always count on a good show here.

Sam's Saloon. A former brothel, the bar is a trip back to the late 1800's.

Iaria's. OK, I'm a sucker for places that haven't changed since the 1950's.

Taste of Tango. The recently opened Argentinian place has a tasteful, romantic vibe.

Rathskeller. It's in one of the neatest buildings in town. How could they go wrong?

St. Elmo's. I'm not much of a steak guy, but the history of this place can not be ignored. A local hold-out in a sea of chains in the "convention district".

I feel bad for not including any places on the South Side. I have heard Barringer's is a great old place, but I haven't been there. Any other suggestions?

Can Mass Transit be funded without Tax Increases?

The latest article regarding Mass Transit in the Star plainly presents how difficult it must be to govern. The article sites a survey which finds that a majority of Hoosiers want better Mass Transit, but they don't want to see taxes rise in order to pay for them. So, what are the other options? The only thing that immediately comes to my mind is to cut other government services. Is there something else that I'm missing?

Proposal at 22nd and Delaware

It's been over a month since this blog has had a picture, and I haven't been using my camera recently. I thought this rendering of the project at 22nd and Delaware was worthy of featuring.