Intriguing photos from Mass Ave's Recent Past

The Riley Area Development website has a large collection of photos from Mass Ave dating from the late 1980s-to-1990, when it was just starting its rebirth. They are good to revisit from time to time to reset your mental frame about what is possible in a relatively short period of time. My favorite is the photo of the short-lived "Apartment Bridge" over East Street. Brutalist architecture that only a dictator could love.

Star Editorial on Mass Transit

The Indy Star has laid out a decent defense of continual funding for the possibly doomed commuter bus lines. The main point of the article is that the region needs to fund permanent lines.

Permanence is absolutely critical, whether it be a Light Rail line or Bus Rapid Transit. One way to give riders a sense of permanence would by to transform the current park-and-ride lots in to Transit Oriented Development. Then the stations could at least contain a funding mechanism through taxes.

It would be a shame to see this reasonably successful venture fall by the wayside because we lack the vision and will to pull this off correctly.

16th and Alabama

A couple of neat buildings are at this intersection. The southwest corner:

Southeast Corner:
Back to the Southwest. This building was being refurbished, but for now only the neat facade stands:

Detail on the southwest corner building:

Northwest Corner:
A little farther afield, the newly remodled Walsingham building on 16th and Delaware:

The northeast corner is a parking lot.

Good Weekend Part II, the Fall version

Each year, it amazes me how some of the best events that the city has to offer fall on the same 2 weekends every year: one in the Spring, and one in the Fall. I don't know if these events should be spread out more throughout the year, but I do know that it can be difficult to prioritize, and there's been a few times where I had previous arrangements and had to take a big red X to my imaginary calendar. Still, if I am in town, it's almost fun to try to do as much as possible. Here's a quick list. If there's anything else you know about that I've missed, feel free to mention them and I'll try to add them.

• Irish Fest takes place all weekend in Military Park.

• Masterpiece in a Day is in Fountain Square is tomorrow. It's part of a big day for Fountain Square.
  

• Fiesta Indianapolis at Military Park is also tomorrow.

• Oranje is in an old warehouse at 2323 Illinois tomorrow night.
  

Big Car Gallery's intriguing new venture

Local Art blog On the Cusp has posted a press release from Big Car Gallery regarding a new grant they have procured. They plan on using the funds to spotlight Indy neighborhoods through a community arts series titled Made For Each Other. Be sure to check out all of the photo galleries and the slide show on a community center known as Miracle Place on the Near East Side.

Recreational Hinterland: My go-to spot

The Urbanophile's guest post on Recreational Hinterlands has inspired me to take a bit of a detour from my usual posts on urban structures and transit . This post reminded me that I had not spent much time in the woods this year. And, as usual, one place in particular calls my name: Shades State Park.

Shades is unique for many reasons. It is barely an hour from Indianapolis, yet you can walk on trail after trail in almost complete solitude. There are many different trails through the narrow ravines, so that you can descend towards Sugar Creek in one valley, and ascend back to the park entrance in an adjacent valley. And then you could do that again, and again. Along the way you can see a rare convex waterfall, climb multiple ladders, and descend into Devil's Punchbowl to be surrounded by rocks on all sides.

Across the road from the main park entrance is Pine Valley Nature Preserve. This is the true unsung pleasure of Shades. A long walk culminates in a climb up a ridge known as Devil's Backbone. It is about 100 feet above Sugar Creek, and about 6 feet wide at the top. The name for Pine Hills is derived from the pines that cling to the northern slope of the hills, and are a relic from the Ice Age. Amazingly, this portion of the park is free to enter. Just a bit to the north of the entrance is an historic covered bridge. Did I mention this park has a ton of neat surprises?

I'm usually hesitant to talk about this place. However, unless they add electric campgrounds or a hotel, I'm confident it will still be a fine place of peace and quiet, just a short drive away.

Brookside Parkway and Olney

It's been quite a while since I've done a post on a corner building. This is located on the southeast corner of Brookside Parkway and Olney. I've been disc golfing quite a bit lately, and this building stands out in a mostly residential area.

There's a barber shop/convenience store located in this building, and I'm glad to see some activity in it.

The building for Brookside Park on the north side of the street.

The southwest corner is a single-family home.

College Avenue nodes adding new business

Hoosier Beer Geek has written about the new venture for Upland Beer, located at the corner of 49th and College. The blog mentions that Upland wants to be a part of an up-and-coming neighborhood, and to be away from the Broad Ripple party scene. I'd imagine that the rent for the space is quite a bit cheaper, as well. Also, chef Greg Hardesty is looking to add a new restaurant on the opposite corner.

At 46th street, a long neglected building on the northeast corner is getting a facelift from an unlikely source: an Indonesian Restaurant. I visited the restaurant last weekend and talked to the owner, who hopes to open up soon. He mentioned that he was paying 1/3 of the rent compared to Broad Ripple, and that this would be the first Indonesian restaurant in the state. Also, the portion of the building he is in was boarded up and vacant for a decade.

At 42nd, a new pretzel shop has opened. I have not had the time to visit it yet, but it's in another spot that has been empty for quite a while.

At 22nd, there is a clothing store named Frugality Fashions. This portion of College has been neglected the most, and retail activity here is most welcomed.

It remains to be seen if this influx will withstand the troubled economic climate. However, perhaps one of the major reasons the infill is happening is for precisely that reason. Entrepreneurs are looking for deals, and corridors like College Avenue see enough traffic that they feel like they can risk a venture in a lower-rent building. I wish them success in their businesses, as we look to revitalize a potential asset.