Urban Indy » Archive for April 2011
An Indy resident rides Minneapolis’ Northstar
One Morning’s Journey on Northstar Commuter Rail By Ben Houle Recently I stayed (with family) for a few days in Anoka, a northwest suburb about 20 miles outside of Minneapolis. As I had business in Minneapolis and no car to use, I took the opportunity to ride the new Northstar commuter rail line into town. A little background on Minneapolis – it has had a successful light rail in place from the Mall of America through the airport … Read entire article »
Georgia Street Update 3
As promised, when significant visual changes occur, I will be here to post some new photographs showing the changes. I stopped by on 4/26/2011 and snapped a few photos in the late afternoon of the latest progress. I do not know what all of this structure functions as, but it looks a bit like railroad ties to me at this point in time. Wishful thinking I suppose. Previous updates: Georgia Street Update 1 Georgia Street Update 2 … Read entire article »
Filed under: New Development, Pedestrian
Learning to Ride a Bike – at 32
I have a confession: I am 32 years old and love the idea of urban bike-riding and other alternative modes of transportation. And, I cannot – or at least could not until very recently – ride a bike. A few years ago, I was lucky to participate in an renewal fellowship for Indiana’s youth development leaders. The fellowship provided a modest pot of “renewal funds”. One of the things I used my funds for was … Read entire article »
Boogie Burger moving
The gourmet sandwich joint which has been located in the heart of the Broad Ripple village for 4 years is moving. Normally, I would not take the time to report on such an event. Retail businesses in general are a volatile endeavour and subject to abrupt change based on business patterns. However, in the case of Boogie Burger’s impending move, this strikes at the heart of why Urban Indy writes about the things that we do. Boogie … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Neighborhoods, New Development
Why the Cultural Trail Rocks
The Cultural Trail is generally viewed as a successful project by downtown boosters, but it is not without some reasonable criticism. This post is not intended to be a rebuttal to Connie Ziegler’s provocative post, but rather a reaffirmation of my own feelings towards the trail. Last Saturday I rode my bike down most of the completed portion of the trail. Here’s what my route looked like: Here’s a rundown of why I love the trail: Crossing city … Read entire article »
Filed under: Bicycling, Featured, Neighborhoods, Pedestrian
Open question: What if we buried The Split?
It’s been a while, so I figured I would post an open thread for ideas and suggestions. This time around I pose the question: What if the City of Indianapolis buried the I65/I70 split downtown? A simple enough question but one in which a multiude of feelings are elicited. What would happen to congestion? How much would it cost? Why go to the trouble? Other cities around the country are stuggling with this question. Seattle is … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured
Georgia Street Update 2
On March 31st, I authored the first post on the Georgia Street progress. This is the newest update and the photos were taken on April 19th. We can see that backfilling has occured against the structure in the ground. Additionally, some new concrete pieces have been placed and there is a large pile of other concrete columns that look like they are going to be placed soon. Once there is more significant progress, I will post … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, New Development, Pedestrian
Lockerbie in Spring
Lockerbie is a small but charming neighborhood featuring brick sidewalks and a mix of historic houses. Due to its proximity to downtown, as well as its connection to the James Whitcomb Riley, Lockerbie was the first neighborhood in the urban center to be “saved” by preservationists following a long decline. Many of the houses are actually shipped in from other places, although you’d hardly know that today. This is the house where James Whitcomb Riley lived … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Neighborhoods
Low Rise Proposed for Indiana Avenue
Tom Harton is reporting over at Indianapolis Business Journal that a low-rise office building project is back in the works for the NW quadrant of downtown. The building is proposed for a plot fronting Indiana Ave and Capitol Ave. This land was originally sold by the State of Indiana to Hearthview Residential in 2007 for a 30-unit condominium project with ground floor retail. Hearthview’s plans didn’t pan out and the plot was … Read entire article »
Filed under: Featured, Neighborhoods
Broad Ripple to DT Lightrail Case Study
As a citizen of Indianapolis and a major supporter of mass transit, it should come as no surprise that I am always thinking about how we can pull off a successful light rail system. When I think about the key components that would create the best first step, there are many things to consider. First off, we must define the key characteristics of a transit line that will make it succeed: Convenient Connects activity centers Rapid Frequent service Be on … Read entire article »
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