A few photos of Indianapolis from above and the ground... - Page 3

Robert Pence · #41 Posted **Mar 21, 2007, 3:11 AM**

I like downtown Indianapolis a lot; it's attractive, and pleasant for walking. Like most Hoosiers, a lot of the people still have a pretty much suburban mindset, and I think that inhibits the growth of residential density and foot traffic downtown. I think that few American cities can match Indianapolis' collection of monumental architecture on and near the War Memorial Plaza, right in the center of downtown.

To the north, the area around 82nd Street is a textbook bad example of nightmare sprawl, with traffic congestion, gated communities, strip centers full of chain stores, and the uppity Fashion Mall (although it does have a Cheesecake Factory, as ColDayMan would be quick to point out

).

Museums and cultural amenities are quite good and varied, and the state government complex is handsome and nicely laid out. The capitol building (State House) is gorgeous inside and out, and has been lovingly restored and cared for.

Bicycling is decent and getting better, both for recreation and commuting. The greenway system is extensive and continues to grow, and the Monon Trail that runs north from 10th Street past the state fairgrounds and through Broad Ripple and Carmel is well designed and heavily used and connects with other trails.

KCgridlock · #42 Posted **Apr 18, 2007, 2:07 AM**

Gotta bump before it goes away

hoosier · #43 Posted **Apr 19, 2007, 2:13 AM**

I didn't realize there was such latent, now open hostility towards Indy from some of the KC forumers on this forum.

Indy is a great city. KCGridlock didn't get a shot of the booming IUPUI campus to the NW of downtown. There are a couple of hotels going up near Lucas Oil Stadium, and the RCA Dome will be torn down to make way for an expansion of the Indiana Convention Center. In addition, the airport is undergoing a $1 billion expansion.

By 2010, the site of land to the north of Victory Field will house a 400+, 1000 room complex of hotels. Also, the old MSA site is going to get midrise residential development.

Indy does have a lot of suburban growth, but it is due to the attractiveness of its suburbs for businesses. Carmel is undergoing a HUGE building boom which will totally remake the city once it is done.

Top Of The Park · #44 Posted **Apr 19, 2007, 3:27 AM**

its so cool to see the medium sized cities doing so much...Pittsburg, Cinci, St Louis, Portland, Indianapolis, Denver, KC, Charlotte and so on.

hoosier · #45 Posted **Apr 23, 2007, 4:23 PM**

bump for this great city.

Unionstation13 · #46 Posted **Apr 23, 2007, 5:11 PM**

Alot of these comments are just..

Indianapolis has alot of very urban hoods, from Lockerbie, to the Old Northside, to Fountian square. These pictures prove that Indianapolis is an urban city. And with all the development going on, downtown is going to be pretty packed in the near future. Why such a negative attitude?
Downtown is very walkable, and safe. Just take a nice long visit to downtown, and you will enjoy it. We have our charms, like our damn good looking monuments.

hoosier · #47 Posted **Apr 23, 2007, 5:38 PM**

Welcome to SSP Unionstation13!!

And another thing to the Indy bashers- the reason why there aren't any pre WWII skyscrapers in downtown Indy is due to the height restriction that prevented buildings taller than the Soldiers and Sailors Monument from being erected. Clearly, that restriction was been significantly watered down.

cwilson758 · #48 Posted **Apr 23, 2007, 5:39 PM**

great shots! Thanks. Yes, Indy has less than KC in terms of warehouses, art-deco buildings, etc. KC was a much more important city 50 years ago as its isolation created the need for many urban aspects that aren't typical for a city its size. Indy, on the other hand, is surround by cities of similar size and of course, Chicago. Therefore, there wasn't a need for the vast amounts of storage space, office space, etc. If Indy was in the middle of no-where, it would be different.

Does this make KC better? No.

Sports are what turned DT Indy around. You can bet that the City is not satisfied with its downtown either. There are constant changes downtown and the completely rehabed City Market, the newest "guarranteed to get built" MSA condo and apartment tower proposal with an urban Target, The Cultural Trail (U/C), the new 30-story JW Marriott, the 17-story Residence Inn & Condos (2010), The Convention Center expansion where the Dome sits now (2010), "The Luke," and a handful of 8-10 story condo projects that are U/C.

I like this shot:

Unionstation13 · #49 Posted **Apr 23, 2007, 6:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoosier

Welcome to SSP Unionstation13!!

And another thing to the Indy bashers- the reason why there aren't any pre WWII skyscrapers in downtown Indy is due to the height restriction that prevented buildings taller than the Soldiers and Sailors Monument from being erected. Clearly, that restriction was been significantly watered down.

Hey thanks. While alot of cities were constructing tall art deco towers, the skyline and downtown of Indianapolis kept a sort of 19th century european look and feel, the skyline being defined by spires and monuments(and in someplaces in the city it still is.) Looking at paintings of Indianapolis(I have seen two at the IMA) that show how European feeling downtown feels without the skyscrapers. From Virginia avenue you can see at the end of it the monument towering.

eweezerinc · #50 Posted **Apr 23, 2007, 9:28 PM**

Man! That KC comment really ticked some people off.

Great photos! They really show off Indy's vertical density in the core. Thanks for posting them.

UglymanCometh · #51 Posted **Apr 23, 2007, 10:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

The Kansas City of the Eastern Time Zone.

see what you've started?

very nice photos! Indy's looking good.

cincyimages · #52 Posted **Apr 23, 2007, 11:37 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColDayMan

The Kansas City of the Eastern Time Zone.

Wow I couldn't disagree more. Downtown Indianapolis is the size of downtown Dayton with a faux 700 footer and a more vibrant core. KC is in a different league and is more comparable to Columbus.

Unionstation13 · #53 Posted **Apr 24, 2007, 12:11 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by montecarloss

Wow I couldn't disagree more. Downtown Indianapolis is the size of downtown Dayton with a faux 700 footer and a more vibrant core. KC is in a different league and is more comparable to Columbus.

Yah because downtown ends wher da big taw buwdings ah.
No, downtown stretches up to the library, and to the east all through Lockerbie, and to the south to around fletcher, and the the west at the zoo.
Big buildings dont indecate where downtown is and isnt.

hoosier · #54 Posted **Apr 24, 2007, 1:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by montecarloss

Wow I couldn't disagree more. Downtown Indianapolis is the size of downtown Dayton with a faux 700 footer and a more vibrant core. KC is in a different league and is more comparable to Columbus.

Wow, someone shoved a cob up your ass.

Indy's tallest is a FULL 700 feet, over 800 if you include the spires.

It is FAR larger than Dayton and if you ever cared to visit and spend some time in the city you would see first hand its density. Meridian all the way up to 38th Street has beautiful midrises and density.

hoosier · #55 Posted **Apr 24, 2007, 1:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by montecarloss

Wow I couldn't disagree more. Downtown Indianapolis is the size of downtown Dayton with a faux 700 footer and a more vibrant core. KC is in a different league and is more comparable to Columbus.

Indy is just as urban as Columbus, so that comparison does not work.

KC has some taller old buildings but Indy's lack of said structures has already been explained.

Unionstation13 · #56 Posted **Apr 24, 2007, 2:50 AM**

Bashers, please, if all u wish to do is bitch about the city, then please go find some other way to entertain yourself, I mean, fucking yourself in a corner is always good. Now please, if nothing mecher to say is to be said, then dont say anything.

cincyimages · #57 Posted **Apr 24, 2007, 2:58 AM**

You guys are in denial!

Evergrey · #58 Posted **Apr 24, 2007, 3:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoosier

Indy is just as urban as Columbus, so that comparison does not work.

No, it isn't. Indy's downtown destroys Downtown Columbus... but Columbus' inner core neighborhoods are definately more intensely urban than Indy's core neighborhoods... of course... beyond the inner core... both cities are anonymous sprawl thanks to their gigantic boundaries...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unionstation13

Bashers, please, if all u wish to do is bitch about the city, then please go find some other way to entertain yourself, I mean, fucking yourself in a corner is always good. Now please, if nothing mecher to say is to be said, then dont say anything.

Unionstation13 · #59 Posted **Apr 24, 2007, 1:23 PM**

Indianapolis has dozens of urban hoods, but the damn highway blocks plenty of them off. Like the Old North, herron mortin, cottage place, fountain sqaure, near the river, old central hospital, etc. Those hoods are interesting, but cut off, and plus, we really dont show our neighborhoods very often as much as our clean downtown. If you take a drive through Indianapolis(hoods) you will see how much we did boom in the late 19th century.
Indianapolis has its own little German village, not as large as the one in columbus, but certaintly charming, from the Das Deutch haus, to the German cathedrals. Either way, our hoods are underrated, and usually unseen.

Evergrey · #60 Posted **Apr 24, 2007, 2:24 PM**

well... you guys should photograph some of these neighborhoods then... they're never presented on this forum