Columbus vs Indianapolis (Madison: townhomes, neighborhoods, theater)

[CHICAGOLAND92]

Which one do you think is better, and why?

[LancasterNative]

I like Indianapolis better. It's more conservative than Columbus politically and culturally. Indy has more of a laid-back, down home "country" attitude that Columbus used to have, but has long since lost.

Also, Indy has way better sports than Columbus (NFL football, NBA b'ball and NASCAR, as opposed to sissy soccer, hockey and flippin' wall-to-wall, 24/7 rah-rah OSU).

[streetcreed]

My friends (mid 20s) who moved to Indy did not like to as much as Columbus, Columbus has a great arts/music scenes/theaters, scenes. When it comes to art,clubs, and interesting urban commercial streets (like Columbus' short north) indy looses out.

However, Indy has a cool downtown mall.
Indy is nice, but seems to be more centered in one place and sometimes feel more like what you'd expecpt from a midwestern post world war two city. Columbus has many surprises here and there that are not typical midwestern, and is more liberal (which i like)

Columbus also has "many centers." Downtown, Easton, Polaris, Eastland, Tuttle, theres office and retail centers all over the city and metro. For better and worse this gives one the impression that Columbus isn't as small town minded.
Indy's retail scenes, etc, are still more centered in downtown, not as spread out.

Indy's older neighborhoods have less character and did not have as many commercial streets with shops, cafets, etc.. But Columbus' downtown is not as alive as indys, but that is made up for in Columbus' areas that surround downtown.
Columbus' has developed shopping districts in the neighborhoods outside of downtown that stretch for blocks, in Indy that development is more around the downtown mall only.

ALSO, columbus' urban infill wins over indy's handsdown. Indy has townhomes (looking like a suburb) in or next to its downtown. In columbus the infill is mostly all brick, victorian style, and modern highrises, more of what you'd expect in a larger denser city.

[NewToCA]

Columbus has a much weaker downtown area than Indianapolis. Too much surface parking and lack of a strong central core. Indianapolis has a strong downtown shopping area, anchored by a successful enclosed mall, while Columbus has a very weak retail core and a struggling large enclosed mall.

Columbus has stronger regional retail centers, especially the Easton and Polaris areas. Indy's are smaller and less centralized. Housing stock for both cities is fairly similar, but Columbus seems to have a bit more high end housing.

Columbus has a much stronger orientation of identity towards it's university, while Indy is less university centered but has stronger identification to pro sports.

Columbus is football centric, Indy is basketball oriented.

Indy politics shades somewhat more conservative than Columbus, as does Indiana to Ohio.

Better depends on what you like, I see the possibilities in both.

[streetcreed]

I also wanted to add that I feel Columbus' art scene is better because Columbus has a lot of creative corporations and all of the retail companies based in the city (express, Victoria’s secret, Abercrombie, limited etc..) These provide a lot of design and creative jobs. There is nothing in comparison to this in Indianapolis, plus these creative companies combined with the 12 area universities creates the perfect breeding ground for a educated/progressive city.

Also, Columbus' urban core has a lot more Victorian and brick architecture, Indianapolis seems to have more wood framed homes, not quite as pleasing to the eye, and Columbus’ large Victorian mansions are better fit for the wealthy (hence why so many are now renovated or gentrified)

[Le garçon d'Indianapolis]

Originally Posted by streetcreed

ALSO, columbus' urban infill wins over indy's handsdown. Indy has townhomes (looking like a suburb) in or next to its downtown. In columbus the infill is mostly all brick, victorian style, and modern highrises, more of what you'd expect in a larger denser city.

Yep, although Indy's bigger in population, it actually looks like a small town. I hate the IndyGo bus system, expensive but awful. I guarantee one day I graduate from college I'll go to places like Chicago or NYC. I got tired of Indy.

[Beavercreek33]

Originally Posted by Le garçon d'Indianapolis

Yep, although Indy's bigger in population, it actually looks like a small town. I hate the IndyGo bus system, expensive but awful. I guarantee one day I graduate from college I'll go to places like Chicago or NYC. I got tired of Indy.

Indy's city population is at about 790,000 last I checked. Columbus is sitting close to 750,000. Columbus is growing slightly faster than Indy (city population).

Metro area population, Columbus is bigger, but Indy is growing slightly faster.

Either way, both cities are very similar. They are the "new" cities of the midwest, and they are not small cities like Madison or Sioux Falls. They are big urban metro areas that are proving something on a national scale.

[bgo]

Indy and C-bus are very similar, but Indy is less of a rah-rah-football-land. Indy's downtown area seems more "city-like", to me. If you crave urban living, neither city will be satisfactory in the long run. But both cities are clean and inexpensive to live in.

[Tenzo]

Originally Posted by streetcreed

Columbus also has "many centers." Downtown, Easton, Polaris, Eastland, Tuttle.

AKA Shopping centers.

If you like the idea of strip malls, columbus may be for you.
If you are white, christian and sure people who are not are going to hell, columbus may be for you.
If you don't like following fashion trends, columbus may be for you
If you believe in freedom of speech and press but only when it's your ideas, columbus may be for you.
If you would rather drive than walk, columbus may be for you.
If you think the only thing something needs to make it better is more money via taxes, columbus may be for you.
If you consider yourself mainstream America damnit, columbus may be for you
If your idea of ethnic food is CHipolte and Olive Garden, columbus may be for you.
If you don't like new ideas or concepts, columbus may be for you.

See, I think Columbus is for a lot of people!

[1watertiger]

two very similar cities surrounded by corn fields. and after a week you will be bored to death in both ! imo