Does anyone think Indy is the best city in the midwest besides people who live in the city? (Indianapolis: how much, home)

[jcamber]

Just saw this article where they rate Noblesville, IN (a northeast suburb of Indy) as #1 in the nation to raise a family.

America's Best Places to Raise a Family - Yahoo! Real Estate

[artemis]

Actually I posted that on the Indiana thread yesterday.

1) Chicago

2) Madison,WI

3) Milwaukee, WI

[domergurl]

See ... I leave Hamilton County and it's a better place to live now Get rid of the domergurl riff-raff ... sigh.

[Miami305Kid]

No, Chicago will always be the capital of the midwest, just as NYC is the capital of the east coast, L.A is the capital of the west coast, and Houston/ATL are the capitals of the south.

[LIS123]

Is the job market in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas weak? I thought it was growing. Some of the larger employers (like Lily and Bostson Scientific, wwo bought Guidant) are likely to be struggling at the moment, but there should be growth in other areas.

[LouisvilleJake]

My opinion, which is worthless, is that Indianapolis isn't even the "best" city in Indiana, let alone the Midwest.

I spent most of my teens and early twenties in Clarksville, West Lafayette, Bloomington, and Indianapolis. I have lots of friends and family in the greater Indianapolis MSA and I worked in Marion County for over a year.

Indianapolis is the posterchild for everything generic. The suburbs are oversized, the urban core is undersized, there is a serious lack of interesting restaurants and hardly any places to just get a quiet drink and socialize. BroadRipple is an absolute joke as far as "quirky, trendy" neighborhoods go, and while downtown is booming and is incredibly clean, it is simply oriented for convention goers and full of bland corporate architecture. New JW Marriott anyone? Also, where are all the trees? Even in the summer the place seems like a wind swept piece of barren land dotted by cheap subdivisions and strip malls.

The citizens of Indianapolis are kind, open, and hard-working, but when most people were asked, they believed that their city was simply heads above all others. The people read too much of their own press. The radio, TV, newspaper, hell, even the city signs tell them they are a world-class city. It isn't, just like every other city in the Midwest, with the exception of Chicago.

My most negative impressions of Indianapolis stem from the rabid sense of superiority to other Midwestern cities based on the growth patterns of places like Carmel, Plainfield, Avon, Fishers, or Greenwood. There simply is nothing in Indianapolis that makes it stand out, nothing is there than makes me think I would ever want to move back.

There are a lot of people that love Indianapolis for any number of reasons, and I can understand that. I just wish that the people there would tune out their Chamber of Commerce daily briefings and get some balanced perspective on their place in the pecking order.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by LouisvilleJake

Indianapolis is the posterchild for everything generic. The suburbs are oversized, the urban core is undersized, there is a serious lack of interesting restaurants and hardly any places to just get a quiet drink and socialize.

My response to this is the same response I have for anyone who says this. You need to get out more and explore more of the city if you think this. Ever heard of The Abbey? What about Monon Coffee Company? Cornerstone Coffee? Any of these places ring a bell? What makes a restaurant interesting? We have Russian food. I think that is pretty interesting. It seems most people I have encountered who say Indy is all generic do not wander to far from the 'burbs. It is great you worked in Marion County for a year, I know people who work in Marion County and know nothing about Indianapolis. They just rush home to Hamilton County and hit their nearest Starbucks.

Originally Posted by LouisvilleJake

The citizens of Indianapolis are kind, open, and hard-working, but when most people were asked, they believed that their city was simply heads above all others. The people read too much of their own press. The radio, TV, newspaper, hell, even the city signs tell them they are a world-class city. It isn't, just like every other city in the Midwest, with the exception of Chicago.

So, are you suggesting the people in Indianapolis should tell people that Chicago is superior and we have no business saying anything positive about our city? We don't have Chicago envy, nor should we....

Originally Posted by LouisvilleJake

My most negative impressions of Indianapolis stem from the rabid sense of superiority to other Midwestern cities based on the growth patterns of places like Carmel, Plainfield, Avon, Fishers, or Greenwood. There simply is nothing in Indianapolis that makes it stand out, nothing is there than makes me think I would ever want to move back.

I kind of get the impression you spent most of your time in the 'burbs; which is a GREAT way to learn a city

Originally Posted by LouisvilleJake

There are a lot of people that love Indianapolis for any number of reasons, and I can understand that. I just wish that the people there would tune out their Chamber of Commerce daily briefings and get some balanced perspective on their place in the pecking order.

Again, no matter how many times someone comes in from Chicago and reminds us how inferior we are, we for the most part do not care. Indianapolis may not be a world class city packed with architecture, but it is a great place that has a lot to offer if you bother to look, instead of wandering around telling us how inferior we are.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by DC 38

My response to this is the same response I have for anyone who says this. You need to get out more and explore more of the city if you think this. Ever heard of The Abbey? What about Monon Coffee Company? Cornerstone Coffee? Any of these places ring a bell? What makes a restaurant interesting? We have Russian food. I think that is pretty interesting. It seems most people I have encountered who say Indy is all generic do not wander to far from the 'burbs. It is great you worked in Marion County for a year, I know people who work in Marion County and know nothing about Indianapolis. They just rush home to Hamilton County and hit their nearest Starbucks.




So, are you suggesting the people in Indianapolis should tell people that Chicago is superior and we have no business saying anything positive about our city? We don't have Chicago envy, nor should we....



I kind of get the impression you spent most of your time in the 'burbs; which is a GREAT way to learn a city



Again, no matter how many times someone comes in from Chicago and reminds us how inferior we are, we for the most part do not care. Indianapolis may not be a world class city packed with architecture, but it is a great place that has a lot to offer if you bother to look, instead of wandering around telling us how inferior we are.

DC ... sweetie ... love your city and don't be defensive about Indy. That's one of the most annoying things I find about Indianapolis. You all sit there and jump up and down, holding your breath until someone agrees that the city is as great as they say it is. It's not. LJ is right, it is generic .. woo hooo!!! 1 Russian restaurant .. ye ha! Where do you go after you've been there one or two times? Yea, you move on to Applebees across the street.

Look, Indianapolis is NICE, just NICE. You can't compare it to Chicago. You compare Chicago to LA, NYC, SF, Seattle, Atlanta. And Indy people do have Chicago envy, otherwise the hissy fitting wouldn't happen. The only thing they have on Chicago is a superbowl victory, which they deserved (she gulps hard). But seriously, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Detroit, Cincinnati .. they all have much more character and history and that won't change since Indianapolis is still one of the newest cities in the nation. At best Indianapolis is experiencing it's toddlerhood, still figuring out where they belong. All midwest cities have suburbs like Indy, but the other cities still have more character ... and public transit.

[bryan61]

My wife being Asian we have been checking out all the thai and Chinese places and having alot of fun doing so. I find the people remorsely introverted until you engage them, then you cant peel em off ya

[LouisvilleJake]

Originally Posted by DC 38

My response to this is the same response I have for anyone who says this. You need to get out more and explore more of the city if you think this. Ever heard of The Abbey? What about Monon Coffee Company? Cornerstone Coffee? Any of these places ring a bell? What makes a restaurant interesting? We have Russian food. I think that is pretty interesting. It seems most people I have encountered who say Indy is all generic do not wander to far from the 'burbs. It is great you worked in Marion County for a year, I know people who work in Marion County and know nothing about Indianapolis. They just rush home to Hamilton County and hit their nearest Starbucks.

So, are you suggesting the people in Indianapolis should tell people that Chicago is superior and we have no business saying anything positive about our city? We don't have Chicago envy, nor should we....

I kind of get the impression you spent most of your time in the 'burbs; which is a GREAT way to learn a city

Again, no matter how many times someone comes in from Chicago and reminds us how inferior we are, we for the most part do not care. Indianapolis may not be a world class city packed with architecture, but it is a great place that has a lot to offer if you bother to look, instead of wandering around telling us how inferior we are.

Thank you for the well-reasoned reply.

I must dispel the notion that I am some sort of Chicagoan who came to Indianapolis with a superiority complex and simply didn't like the "small city". I moved to Chicago only after I lived in Center Township of Indianapolis. (Yep, that's right. Not a 'burb, right downtown. )

However, long before I lived in Indianapolis, I visited the city. A lot. I mean, A LOT. I went to Purdue, but somehow always seemed to be seeing friends at Butler or the University of Indianapolis. I got to know Indianapolis as well as I'd ever known any other place. I have a general knowledge of all the major inner-city neighborhoods, as well as all the suburbs. The urban experience is what I love, and I find Indianapolis to be sorely lacking in that regard.

Does that mean I think the people of Indianapolis are inferior to me? Of course not! Most people there like it - and I would be willing to bet that the majority of Americans would prefer a place like Indianapolis over a denser, more urban city. Indianapolis is full of what most people like: chain restaurants, easy parking, big new houses, wide streets, and new malls.

Do I realize there are cool pockets of urbanity in Indianapolis? Of course. But the overarching feel of the city isn't urban - it's suburban. It simply is. If you like that, then that is great! You have found where you love and you are lucky to be where you want to be. However, what Indianapolis offers is nothing that I want.

My biggest "problem" with Indianapolis isn't the city itself; it is the citizenry of the city who try to pump the place into something it isn't. And I don't blame the people of Indianapolis for doing it because they are really told on a daily basis that Indianapolis is something more than it is. Indianapolis is a family-oriented city that is affordable and offers a great suburban lifestyle.