What do you think of Indianapolis? (Evansville, Bloomington: theater, live, shop)

[Nafster]

Here's my take on Indianapolis.

I'm a native Hoosier (from Evansville), and have been to Indianapolis on several occasions. I would call Indianapolis OK, but I wouldn't go as far to say that it's a great city, or go as low to say that it sucks.

I like calling Indy the Houston or Atlanta of the Midwest, because it's pretty much the only major Midwestern city that's growing at an extremely fast rate. Also, like Houston and Atlanta, the city wasn't built for the phenomenal growth it has experienced. Thus, I noticed sprawl in Indy was awful.

One thing about Indy I like is that it's very clean. Indy also has a decent skyline and it really keeps the streets clean around it's downtown. It also has excellent restaurants which, while maybe not as diverse and numbered as they are in Chicago, are very upscale and fancy. Women would love the shopping in Indy's downtown too, as it's pretty plentiful.

Indy could use some help in it's arts and cultural department, as it's very small there. Indy's nightlife, while fun in some areas, is also pretty limited, but I wouldn't call it "dead" like Cincinnati's. I actually found more things going on in Bloomington, and that city has 70,000 people!

But Indy has some great sport cultures, like the Indy 500 and the Pacers. And don't forget about them Colts (who I'm not a fan of btw, lol).

I currently live in Bloomington and that's my favorite city in Indiana. I find it has the most things going for it for young people (it is a college city after all). But Indy is a truly All-American, friendly city that, while not at all for me, is definitely perfect for a lot of other people.

[Drover]

^^^ I bet a lot of Hoosiers would rather forget about the Colts after tonight's performance.

[grmasterb]

Originally Posted by Drover

^^^ I bet a lot of Hoosiers would rather forget about the Colts after tonight's performance.

We're trying to forget about last night's performance, that's for sure. Still all about the Colts!

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

we're trying to forget about last night's performance, that's for sure. Still all about the colts!

:d:d:d:d:d:d

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by grmasterb

We're trying to forget about last night's performance, that's for sure. Still all about the Colts!

Still smiling ... I'll be over it by noon.

[MICoastieMom]

Just had to share a funny story that this poll brought to mind. I went to high school in Indianapolis when Richard Lugar was busy annexing all of Marion county that wasn't already incorporated. The sports arena in downtown was in the planning stages. The Pacers were no longer the only professional team in town. Indianapolis was on the move in several ways, not just in sports. Anyway, one night, one of the local sportscasters got Howard Cossell on the phone and was doing a live interview. Seems like it might have been during the Olympics and they were discussing Mark Spitz. The sportscaster, wanting to take full advantage of his interview, began asking what Cossell thought about everything that was happening in Indy. Mr. Cossell, who did not know that this was a live feed, responded that anyone who was anyone in the sports world didn't give a f**k about Indianapolis, or words to that effect. Now you know the reason for the 5-second delay!

[domergurl]

The Colts didn't come until the dead of night in 1984 ... was there another professional sports team other than the Pacers (unless we count the Indians) back in the 1970's post uni-gov?

[MICoastieMom]

I don't remember the name of the team, I think it was football.

[Toxic Toast]

Perhaps the Indianapolis Capitols of the Continental Football League in 1968 and 1969?

[Naptowner]

Originally Posted by domergurl

The Colts didn't come until the dead of night in 1984 ... was there another professional sports team other than the Pacers (unless we count the Indians) back in the 1970's post uni-gov?

Lugar was elected to the Senate in 1976, so this couldn't have been later than that. That was the year the Pacers entered the NBA. He was possibly referring to the Indianapolis Racers of the fledgling World Hockey Association, which (the Racers) existed from 1974 to 1978, and had young Wayne Gretzky in the lineup. When the WHA folded, its best teams - the Edmonton Oilers and the predecessors to the Carolina Hurricanes, Phoenix Coyotes, and Colorado Avalanche went into the NHL.