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All the cafes and restaurants and offices and whatnot abutting Monument Circle are across the street. That detracts enormously from its design quality. It also doesn't have moveable furniture, which is an important design element. Does it even have tables?
It's nice, but it doesn't hit all the buttons.
It's a war memorial, first and foremost. It's meant to be grand, to make a statement and prompt us to reflect. During the warmer months it's filled with people and vendors. It's blocked off from car traffic on many weekends for events. No, it's not lined with suburban mall chain restuarants like Fountain Square is, but that's ok. Every time I'm in Indy there is some kind of event happening on the circle.
I did a bit of reading on the fountain itself in Fountain Square. Apparently, when the fountain statue was removed for repairs, they put it back facing a different direction...south, instead of it's eastern orientation which was meant to face Germany and Europe, as a nod to those who had populated the city. Not only has it lost a lot of it's charm, but even its historical significance has been somewhat lost.
Hey guess what, so does everyone else. Huge medical industry, 5 hospitals downtown, nations 2nd largest med school, largest hospital in the midwest and ranked top 1% hospital in the nation. There's just as many museums downtown not including IMA or The Childrens Museum (17th most visited nationwide, ranked world #1 in quality and size) which neither are downtown, world's largest sporting venue, top rated facilities, American Legion Mall (5 city blocks), the canal, White River State Park and yadda yadda yadda. Man don't you know every city can do this all day. Still nothing special coming out of Cincy that no one else isn't doing or have. Next.
Is the Childrens Museum pretty nice? Of course I've heard of it but I've never taken our kids to Indy before to see it. Might be worth bringing them along one of these times.
There is no vehicular traffic between the Tyler-Davidson fountain and the tables and chairs and cafes on the square...it's a big difference. Fountain Square is also able to host events & concerts in a way which would be impossible at Monument Square.
Edit: You are talking about the centerpieces, while I am talking about the squares as functioning public spaces.
All the cafes and restaurants and offices and whatnot abutting Monument Circle are across the street. That detracts enormously from its design quality. It also doesn't have moveable furniture, which is an important design element. Does it even have tables?
It's nice, but it doesn't hit all the buttons.
Movable furniture isn't an important design element. Uh, you do realize it's a monument, uhm err of course it's not going to have restaurants and cafe's butting up to it, that would be tacky as the two sides on the north and south end are steps and the two sides on the east and west ends is water. That's common sense. It has a civil war museum. Circle theatre across the street and the circle functions differently than fountain square. What has been natural for the circle since tearing down the old governors mansion way back when, Cincy had to remake Fountain Square to try and have some of the same functionality. Monument Circle has always been the natural heart of the city. Grabbing a bite at one of the hotdog vendors and sitting on the steps chatting away has always been par for the course since forever or heading about during events like the strawberry festival.
There is no vehicular traffic between the Tyler-Davidson fountain and the tables and chairs and cafes on the square...it's a big difference. Fountain Square is also able to host events & concerts in a way which would be impossible at Monument Square.
Edit: You are talking about the centerpieces, while I am talking about the squares as functioning public spaces.
Ok...did you not see my post about them closing off the streets for events, concerts ect? Happens all the time.
Cincinnati is the only real city of the three... though I'll give credit to Columbus for the unbelievably awesome German Village and a couple other neighborhoods. Indy has a nicely planned central circle Downtown. Very monumental.
This ^
Except for the part about Indy. I see little of interest in that giant suburb of a city.
The big missed opportunity in Indy was to do something really special with that street between Monument Circle and the Capital (dont recall the name).
That ensemble is almost like out of European baroque city, with two monumental structures terminating the view east and west down the street. This was the street that should have had a nice sidewalk/street tree treatment, with development geared to having sidewalk cafe's and more street-sidewalk orientation.
A missed opportunity for Indianapolis to be almost...like Paris, Vienna, or Rome...
Except for the part about Indy. I see little of interest in that giant suburb of a city.
No, I think this summed it a little better:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomalak
This thread has become a joke. The boosterism/jingoism coming from some Cincy posters absolutely reeks.
At least the Indy/Cbus folks are realistic about where their city stands, save for the BroadRippleGuy, who posts like a delusional child. That realistic opinion comes from a confident mindset, something the Cincy folks seem to be lacking. Compensating much?
The big missed opportunity in Indy was to do something really special with that street between Monument Circle and the Capital (dont recall the name).
That ensemble is almost like out of European baroque city, with two monumental structures terminating the view east and west down the street. This was the street that should have had a nice sidewalk/street tree treatment, with development geared to having sidewalk cafe's and more street-sidewalk orientation.
A missed opportunity for Indianapolis to be almost...like Paris, Vienna, or Rome...
That's a good point, that is a missed opportunity there. The good thing is that the bones are there for something like this to happen. That's more than a lot of places can say. Maybe someday they'll work on that.
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