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When the NCAA moved from Kansas City to Indy back in the 90's, that was a very high profile move and in the press often in KC with follow up stories.
By far the biggest complaint by those that relocated (many chose to stay in KC and find other jobs) was that the suburbs of Indy suck compared to the suburbs of KC.
I can't say I'm an expert on suburbs of Indy, but I have not been impressed at all with my experience in them. (generally around the beltway on all sides). They sure are not very pleasing to the eye. I'm no fan of suburbs, but the suburbs around KC and StL are pretty nice and more built up and consistent compared to what I have seen around Indy.
Again, this could be that I have simply missed them, but I only say this because the NCAA move sort of backs up my opinion.
Now I think one main reason for this is that many of Indy's suburbs are in the city limits of Indy and the Indy city limits are huge so any independent cities will be sort of isolated. While in KC and StL, you have tons of very developed suburbs that compete with other suburbs and the cities. The suburbs around KC all try to compete with each other to have the best shopping, best armature sports parks, best golf courses etc and they really compete against KCMO, especially the Kansas side suburbs.
So the benefit to Indy is they don't have suburbs that prey so aggressively on the city trying to lure companies from the urban core etc.
So KC ends up with suburbs that look like this (full of companies that could and often used to be in the city)
So the benefit to Indy is they don't have suburbs that prey so aggressively on the city trying to lure companies from the urban core etc.
So KC ends up with suburbs that look like this (full of companies that could and often used to be in the city)
Those pictures look like areas in the city limit of Indianapolis that would have been considered suburbs before Indianapolis swallowed up all of Marion County. Castleton, Keystone at the Crossing, the Pyramids, etc. Rather undistinguishable and unremarkable IMO.
I would also point out, that Carmel is known for going after business in Marion County. I work for a company that recently relocated from Marion County to Hamilton County. The poaching in the Indy area is nothing like what Johnson County Kansas does; but it exists here for sure.
When the NCAA moved from Kansas City to Indy back in the 90's, that was a very high profile move and in the press often in KC with follow up stories.
By far the biggest complaint by those that relocated (many chose to stay in KC and find other jobs) was that the suburbs of Indy suck compared to the suburbs of KC.
I can't say I'm an expert on suburbs of Indy, but I have not been impressed at all with my experience in them. (generally around the beltway on all sides). They sure are not very pleasing to the eye. I'm no fan of suburbs, but the suburbs around KC and StL are pretty nice and more built up and consistent compared to what I have seen around Indy.
Again, this could be that I have simply missed them, but I only say this because the NCAA move sort of backs up my opinion.
Now I think one main reason for this is that many of Indy's suburbs are in the city limits of Indy and the Indy city limits are huge so any independent cities will be sort of isolated. While in KC and StL, you have tons of very developed suburbs that compete with other suburbs and the cities. The suburbs around KC all try to compete with each other to have the best shopping, best amatures sports parks, best golf courses etc and they really compete against KCMO, especially the Kansas side suburbs.
So the benefit to Indy is they don't have suburbs that prey so aggressively on the city trying to lure companies from the urban core etc.
How far outside the beltway did you go? With the exception of the North side, 465 is well within Indianapolis city limits east, west and south and you have to drive a little bit to actually hit a suburb. Greenwood you run up against right as you hit County Line road south but that's due to age and its founding. East and West, there's a 5 mile buffer between incorporated limits per Indiana law. Granted Avon, Brownsburg and Plainfield are typical cookie cutter burbs. Carmel is a complete transformation, while Zionsville holds on to its small town charm. Heading south you run into Franklin and Columbus as well as Nashville and Brown County. Indianapolis doesn't build up, it builds out which isn't necessarily a bad thing. You will just find a lot of 3-5 story buildings instead of full blown skyscrapers outside of downtown.
Even in the city proper, places that were once suburbs (Meridian Hills, Crows Nest, Wanamaker) have always been residential heavy. Instead of running straight to Hamilton county, they probably should have looked at living around the Fort in Lawrence up through Geist and not Fishers.
Those pictures look like areas in the city limit of Indianapolis that would have been considered suburbs before Indianapolis swallowed up all of Marion County. Castleton, Keystone at the Crossing, the Pyramids, etc. Rather undistinguishable and unremarkable IMO.
I would also point out, that Carmel is known for going after business in Marion County. I work for a company that recently relocated from Marion County to Hamilton County. The poaching in the Indy area is nothing like what Johnson County Kansas does; but it exists here for sure.
Yea, I would think Indy has areas that look like Overland Park or Lee's Summit. It's a major metro. I just have not seen them myself. I tend to stick to downtown. But we often stay in suburban hotels in Indy when passing through and because they are cheap and it's so easy to just drive downtown from them.
Not very far. Like I said, not my thing when visiting cities. I have been to Indy many many times and can honestly say I know very little about the suburbs there. They just don't seem nearly as built up as KC's when driving through and I have driven through Indy from every direction.
Now they may have some nice residential areas, but does Indy have large corporate suburbs like KC has? KC's suburbs are way too big for the size of KC. Overland Park looks like something you might find outside of DC or Chicago, not a smaller city like KC and it hurts KC if you ask me.
But in the end, I have heard that KC has nicer burbs from people that have lived in both and they seem to also think the city as a whole is in a higher tier than Indy, which you all know I agree with (you don't have to agree with that). But overall, Indy is a decent place to live. I have never heard of anybody hating it or anything. I personally like downtown Indy. I don't think it on the same level as urban kcmo, but it has a vibrant, compact downtown core.
I'm also sure Indy has some nice burbs though and I'm sure they are better now then they were when the NCAA moved there.
First, I can say that about the burbs. For every Zionsville/Royal Oak/Carmel there are plenty of Greenwood/Warren/Troy/Avon whatever suburbs. Point is, I don't care. It is all the same to me.
Fountain Square and Irvington have identities all their own. So too does Fall Creek Place and the Old Northside. Meridian-Kessler and its subset South Broad Ripple is a great area. There are a lot of great urban residential areas in Indianapolis such as Woodruff Place, Holy Cross and Emerson Heights as well. St. Clair Place/Cottage Home/Windsor Park/Springdale/Englewood are all working to come together on the near east side and carve out a name for themselves. To say there are no urban areas with an identity in Indianapolis is complete ignorance. So to, is this idea that Indianapolis has no bike infrastructure. You can bike from Carmel to the canal downtown without ever using a road. The city is also adding bike lanes throughout the city if you do need to ride on the road. The cultural trail downtown is a world class amenity. The city is also improving the trail system along the various creeks in Indianapolis.
There is a water park in Plainfield. As far as a major amusement park, I have no problem driving to Holiday World in Santa Clause. I would not want an amusement park in Indianapolis to compete with Holiday World, more people like HW so much they might well drive down there anyway.
Toxic, you seem to love Indy, good for you, but it is not our case. Like I made it clear before, we don't hate it, there are options I know, but it's no more what you would expect to a metro area with over 1 million people.
I'm not the only one who thinks Indy is pretty average for a large metro in the Midwest. I found many other folks in other city forums who left Indy because of similar problems with it like we, my family, have. I will use the same vocabulary as you... to say that Indy has a decent bike infrastructure is complete ignorance, unless you have not been to places like the Twin Cities, Madison, Davis, Fort Collins or even the huge NYC! The cultural trail was just one thing the city did to try to ameliorate Indy's reputation for poor infrastructure for biking/pedestrians, of course, that was already a lot for people that were used to nothing! That's the thing about Indy, anything that is done is perceived as a major improvement due to the overall paucity of infrastructure. One of my Colleagues who left Indy and went back to the west coast used to work Downtown and live in Broadripple. He tried to bike to work a couple of times, he was under the impression he could do that, but he gave up sooner than later because he said he did not feel safe because 1st, the infrastructure is poor and 2nd, it is not part of the culture in Indy, so drivers don't respect cyclists in the streets. Of course he fled Indy the first chance he had!
So, you call the pools in Plainfield a water park? See, that is what I am saying... anything counts when you are used to Indy.
BTW (edit): I live in the suburbs, yes, because in large metro areas, that is always the best option for safety, education and affordability for a family-friendly envirnoment, but I have to agree that considering the paces I have visited, Indy suburbs are among the worse looking and the most generic I have seen.
Also, KC not only has corporate suburbs like Overland Park, Tiffany Springs and Lenexa, but many suburbs with their own vibrant downtowns. Lee's Summit, Indepedence, North Kansas City, Liberty, Parkville etc all have historic and vibrant walkable downtowns.
Not very far. Like I said, not my thing when visiting cities. I have been to Indy many many times and can honestly say I know very little about the suburbs there. They just don't seem nearly as built up as KC's when driving through and I have driven through Indy from every direction.
Now they may have some nice residential areas, but does Indy have large corporate suburbs like KC has? KC's suburbs are way too big for the size of KC. Overland Park looks like something you might find outside of DC or Chicago, not a smaller city like KC and it hurts KC if you ask me.
But in the end, I have heard that KC has nicer burbs from people that have lived in both and they seem to also think the city as a whole is in a higher tier than Indy, which you all know I agree with (you don't have to agree with that). But overall, Indy is a decent place to live. I have never heard of anybody hating it or anything. I personally like downtown Indy. I don't think it on the same level as urban kcmo, but it has a vibrant, compact downtown core.
I'm also sure Indy has some nice burbs though and I'm sure they are better now then they were when the NCAA moved there.
Most of that is considered city sans Carmel heading north on 31 and going through fishers on 69. Places like Intech Park, Park 100 and Keystone at the Crossing, Parkwood are all actual city proper.
to say that Indy has a decent bike infrastructure is complete ignorance, unless you have not been to places like the Twin Cities, Madison, Davis, Fort Collins or even the huge NYC! The cultural trail was just one thing the city did to try to ameliorate Indy's reputation for poor infrastructure for biking/pedestrians, of course, that was already a lot for people that were used to nothing! That's the thing about Indy, anything that is done is perceived as a major improvement due to the overall paucity of infrastructure. One of my Colleagues who left Indy and went back to the west coast used to work Downtown and live in Broadripple. He tried to bike to work a couple of times, he was under the impression he could do that, but he gave up sooner than later because he said he did not feel safe because 1st, the infrastructure is poor and 2nd, it is not part of the culture in Indy, so drivers don't respect cyclists in the streets. Of course he fled Indy the first chance he had!
So, you call the pools in Plainfield a water park? See, that is what I am saying... anything counts when you are used to Indy.
I did not call the biking infrastructure in Indianapolis decent. I said it was improving, which is absolute fact. It could be better, and it contines to do so. You can bike from Broad Ripple to downtown without ever having to use the roads. If someone does not realize that, that is the fault of their own poor planning. Not the infrastructure.
As far as the "pools in Plainfield," Splash Island is a little more than just pools:
Yea, I gotta give credit to Indy for improving bike lane infrastructure. Few major cities have been able to build dedicated bike lanes in downtown areas and even several miles of it is pretty impressive especially if they are located where they hit most of the most important parts of the city and reach into the suburbs for commuting, which it looks like Indy is doing.
KC still lacks urban recreation infrastructure. Their urban parks are often nothing more than under-used grass, they have tons of river levees that are off limits when they could be utilized as trails, the bike lanes they do have are poorly marked and don't connect well to anything . This is one of my biggest downfalls with KC and they have so much potential with the rivers and parks system there.
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