Louisville vs. Indianapolis vs. Cincinnati (raise, airport, states, south)
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I agree, Louisville does have a rather crappy downtown.
I don't know if it's crappy...that seems a bit strong. Compared to the other two in this poll, definitely. But it's alright. Certainly not the city's strength.
Cincinnatti, older, more history, Pro Sports, etc.... But Louisville is up and coming, and fast growing, just has that Vibe of laid backness, unique neighborhoods, etc... Indy ......hmmm... not much on that one. I would have to say Louisville by far.
Cincinnatti, older, more history, Pro Sports, etc.... But Louisville is up and coming, and fast growing, just has that Vibe of laid backness, unique neighborhoods, etc... Indy ......hmmm... not much on that one. I would have to say Louisville by far.
Another C/D poster who can't even muster one good thing to say about Indy. Color me surprised. Spent a great deal of time there to know anything about it?
Another C/D poster who can't even muster one good thing to say about Indy. Color me surprised. Spent a great deal of time there to know anything about it?
Just take pride in the fact that, along with Chicago, y'all were the first to re-envision your downtown and make it pop! All the way until a few years ago, I thought that Indy blew Cincy away when it came to urban centers. In 2010, we had finally caught up to you. Now Indy just needs to work on reviving (and building new) business districts in their neighborhoods. This, with a massive sidewalk/biking network campaign, would elevate QOL in that town to another level.
Just take pride in the fact that, along with Chicago, y'all were the first to re-envision your downtown and make it pop! All the way until a few years ago, I thought that Indy blew Cincy away when it came to urban centers. In 2010, we had finally caught up to you. Now Indy just needs to work on reviving (and building new) business districts in their neighborhoods. This, with a massive sidewalk/biking network campaign, would elevate QOL in that town to another level.
No pride in that, as according to the experts on City-Data and the urban pioneers from Louisville it was a huge mistake to pursue that course. But it would be nice if the city could get a basic level of respect on this site.
I'd challenge you to spend some time in Indy. The neighborhood business districts are rapidly improving and expanding, and areas that were written off decades ago are coming back to life. And our biking trail network is incredibly robust for a city of its size and built form. Sidewalks will always be a problem here though...so much of the city grew post-car that we'll likely never fully solve that.
I don't know if it's crappy...that seems a bit strong. Compared to the other two in this poll, definitely. But it's alright. Certainly not the city's strength.
Maybe you're right, I don't know. The last time I was there it seemed kind of trashy and not very pretty compared to most other downtowns I've visited, but then again maybe I just didn't catch the best spot.
Louisville's downtown is not up to par with the other two, but its neighborhoods beat those in Indy handily. Its not even close, and I am willing to prove that with objective data such as restaurants, local coffee shops, and indie stores by neighborhood.
Louisville's neighborhoods are at least as good as those in Cincinnati, and it is certainly safer overall.
When was the last time you were in Louisville? Downtown alone has 7 cranes up within one mile of city hall, and there is construction all over the place. 22 hotels under construction as we speak. So Louisville's downtown is no slouch. Remember Indy pretty much put all its resources and redevelopment into downtown.
Also, Louisville has more Airbnb rooms than both Indy or Cincinnati. It is very easy to stay in any number of walkable urban neighborhoods in Louisville, and its not a mega large city, so yes it is easily explored by bike, bus, uber, or the free downtown zerobuses. I guess if you are a coporate guy who wants to stay at the Conrad, eat at Palomino, and go to a Pacers game, then Indy is for you.
But Louisville is different....artsy, hipster, unique, local. In Louisville a superior experience is staying at the GraleHaus Airbnb, walking down two flights of stairs to Gralehaus for locally sourced food, then walking to Jack Fry's for dinner and buying a unique tee shirt at Dirty Tease. Much different urban experiences for two very different cities.
Stayed in Downtown Louisville last October. I was disappointed in it because it felt mostly dead after business hours. I also spent time on Barstown Rd (I think that's the name) and wasn't super impressed. It was a good neighborhood, but didn't compare to the whole of Downtown Indy (Mile Square, Mass Ave, Fountain Square). Indy has three neighborhoods Downtown that are all merging together and provide a lot more for residents and visitors. I don't doubt Louisville has more cool neighborhoods; there has to be some reason for the hype. All I'm saying is as a visitor or perspective Downtown resident who doesn't want to drive anywhere, Indianapolis has a lot more to offer.
What I said is indeed true, there is no "not necessarily". As you said, Louisville to Holiday world is just over an hour. Cincinnati to holiday world is almost 3 hours. I said in my post, that Louisville is closest to Holiday World, the #1 water park. I said nothing about Kings Island.
Kings Island is a great amusement park, especially for more "thrill" rides, but the water lake is as any other normal park. If someone wants an amazing water park, Holiday World would be that, and Louisville is the closets, BY FAR
One thing to keep in mind is that while the city of Indy proper may not have much in the way of water parks, Greenwood and Carmel do, and Carmel one is probably less than two miles from the Indy city line. They are no Holiday World but are fine for a quick splash if you don't want to leave town.
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Originally Posted by CentralCarmel
Yeah...we've got the 5th highest growth rate of STEM jobs in the US, behind competition like SF, Austin and San Jose. We may not be where all the cool kids want to be, but we're doing just fine.
A lot of people underestimate Indy's job market. Some similar cities, like Charlotte and Raleigh, are heavily skewed toward one economic sector, and if there's a downturn in that sector, the town really takes a beatdown. Look at what happened to Charlotte during the financial meltdown.
Indy has a pretty diversified economy. You have quite a bit of tech downtown and in some of the office parks along 465, financial services (Huntington, Chase, various accounting firms, many more), medical research, hospital systems, logistics/distribution, the state/local government, etc.
Indy loses out on these polls largely based on factors it can't control. The weather isn't the worst, but it isn't great. The scenery is bland. There are few opportunities for outdoor recreation. It's just not a pleasant place to live in that regard.
Outside of a few nice neighborhoods (downtown, Broad Ripple, Fountain Square, Irvington), much of the rest of the city is nondescript suburban and crime is a major problem. That's another reason it loses out a lot. In Indy, the suburbs are the gem, not the core city.
Last edited by Serious Conversation; 08-11-2017 at 11:41 AM..
One thing to keep in mind is that while the city of Indy proper may not have much in the way of water parks, Greenwood and Carmel do, and Carmel one is probably less than two miles from the Indy city line. They are no Holiday World but are fine for a quick splash if you don't want to leave town.
A lot of people underestimate Indy's job market. Some similar cities, like Charlotte and Raleigh, are heavily skewed toward one economic sector, and if there's a downturn in that sector, the town really takes a beatdown. Look at what happened to Charlotte during the financial meltdown.
Indy has a pretty diversified economy. You have quite a bit of tech downtown and in some of the office parks along 465, financial services (Huntington, Chase, various accounting firms, many more), medical research, hospital systems, logistics/distribution, the state/local government, etc.
Indy loses out on these polls largely based on factors it can't control. The weather isn't the worst, but it isn't great. The scenery is bland. There are few opportunities for outdoor recreation. It's just not a pleasant place to live in that regard.
Outside of a few nice neighborhoods (downtown, Broad Ripple, Fountain Square, Irvington), much of the rest of the city is nondescript suburban and crime is a major problem. That's another reason it loses out a lot. In Indy, the suburbs are the gem, not the core city.
I agree. I would add that it also loses because it is not cool or trendy like the other cities. The neighborhoods are bland, and few millennials are moving there. It is an ok city, but nothing special compared to more popular cities. It is easier to get around than either Cincinnati or Louisville, and the downtown grid is a clean slate with the most potential, if the city ever experienced a boom. The flat, low traffic, in place utilities, and easy interstate access are a developer's dream.
Outside of a few nice neighborhoods (downtown, Broad Ripple, Fountain Square, Irvington), much of the rest of the city is nondescript suburban and crime is a major problem. That's another reason it loses out a lot. In Indy, the suburbs are the gem, not the core city.
Indy is certainly getting better. As far as neighborhoods, I also really like Woodruff Place, Windsor Park, Old Northside and Herron Morton. I think Bates-Hendricks and Garfield Park have some serious potential. Honestly for me Indy's downtown is the most vibrant of the three but it's also very bland and sterile. Indy also seems to have no plans ever for rail transit. The BRT seems to be slow in coming and a bit half-assed.
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