Indy actually comes in first in new study! (Indianapolis, Fishers: middle-class, apartment)

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by IndyTruth

Having "friends in the city" and "considering moving there" doesn't mean you are an expert on a particular city. I have friends in many cities, but I don't claim to be an expert on their public parks systems.

Take it from someone who has spent a significant amount of time in both cities. Louisville wins. No competition.

lulz...........so what you are saying is "You don't know, because I know, so listen to me for the reasons i won't listen to you, cuz i have totally been there more than you."

[IndyTruth]

No, I actually grew up in the Louisville area and have spent a large portion of my life around Louisville, in addition to spending the last four years in Indy. I think I have a good basis for comparison.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by IndyTruth

No, I actually grew up in the Louisville area and have spent a large portion of my life around Louisville, in addition to spending the last four years in Indy. I think I have a good basis for comparison.

Yeah, I am sure of it, Cincinnati too I bet. Dual citizenship I assume. Probably went to Male and Taft at the same time.

[HomeIsWhere...]

Originally Posted by IndyTruth

You obviously have never spent a significant amount of time in Louisville. They have a wonderful public park system with huge parks connecting large portions of the city. The park system in Louisville dates back to the 1890s and was designed by Frederick Olmsted who created Central Park. The three flagship parks Cherokee, Iroquois, and Shawnee are all better than any park in Indianapolis.

Indianapolis (nor any city for that matter) need not be compared to Louisville or any other city in the U.S. as they have over 3,400 acres of parks, parkways, and boulevards which serve as a legacy to the City of Indianapolis and their desire for the outdoors to be available for their citizens to visit and enjoy.

The Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System is a group of parks, parkways, and boulevards in Indianapolis, that was designed by landscape architect George Edward Kessler in the early part of the twentieth century. Also known as the Kessler System, the district includes 3,474 acres and has shaped the city through the present day. This Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Kessler retained many elements of the Earnshaw & Olmsted (stepson of Frederick Olmsted) plans, including the linear parks and boulevards along White River and Fall Creek. However, his plan was much more far-reaching in scope, encompassing all the open public land in the city. Parkways would follow the four major watercourses in the city - White River, Fall Creek, Pleasant Run, and Pogue's Run - taking advantage of the meandering streams, open vistas, and wooded areas that the city's geography afforded. Besides their aesthetic aspects, the parkways also helped prevent pollution of the waterways and provided flood control.

Indianapolis Park and Boulevard System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also of interest...

George Edward Kessler and the Park System--Indianapolis: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary

Best regards, sincerely

HomeIsWhere...

[MissingIndiana]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

This idea that Louisville has superior parks to Indianapolis is laughable. (at least in my experience)

While I agree this article is pretty much a load of crap and in no reputable way describes the public health of Indy, I have to agree that Louisville's park system far and away blows Indy's out of the water. White River SP is nice, but Louisville also has a downtown park that hosts concerts and stretches for probably 1.5 miles along the Ohio River and includes a pedestrian/bike bridge that stretches a mile across the river to Indiana where they are completing the ramp into Jeff. A soccer park, a museum in a historic water tower/pumping station, and another park past that basically butt right up next to each other beyond the Waterfront park, making the public space basically stretch for 4-5 miles along the river. The Indiana side just a mile across the river from downtown also has paths all along the river front, the Falls of the Ohio SP, and a nature/bike trail that is under construction and will stretch all the way to New Albany when done.

About the same distance from downtown Louisville as Eagle Creek sits in Indy, is a 6000+ acre forest covering the hills in the knobs with over 30 miles of trails. Then, while Indy's major parks are mostly on the outskirts of town, Louisville has several Olmsted parks scattered throughout the city. I think you would find Cherokee and Iroquois parks more than match anything inside of 465 in Indy, although I really like Holliday Park and Garfield conservatory.

Louisville also is currently finishing the Parklands along Floyds Fork which is a very long string of parks along the far east side and will include a portion of the Louisville Loop which is a bike trail that when done will stretch for a distance far greater than the Monon. It's connectivity for the time being is a little lacking, but there are long enough sections done to make it useable and enjoyable for people across different parts of the city.

When you responded to another poster the following (lulz...........so what you are saying is "You don't know, because I know, so listen to me for the reasons i won't listen to you, cuz i have totally been there more than you.") it seemed you were looking for details on this instead of blanket opinions so I thought I would offer some.

Links:
Olmsted Parks: Our Parks | Frederick Law Olmsted Parks
Waterfront Park: Welcome to Waterfront Park!
The Parklands: The Parklands | A Dream Realized Through 21st Century Parks
Louisville Loop: The Louisville Loop > Louisville Loop Overview > Ohio River Valley > Maps

Sorry for the sidebar

[chet_kinkaid]

imo louisville has better parks,the ohio river is beautiful

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by MissingIndiana

About the same distance from downtown Louisville as Eagle Creek sits in Indy, is a 6000+ acre forest covering the hills in the knobs with over 30 miles of trails. Then, while Indy's major parks are mostly on the outskirts of town, Louisville has several Olmsted parks scattered throughout the city. I think you would find Cherokee and Iroquois parks more than match anything inside of 465 in Indy, although I really like Holliday Park and Garfield conservatory.
r

I've been to Iriquois Park and the stuff on the river, among other parks in Louisville. I liked them, but I never once thought "My God this is incredible I have to leave Indianapolis right now because nothing in Indianapolis compares" which is the suggested response by the OP and anyone who doesn't have that response just does not know anything, according to him.

[domergurl]

You would think that since Louisville is home to a major tobacco company, that they would have more smokers... no????

[MissingIndiana]

Originally Posted by domergurl

You would think that since Louisville is home to a major tobacco company, that they would have more smokers... no????

Louisville has actually had a comprehensive smoking ban (bars included) for almost 7-8 years. I'm sure that has played some part in decreasing that number. Of course you can still get 23 different kinds of bourbon for breakfast at IHOP and that's not all that healthy in and of itself, but no smoking. Just kidding.....sort of.

[HoraceDerwent]

Just to bump this up again with some facts:

Per Louisville Metro Parks site: Louisville's Metro Parks system includes 120 parks covering more than 13,000 acres, with 9 golf courses, 12 community centers, 2 arts and cultural centers, 1 Adapted and Inclusive (AIR) recreation center, five swimming pools (including the indoor Mary T. Meagher Aquatic Center), two historic homes, and the nation's largest municipal urban forest (Jefferson). Not included but in the metro Louisville area is the Falls of the Ohio fossil bed with trails, the greenway which will connect New Albany to Jeffersonville with a paved bike and walking path that winds along the Ohio River. Floyds Fork offers miles of canoeing. There's also kayaking below the Falls on the Ohio River as well. New Albany, Clarksville and Jeff also have newer aquatic centers. There's also a 400-acre forest with hiking trails in Floyds Knobs, a 15-minute drive from downtown Louisville. If you wanted to go 30 minutes out of Louisville, there's the O'Bannon State Park in Harrison County, Indiana that has miles of challenging mountain bike trails as does Otter Creek in Kentucky. Lot of steep hills in the area.

Per IndyParks: 211 parks, 11,254 acres, 125 playgrounds, 155 sports fields, 135 miles of trails, 23 recreation centers and nature centers, 19 aquatic centers, 21 spray grounds, 13 golf courses and 4 dog parks. Indy does have some nice parks.