Where is Indiana/Indianapolis heading? (Columbus, Greenwood: lofts, home, live)

[mkat321]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

If I wanted a shiny new Target plopped down in my neighborhood with no regard for any historic structures or urban planning, I would live in Avon.

Almost twenty years later, I'm still po'd about how that particular situation went down. So much underhanded under the table drama. But that's how Avon became Avon the official town instead of the 'community' back of the napkin, on the golf course, under the table deals and drama. And some other shady stuff I don't want to even think about all these years later. But that aside...

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

........and really, even 52nd and Keystone is hardly as urban as the Mass Ave area that had been brought up. I would welcome an urban Target somewhere within 3 miles of the circle. I would not welcome clearing out blocks of housing/old reusable buildings/etc to make that happen.

It is the same with the Kroger at 16th and Park. Yes, that Kroger needs to be replaced. No, we should not accept substandard and inappropriate land use just because its Kroger. Kroger has built appropriate urban stores. Why can't urban Indianapolis demand the same?

An urban target would be awesome. I love the vertical target concept though I have yet to see one in person. I think somewhere near the lofts/revitalization happening near 16th and Meridian would be good, or the other side near Oliver Avenue/Lilly there are urban style CVS and Wags in the Meridian street area that do rather well, and some vacant lots in that area and abandoned properties that would be pretty easily converted to a vertical style Target. Not a super target of course but something for those of us who prefer to walk/bike/bus to and from our shopping trips whenever possible.

[SciFiNerd1]

What is up with Louisville vs. Indy?

Columbus, Ohio is a better city than both outside Chicago and the Twin Cities IMHO. For some reason, it often gets overlooked.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

What is up with Louisville vs. Indy?

Columbus, Ohio is a better city than both outside Chicago and the Twin Cities IMHO. For some reason, it often gets overlooked.

Louisville has a much crunchier, artsy vibe really not seen in Indy, even though Indy is bigger.

[Peter1948]

Originally Posted by SciFiNerd1

What is up with Louisville vs. Indy?

Columbus, Ohio is a better city than both outside Chicago and the Twin Cities IMHO. For some reason, it often gets overlooked.

Columbus and Louisville are actually nearly identical cities and their historical populations were similar through the post war era...very similar in every regard except Cbus has some large suburbs like Dublin which make the MSA bigger. The differences are north vs south, flat vs hilly, and cold vs relatively milder. I have never seen an Indy vs Louisivlle thing except here on these boards where I feel some feel threatened by all the publicity that city gets for the aforementioned artsy/granola vibe.

But to the average citizen of Indianapolis? I don't think they hardly think about Louisville unless they are coming down for a bachelorette party at 4th Street, the Derby, or the like. The same goes for people in Louisville metro...you may get a few people come up for a Pacers or Colts game, but that is about it. Your average Louisvillians knows nothing about nor is concerned with Indy.

In away, this is too bad...I would like to see more regionalism between these two metros since they are in each other's backyard. There is only about 60-70 miles of rural areas between Indy's south burbs and Louisville's Indiana burbs, and even then there are some fairly substantial small towns in between (Seymour, Columbus, etc).

[censusdata]

A lot of Louisville people go up to Indy now and then for the children's museum and Colts games. The outlet mall in Edinburgh and Brown County are popular too. Overall though it seems like Cincinnati area attractions draw more people from Louisville than similar places in Indy due to shared culture and geography in the Ohio River Valley. Indiana side of the Louisville Metro seems more connected to Indy than the KY side.

[Serious Conversation]

I wouldn't see how Louisville wouldn't have similar shops to Edinburgh. Outlets like that aren't special. There are also a lot of good state parks in the Louisville area and further south into Kentucky.

[ServoMiff]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

I wouldn't see how Louisville wouldn't have similar shops to Edinburgh. Outlets like that aren't special. There are also a lot of good state parks in the Louisville area and further south into Kentucky.

You're absolutely right, there's a new outlet mall in Simpsonville, KY which is a LOT closer than Edinburgh, maybe with the only exception of people who live in the Louisville MSA who are in southern IN. I think Edinburgh USED to be the place people in Louisville went (my mom made that trip with her girlfriends more than a few times), but I doubt it's as popular now with the Simpsonville one being open, unless there's a store in Edinburgh that doesn't exist in Simpsonville.

Louisville people generally only travel up to Indy for sporting events and the Children's and NCAA Museums. Not much else to do in Indy that couldn't be done locally.

[wh15395]

Just adding my perspective here, albeit a little bit off topic....

I work part-time, while I'm in school, at a hotel front desk in Downtown Indianapolis. On an average weekend, I will check-in about 15-20 rooms (out of 300) with people from Louisville, the same number from Cincinnati (slightly less), and at least twice as many from Chicagoland. Many people travel regionally no matter what their city offers. Indianapolis offers enough that there are tourists here from other parts of the Midwest every weekend. Most people in Louisville (and everywhere else) travel to Indy because there's always something fun to do that's different from what's offered at home. Same thing happens with people from Indy. It's not often that you travel because you need something better than what your own city can provide, but so you can just get away from home in a place that's fun and enjoyable for a weekend.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by wh15395

Just adding my perspective here, albeit a little bit off topic....

I work part-time, while I'm in school, at a hotel front desk in Downtown Indianapolis. On an average weekend, I will check-in about 15-20 rooms (out of 300) with people from Louisville, the same number from Cincinnati (slightly less), and at least twice as many from Chicagoland. Many people travel regionally no matter what their city offers. Indianapolis offers enough that there are tourists here from other parts of the Midwest every weekend. Most people in Louisville (and everywhere else) travel to Indy because there's always something fun to do that's different from what's offered at home. Same thing happens with people from Indy. It's not often that you travel because you need something better than what your own city can provide, but so you can just get away from home in a place that's fun and enjoyable for a weekend.

I think the Indy tourism probably comes in spurts. Indy probably does really well for conventions, Colts games, bigger Pacers game, the 500, and other large events. During the summer months, aside from any one-off events that may be happening, I just don't see enough to lure people from the other cities.

[Dyadic]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

I think the Indy tourism probably comes in spurts. Indy probably does really well for conventions, Colts games, bigger Pacers game, the 500, and other large events. During the summer months, aside from any one-off events that may be happening, I just don't see enough to lure people from the other cities.

It is well documented that Indy is a major convention city. But Indianapolis has more going on besides the Colts, Pacers and the 500. Indy is also a major sports town. Beside the Colts and Pacers the city is amateur sporting capital of the world. For example Indianapolis has hosted the NCAA Men's Final Four in 1980, 1991, 1997, 2000, 2006 and 2010. It has hosted the NCAA Men's Regional in 1940, 1979, 2009, 2013. It has hosted the NCAA second round action in 1978, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2005. In addition the Women's Final Four has been held in Indianapolis twice (2005 and 2011), with the event scheduled to return in 2016.

The Big Ten Football Championship game has be held at Lucas Oil Stadium since 2011. The Big Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament has been held in Indianapolis 9 times since it's inception in 1998. The 2016 tournament will mark the 10th time. That means the city would have hosted the tournament 10 out of 18 conference tournaments.

In addition to being home to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Headquarters, Indianapolis is home to the national governing body of:

•USA Gymnastics
•USA Football
•USA Diving
•USA Synchronized Swimming
•USA Track & Field
•National Federation of State High School Associations.

There is more going on then you are willing to give credit. I wouldn't call the sports tourism side something that occurs in spurs.