Watson-McCord is a geographically small neighborhood centered on Watson Road. The boundaries are seen here: The winding street follows along the southern edge of a natural ridge line, which appears to be a glacial moraine. The ridge is prominent in Watson Bird Preserve, on the northeast corner of Watson and Guilford.  It’s an interesting sight; …
For those of you who don’t participate in this city’s mass transit, know this: it is very possible to have positive, successful experiences commuting by city bus. And to be honest, for me, depending on mass transit instead of my pickup truck has improved the quality of my life.
In February of 2010, the city of Indianapolis made an exciting announcement. Mayor Greg Ballard announced that a task force had been formed a year and a half prior to study the long term future of transportation in the Indianapolis area. They coined this marketing blitz, Indyconnect. This wasn’t simply public transportation, this was public …
A long standing eyesore on 46th street was demolished this week. A church located at 46th & Ralston Ave that has been standing unfinished for AT LEAST two and a half years now, was mowed down by a Caterpillar excavator. I have previously reported on this structure (here & here) indicating that it was scheduled for demolition …
As with Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission hearings, I will keep readers up-to-date on cases before the Metropolitan Development Commission (MDC) that will receive public hearings. Unlike the IHPC, the MDC does not provide individual staff reports for cases — all cases for this hearing are collected and available here. Commission rulings will be updated after …
Hello, and welcome to the relaunch of Urban Indy. Our mission is to advocate for urban living in Indianapolis. We will provide information and analysis regarding important issues affecting the lives of Indy’s citizens.  Here is a sample of topics that you will find on Urban Indy: Neighborhood profiles Redevelopment initiatives New construction projects Historic …
If you spend any amount of time on the south side of downtown Indianapolis you may have noticed a large scale project going on. It looks to the casual observer like a bunch of pipes that are suppose to be under the ground, that are routed above ground for the most part along city streets …
This post is part of an on-going feature where I will keep readers up-to-date on cases before the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission. The IHPC is charged with “preserving the character and fabric of historically significant areas and structures for all present and future citizens of Marion County, Indiana.” For more information, see the IHPC Website. …
Indianapolis neighborhoods are great. Our city consistently ranks as a top location for inexpensive housing costs. With our diverse and creative citizens, the neighborhoods have always been full of interesting people who care about their communities. Increasingly, our urban neighborhoods are under threat. Everyone recognizes how crime, pollution, and blight can ruin an area, but …
Years ago, a construction project brought some of the first bike lanes to Indianapolis on 52nd street in midtown Indianapolis. The reconstruction stretched from Keystone Ave on its eastern-most point and ended at the Monon Trail on the west end. With this reconstruction came the addition of a bike lane in both the eastbound and …