The city welcomed St Patricks Day on Thursday by dyeing the canal green and holding festivities around town. Judging from my scenes out of my window, the revelers started early and kept going late into the night. I’m sure the fact it fell on a Thursday and featured beautiful spring weather helped the turnout. I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday and is looking forward to more sunshine, warmer weather, and more streetlife.
I’ve been looking for more reason other than sporting events (and/or bar hopping) to spur streetlife in Indy
The dyeing of the canal involved no bar hopping, nor did the many small festivals for children and families. No need to be cynical. I would encourage you to get out there on the sidewalks and start making some streetlife of your own. Take a stroll through Lockerbie, down the canal, or go take a picnic on the mall.
Thursday, I was off of work and spent the day downtown with my family. We saw the parade, strolled along the Cultural Trail, walked through the Dean Johnson Gallery and then ate at Bazbeux’s pizza.
No bar hopping going on. Just enjoying life as it were
Graeme, my statement was simply trying to promote a more diverse mix of development along the canal and downtown in general. I enjoy this space at times just as much as you do probably and I was out during St. Pat’s day. I just hope that more proper, mixed use development here will spur a more natural streetlife in the future. It still takes a convention, sporting event, or other events to bring life to Indy streets downtown, other than your M-F business hours. Unfortunately, the residential component is lacking, but luckily, the Cosmopolitan has proven sucessful…especially when priced right. Sorry for the sarcasim, but it’s hard not to be when thinking about the Canal’s development at times. It’s just one those spaces that needs time more than anything.
Micah, Im sure that I share a different perspective than you but here we go. My wife has had two jobs on Mass Ave over the past 4 years. I have spent plenty of time on and off peak “entertainment” times down there and have seen busy and not busy. If there is an event, you can bet that it is going to be busy, but not always the case. There are plenty of times when there are people walking the streets, shopping, riding a bike, walking their dog etc.
DT could use more people living in the core so that there is simply more people to put on the street, but for what there is, its not terrible.