Indianapolis Cultural Districts
Broad Ripple Village
Originally established as independent municipality on a meander of the White River, Broad Ripple was annexed by the City of Indianapolis in 1922. Present-day Broad Ripple retains much of its pre-annexation character.
It currently hosts an active social scene, fueled by the student population of nearby Butler University. A large number of private art galleries, bars, and independently owned restaurants line the district's streets. There are various venues for eating, drinking, entertainment, and shopping. Located on the Monon Trail, Broad Ripple is also popular with recreational trail users, including bicyclists and runners.
Points of interest in the district include:
Mass Ave
Massachusetts Avenue, or more commonly referred to as Mass Ave, offers some of the city's most visible theaters and art galleries. Located just a few blocks northeast of
Bernard Vonnegut, grandfather of author Kurt Vonnegut, and Arthur Bohn designed Athenæum (Das Deutsche Haus) in 1893 as a home for German societies in Indianapolis to gather. Both were American-born sons of German immigrants, a culture that had a strong influence in the area around this time. Following these many years of good fortune and commercial growth, this area and all of Downtown fell into economic decline following World War II once Indianapolis lost its importance as a railroad hub.
Gentrification in the 1990s propelled the area from squalor to one of the city's more fashionable addresses. Currently, redevelopment of Mass Ave focuses on fostering locally owned shops, theaters, and restaurants. The once destined-for-demolition
Points of interest in the district include:
Fountain Square
Fountain Square is a neighborhood located approximately 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Downtown Indianapolis, centered at the intersection of Virginia Avenue, Prospect, and Shelby streets. A center of commerce for more than 100 years, the historic community is undergoing a period of rebirth and restoration, and is an emerging arts center for Indianapolis.
In the nineteenth century, the area was a huge working apple orchard. As the city population swelled, the apple trees were cut down and houses were built. The neighborhood was economically strong for many decades, but had suffered from a high
Points of interest in the district include:
Wholesale District
Around the turn of the century
Points of interest in the district include:
- Circle Centre Mall
- Hilbert Circle Theatre (Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra)
- Indiana Theatre
- Indianapolis Artsgarden
- Indianapolis Union Station
- Slippery Noodle Inn
- St. Elmo Steak House
- St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church
- Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
Canal and White River State Park
The long defunct
Points of interest in the district include:
- Bethel A.M.E. Church
- Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
- Indiana Government Center North
- Indiana Historical Society
- Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau
- Indiana State Museum
- Indianapolis Zoo
- Medal of Honor Memorial
- NCAA Hall of Champions
- NCAA National Office
- Indiana 9/11 Memorial
- USS Indianapolis National Memorial
- Victory Field
- White River Gardens
Indiana Avenue
In 1870, more African Americans were calling Indiana Avenue home as the original Irish and German populations began to move outward. The population had risen to 974 residents, more than one-third of the city's total African American population. The first African American businesses appeared on the 500 block of Indiana Avenue as early as 1865: Samuel G. Smother's grocery store; William Franklin's peddler shop; and the city's first African American-owned newspaper, the Indianapolis Leader in 1879.
The Great Migration resulted in the settlement of a sizable African American community along the Avenue. In 1927, the Madam C. J. Walker Building opened.[3] The building and the theater within is named for Madam C. J. Walker, an African American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist who began her beauty empire in Indianapolis. Indiana Avenue was home to a notable jazz scene from the 1920s through the 1960s, producing greats such as David Baker, Slide Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, J. J. Johnson, James Spaulding, and the Montgomery Brothers (Buddy, Monk, and Wes).[4] Wes Montgomery is considered one of the most influential jazz guitarists of all time,[4][5] and is credited with popularizing the "Naptown Sound."[6]
However, by the late-1950s, the African-American middle class had begun to leave Indiana Avenue. The Walker Manufacturing Company remained in operation in the Walker Building in 1965, but the majority of the building was shut down, removing a vital economic anchor for the area. By the early-1970s, Indiana Avenue was suffering from severe
Points of interest in the district include:
Market East
Market East is the most-recently designated cultural district in Indianapolis, having received that designation in April 2014.[7] The district is on the east side of downtown and is bounded by Delaware Street on the west, New York Street on the north, East Street on the east, and the Indianapolis Union Railway on the south.
Points of interest in the district include:[8]
- City-County Building
- Indianapolis City Market
- Julia M. Carson Transit Center
- Old Indianapolis City Hall
References
- ^ "Indianapolis Cultural Trail History". Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ "City christens Market East cultural district downtown". Indianapolis Business Journal. April 16, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2016.
- ^ Bodenhamer, David; Barrows, Robert, eds. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. p. 730.
- ^ a b Bodenhamer, David; Barrows, Robert, eds. (1994). The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Bloomington & Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. pp. 840–843.
- ^ Tom Moon (Music Reviewer) (May 25, 2015). Review: 'In The Beginning,' Wes Montgomery (Radio). National Public Radio (NPR) All Things Considered. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
He was one of the most influential guitarists of all time.
- ^ Terri Procopio (August 30, 2016). "Wes Montgomery and the Indy Jazz Fest". Pattern. Archived from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
- ^ Milz, Mary. "New cultural district includes makeover for CCB Plaza". wthr.com. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ^ "Market East - An Emerging District in Downtown Indy". Market East. Retrieved February 9, 2015.