Indianapolis Living

The Mayors Action Center is a sucking void - a black hole where all things go to die.

Trust me on this.

Saturday, I ignored the cold and decided to get some yard work in before the snow/rain/whatever passes-for-weather-nowadays started. Outfitted dutifully with headphones and a few layers of clothing, I was well into my work when out of the corner of my eye, I saw, what looked like, a pit bull bounding up from behind me.

Continue reading "The Dogs Of The Monon"

So we've had some storms the last few weeks. These storms have had their accompanying damage... branches down, limbs lost, that sort of stuff. DPW was, for a time, picking up storm debris as long as it was: a.) bundled together with rope, and b.) cut to lengths of less than three feet.

Obviously this is a little bit of work. Not a lot, mind you, but certainly more than just piling limbs and crap in a big pile on the curb. So, of course, people in my Coffin Park neighborhood just piled branches and limbs on the side of the road.

Not surprisingly, DPW didn't pick any of it up. Just like they don't pick up the mattresses, recliners, or busted up ol' chiffarobes people put out, either. Now, with many things eventually the garbage scavengers will come in their rusty pick-ups and take junk like that. (They're like some sort of surprisingly effective carrion bird of the 'hood. Anything passably usable set on the curb is typically gone in a matter of minutes) But not even the least discriminating scavenger has a use for old limbs.

Apparently today, after the garbage robot ignored the limbs yet again, the brain trust apparently decided it was time to take action.

Now, what do we burn, apart from witches?... WOOD! So obviously the solution to having a large pile of storm debris wood on the curb spilling out into the road is to simply set it on fire! Problem solved!

So indeed, as I was returning to work from home this afternoon, there was a large bonfire encroaching on the road. Three individuals stood in their yard, admiring their handiwork, probably glad they had the foresight to pull their cars a good three or four lousy feet down the road in either direction so they wouldn't have to worry about, oh I don't know, their gas tanks exploding from the fact a giant fire is raging mere inches away!.

Life in Indy, what an adventure!

After several years at its Broad Ripple location, Sunflower Market will be closing up shop in February. However, it's not just this particular location, it's the whole chain.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2008/01/28/daily11.html

A company spokeswoman said that the division did not meet the company's goals. Supervalu had planned to expand the stores nationally as a competitor to larger organic chains like Whole Foods and Wild Oats.

http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7787557

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Sunflower Market is closing its chain of grocery stores including its location in Broad Ripple.

The stores are known for their organic foods but Officials say it could not compete with other organic stores.

The Sunflower Market will close the week of February 18th.

IndyScribe reader Mark Oehler contributed the following review:

I was inspired to finally make the trip by a friend. She has developed the habit of taking out-of-town guests to the restaurant at Trader's Point Creamery. Like Shapiro's or the Brickyard, it is a unique Central Indiana experience - something you can't find everywhere.

Continue reading "Trader's Point Creamery"

Wow, it's been a while.

If anyone hadn't noticed, we've been in a rather large dry spell. No new posts, no new reviews - no new anything! Well darn it, that's life on the web I suppose.

Continue reading "We're Sorry Norm!"

Thanks to Christopher Nunn for the tip about Irvington's agriculture share program. This is an incredibly cool idea: Through this arrangement, you know where your food comes from and how it was grown.

Irvington Community Supported Agriculture Shares are going fast! Don't miss out.

Irvington Community Supported Agriculture is a partnership between our farmers and the Irvington community. Our farmers supply the Irvington community with season-long, fresh produce, and the community - in turn - supports the farmer by pre-paying for the entire season. Our farmers gain some economic security for environmentally-friendly farming. Shareholders get a reliable, wholesome food source. Through this arrangement, you know where your food comes from and how it was grown.

The Irvington Community Supported Agriculture project has been hosted by the Myers-Nunn family on East Michigan Street since its founding in March 2006. A local committee of shareholders handles the details. Our 60+ annual crops are farmed by Levi Fisher and family in Montezuma, Indiana and are delivered each Saturday for 25 weeks beginning mid-May.

A limited number of shares are available for the 2007 season. For additional information you can visit their blog at http://irvingtonagriculture.blogspot.com or contact the volunteer coordinators by email at irvingtonagriculture@gmail.com.

Hey, Indy made a national Top Ten list, yay! But it's for having crappy air quality, boo.

Blame Indianapolis' dirty air—attributed mostly to our dependence on the car—for the state's capital landing in the top 10 of the American Lung Association's most polluted American cities. The association today gave Indy a failing grade for particulates—soot and chemicals—in the air. The city received a D for ozone or smog pollution.
—Indianapolis Star, May 1, 2007

Here are a few things the Star article says we can do to reduce our impact:

• Carpool
• Fill your car with gas after 6:00 p.m.
• Urge funding for mass transit programs

I'd like to throw out another idea, swiped from a city nearby: a Green Roofs initiative. Check out the Chicago Green Roofs program to see how that city is working to improve air quality, lower heating and cooling bills, clean and retain rainwater, lower air temperatures, and more. I wish someone with power would be forward-thinking enough to bring an idea like this to our city—and to rise above the idea that clean air is a "Democrat vs. Republican" issue.

Indianpolis is home to one of the more entertaining party rock bands by way of The Fuglees. If you've listened to The Bob & Tom show or perhaps stopped by The Patio when it was The Patio, you may have heard such classics as "Yoko Ono" or "Crazy Girls (mp3)". The power trio knows how to crank out some rock 'n' roll while making you laugh at the same time.

In a move that I can only call unexpected, Fuglees drummer Tom Knapp is running for City Council as a Democrat for district 9. Weird, hunh? Personally I'm wondering if this is just a marketing scheme to pull in the crowds to the next Fuglees show, but Knapp has assured voters that he's willing to talk politics after pounding the skins.

For the record, I had a bear of a time finding a list of the candidates for the May primaries. IndyGov, once again, fails to provide useful and easily gained information. I eventually found an Excel file of all of the candidates on IndyGov's site, but it was being linked to from WTHR's website. Sheesh.

These are the members of the State of Indiana Emergency Rescue Team (ERT) a part of SWAT training to do a breach of an entryway.

You're invited to the official groundbreaking ceremony for the The Indianapolis Cultural Trail, Wednesday, April 25, at the corner of North and Alabama Streets. Mayor Bart Peterson and CICF President Brian Payne will provide briefannouncements on construction and fund-raising. This event is free and open to the public. For more information call 317.713.3333 or e-mail contact@IndyCulturalTrail.org.

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail will be a 7.5 mile-long urban bike and pedestrian path that connects neighborhoods, Cultural Districts and entertainment amenities in downtown Indianapolis, connecting the central Indiana greenway system.

The five downtown cultural districts connected by the Indianapolis Cultural Trail include Fountain Square, Indiana Avenue, Mass Ave, The Canal & White River State Park, and the Wholesale District. The Cultural Trail will also connect with the Monon Trail, allowing visitors easy access to Broad Ripple Village from downtown.

Visit the Cultural Trail website to see the planned greenspaces, including before pictures and artists renderings of the completed trail.

The Cultural Trail is made possible by a large public and private collaboration led by Central Indiana Community Foundation, the City of Indianapolis and several not-for-profit organizations devoted to building a better city.

More info on Indiana Green Spaces:

Indiana Trails

The Greenways Foundation

Asset Forwarding Corporation is again sponsoring TECH-DROP to give residents an opportunity to recycle their old computers, while supporting area high school and youth group programs.

The event will be held on Saturday April 14, 2007 from 9am-1pm at the following locations:

• Pike Township Schools Administration Bldg, 6901 Zionsville Road (in parking lot on southside of bldg)
• Carmel High School, 520 E. Main Street [Google Map]
• McKenzie Career Center, 7250 E. 75th Street [Google Map]
• St. Marks Catholic Church, corner of Edgewood Ave. and US. 31 South [Google Map]
• Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian Street [Google Map]

Acceptable items will be: computers (CPUs/towers), monitors, and computer related items (terminals, hard drives, scanners, printers, tape and disk drives, cell phones, cables, laptops, keyboards, mice, computer speakers, desktop copiers, fax machines, and backup batteries).

The following items WILL NOT be accepted: televisions, large copiers, stereo equipment, small or large appliances. This drop-off is open to residents only; businesses with disposal needs can call Asset Forwarding for further information.

For further information, call Asset Forwarding, 317-228-9091, x204

Asset Forwarding will provide each of the sponsoring organizations a financial contribution based in part on the quantity of electronic waste collected per site. Additional sponsorship of Tech Drop 2007 is being provided by Endangered Species Chocolate, a locally based company, with a commitment to help support species, habitat and humanity.

Mike and I are in Austin, Texas attending the SXSW Interactive conference... and while we were exploring downtown Austin, we had an extended discussion comparing Austin and Indianapolis - and how Indy seems quite a bit behind on basic urban design and development. Last night, though, a related email landed in my inbox forwarded by my neighborhood association - a link to Indianapolis's website detailing their urban planning initiatives for downtown. There's a lot of interesting reading there, along with some discussion forums - so give them your two cents worth.

Also, if you'd like, take a survey on Indianapolis Rapid Transit - you know we need it; let them know.

Local news is throwing out the "heads-up" on this one. The long awaited and under-hyped "Super 70" project is ramping up (pun intended) once again and some of your favorite I-70 ramps will be closed during the project. INDOT has dropped the number of ramp closures due to concerns from area residents and business owners. However, it's still quite a grand project, affecting the east side of Indy.

INDOT has set up a very informative page about the project, which includes several sporty renderings of what the project will look like upon completion. Also, the Indy Channel has more on the story.

Anyone who, for whatever reason, follows my posts will know that I have done the following in the past few years: moved out of an apartment which sported a nice washer and dryer. You'll also know that I've made a trip back to the laundromat since my current home came sans laundry. An intuitive reader will guess that I still haven't bought a washer and dryer for my new place.

Continue reading "Getting A Nice Sunflower Tan"

Now's the time to tackle your New Year's resolutions by recycling your unwanted goods!

Join Indy Parks, the Department of Public Works and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful on January 13, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Post Holiday Recycling Extravaganza. Here's your chance to recycle:

• Stripped Christmas trees (No ornaments, lights or other decorations)
• Cardboard boxes
• Gift boxes (No wrapping paper)
• Electronics (Computers, televisions, cell phones and basically anything with a cord or batteries)
• Batteries

Drop off these items at any of the following locations on January 13th from 9am - 3 p.m.:

Broad Ripple Park -- 1550 Broad Ripple Ave.
Ellenberger Park -- 5301 E. St.Clair St.
Garfield Park -- 2450 S. Shelby St
Krannert Park -- 605 S. High School Rd.

Volunteers will be on hand to assist with the unloading of your recyclables. Happy Holidays and Happy Recycling!

For further information please visit www.RecycleIndianapolis.org. Volunteers are still needed! If you are interested in volunteering, please call Linda Murray at 327-7036.

So I've been trying to figure out my end-of-year charitable giving plan, and I usually give gifts of Heifer International donations to a couple of family members for Christmas. But I want to branch out into a more diverse giving portfolio, and recently I came across an interesting blurb about Kiva.org, an organization that works toward poverty elimination by empowering entrepreneurs in the developing world.

Continue reading "Microlending: A Different Kind of Charitable Giving"

For those of you who are avid recyclers, (Like me!) the city is holding a Town Hall Meeting on recycling this coming Monday evening, downtown. They plan to revamp the recycling program and want input from Indy residents on what will work for them. I'm going to go, and I'd strongly urge you to attend, too -- the city was on the verge of scrapping the curbside recycling program earlier this year due to low enrollment in the program, so the city possibly thinks residents don't care about recycling. Here are the details:

INDIANAPOLIS - The city of Indianapolis is hosting a series of Recycle Indianapolis Town Hall Meetings to promote a discussion on the current and future state of recycling in Indianapolis. Citizen input will assist the city in designing a viable program that will be utilized by all Indianapolis/Marion County residents as well as help position Indianapolis as an environmentally healthy community.

The Town Hall Meetings are open to the public, free of charge and will be held in each township over the next year. Panelists include representatives from the city of Indianapolis, Department of Public Works, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the Indiana Recycling Coalition.

Monday, October 30, 2006
Robert's Park Methodist Church
401 N. Delaware
7-8pm

The August 2006 launch of Recycle Indianapolis began a dialogue with the community to determine the perceptions, benefits and barriers to recycling. Recycle Indianapolis includes, but is not limited to curbside and drop-off recycling, ToxDrops (household hazardous waste disposal), eCycles (electronics recycling), leaf collection and white goods (appliances).

Currently, approximately 12% of the 254,579 homes in Marion County eligible for curbside recycling subscribe to the service. To preclude the city from subsidizing curbside recycling, participation must increase. Curbside service is available for approximately $5 per month but costs the city $8.57 per week for collection and processing of the recyclable materials.

Recycle Indianapolis is a new, comprehensive program designed to broaden recycling participation in Indianapolis through increased awareness and education by promoting ease of use, waste reduction and environmental responsibility through personal, neighborhood and citywide opportunities.

For more information please visit RecycleIndianapolis.org.

I was pretty enthused one bright, sunny Saturday, when a man came 'round with flyers for each house. "You'll be getting new sidewalks" he said, and handed me a leaflet detailing where not to park during the life of the project. "Great!" I said, thanking the man as he went on his way. I had noticed that vivid painted marks had appeared on the street and up the neighborhood driveways and figured something was up. This confirmed my suspicions.

Continue reading "A Tale of Sidewalks"

According to this Indianapolis Star story, a Fresh Market grocery store is headed to the closed-since-2002 Atlas site next year. If it's this chain, then it's a family-owned privately held company that claims to focus on perishables -- butcher, deli, bakery, and produce. So, it sounds like it might fill a niche. What I can't determine from their web site whether they focus on organic like Wild Oats and Sunflower Market, or if they're just more of a scaled-down upscale Marsh.

I see that there is a Fresh Market in Carmel, on 146th Street, but I've never been there. Can anyone share more information about the chain?

There's a new blog in town (begun in August, 2006) called "Indy Undercover" that claims to be written from a Law Enforcement Officer's point of view, although whomever the proprietor is, they're blogging anonymously as "Joe Friday." It's not clear to me whether Joe Friday is really an officer, but the subject matter of the blog is exclusively about law enforcement. It's also unabashedly right-wing and critical of the democratic members of the city-council and the mayor, who seem to be blamed for all of the current issues with rising crime. I'm guessing that Indy Undercover sprung up in response to the recent crime sprees and the rising homicide rate this year.

(Hat tip to Consuming Indy for mentioning it.)

UPDATE: After reading a good chunk of both the site posts and the comments from others, I'm dismayed at some of the virulently racist and homophobic attitudes expressed in both. The site goes beyond partisan politics and far into libelous territory.

Most people have the common sense not to blog about their jobs. No matter what the on the job circumstances, blogging about them doesn't help the employee, and it doesn't help the employer; it universally makes the issues worse. In this case, it's certainly not helping the city, the crime rates, or the taxpayers, either. If these were my employees, they wouldn't be for long.

WTHR is reporting that the city is planning to re-launch it's recyling curbside program, in hopes of attracting more participants.

Not many Indianapolis residents participate in the city's recycling program. Now, a new program called Indianapolis Recycles explains why the city says they should.... It's just that very few people subscribe to curbside recycling. There are just 1,200 in Center Township and 28,000 countywide. So few participate that instead of breaking even, the city's losing money on the program to the tune of more than $1 million a year.

I've written about recycling before, and obviously our household is enthusiastic about it. I hope the program will stick around especially because it appeals to many city residents because of the convenience, and those are people who might give up recycling altogether if the program went away.

Continue reading "Indianapolis Re-launches Curbside Recycling Program"

We can't beat Nuvo's listing of resources on recycling in the city. It's a great list that tells you where to get rid of old computers, cell phones, anything and everything you might not want to put in a landfill. Another great list of recycling resources is on the Keep Indianapolis Beautiful website.

Plastics Recycling

But there are a couple things I want to add to that comprehensive list. Nuvo's listing mentions my favorite place to take recycling -- Indianapolis Recycled Fiber at 1775 S. West St.

They take all types of paper and cardboard products, including office paper, paper board, corrugated cardboard, newspaper, phone books, etc.

One thing Nuvo didn't note, though -- Indianapolis Recycled Fiber recently added bins for Plastics 1, Plastics 2, and Plastics 3-7, which makes them the most comprehensive recycling place I've found. Most others only collect Plastics 1 and 2. And Plastics 3-7 covers a wide range of refuse that really cleans up a lot of our trash.

Plastic containers usually have a mark on the bottom to indicated which type they are. Styrofoam containers are plastic 6, and can be recycled at IRF, as well as plastic bags from grocery and discount stores. Sweet. See what all the different categories mean at this site.

We still make a run by O'Malias downtown to drop off glass and food cans, and we sell our aluminum cans for scrap. But the addition of new options for plastic at a place we already drop off some of our recycling means that we're a much more green-friendly house.

Other Cell Phone Recycling

The Body Shop collects old cell phones to refurbish and donate to women's shelters.

According to a "National Asset Database" report by the Department of Homeland Security, Indiana has 8,591 potential terrorist targets, making us the most popular state ever. On the same list, New York has 5,687 assets, and California has 3,212. The list ranks amusement parks and petting zoos with the same priority as major business and financial centers, which is causing consternation among lawmakers and amusement in the media. There are similar discrepancies within the database concerning other smaller and less populated states in comparison to large population bases.

The database is used to help determine how funding for national security is distributed to the states, and may have contributed to a program in May that cut funding to New York and Washington, D.C. while increasing funds to midwestern states -- a program that's widely considered to be flawed.

The inconsistencies seem to be occuring because the states themselves compile their lists of assets, and the guidelines for doing so are inconsistent from state to state.

The New York Times interviewed one Indiana "asset" about his company's appearance on the list of potential targets:

One business owner who learned from a reporter that a company named Amish Country Popcorn was on the list was at first puzzled. The businessman, Brian Lehman, said he owned the only operation in the country with that name.

“I am out in the middle of nowhere,” said Mr. Lehman, whose business in Berne, Ind., has five employees and grows and distributes popcorn. “We are nothing but a bunch of Amish buggies and tractors out here. No one would care.”

But on second thought, he came up with an explanation: “Maybe because popcorn explodes?”

The list is due to be reviewed and prioritized according to significance of the targets, and states will be given consistent guidelines for reporting potential terrorist targets in the future.

But just for a few minutes there, didn't you feel really important?

UPDATE: The Indy Star interviews our state's Indiana Department of Homeland Security, who defended their zealous list of assets, saying “We knew how we came up with our list. We looked at it in the other direction: Why wouldn’t the other ones (states) have more?”

30 year old Tricia Black (TEB) passed away last night after a more than year long battle with stage IV melanoma. Already an active blogger before the diagnosis, she chronicled her journey over the past year in blunt detail. Through her writing, you can clearly feel her indomitable spirit and love for life. An excerpt from her blog after being diagnosed:

It would be understatement to say that last week was one of the worst...ever. Not you got into a car accident bad, not you missed your flight bad, not you lost your job bad, but one of those weeks that you feel that nothing could bring you any lower. When you say, "So this is what it means to hit rock bottom." We'll we've been there. A few times. But the good thing about rock bottom, there's only one direction to move.

Start from the beginning of her story.

Also visit Teb's Troops, a non-profit organization created by Tricia and her friends to raise money for organizations that support the treatment, prevention, and research of cancer, including melanoma.

I was wrenched away from my morning ritual of tying my shoes by the television. Instantly my pulse was racing and I stared at the screen in horror, transfixed by the cacophony of screams and sobs coming from the speakers. Cries of terror issued forth mixed with garbeled pleas for the divine. What was this tragedy? Was it footage of an attack or accident caught on tape and being played out on the news?

No - it was a commercial.

Continue reading "More Media Fear"

When my girlfriend and I decided to buy a house together, I expected it to take awhile, and I planned to write a series of articles about it like Mike did while searching for his first house. I thought it would be cool to do something similar, but from the perspective of a couple who were already each homeowners whom came to the hunt with different experiences and desires.

We expected our house hunt to take all year, really. For one thing, my girlfriend is notoriously picky about houses. While looking for her first house, she saw 115 properties. Her realtor even offered to let her move into her own house while she looked, because her lease was running out and she couldn't find what she wanted.

Continue reading "Steph's Great House Hunt"

Everyone always says "it sounded like fireworks" and it's true. As I sat on my couch one night, dilligently doing not much of anything, it really did sound like fireworks. I've lived in enough questionable neighborhoods to know that it wasn't. Then came another pop, much louder than the previous few. A pop and no reply.

Continue reading "A Pop And No Reply"

A meme from Neatorama that's making the rounds. Here, are mine; add yours in the comments.

1. Great cost of living
2. Big concentration of "Giant Things compared to other towns."
3. Nicely done revitalization of downtown
4. Amateur sports

Park officials are inviting residents to ride their bikes to the park and enjoy this two-day event. Activities including: music by Island Breeze; a bike rodeo at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art; a unicycle stunt show and picnic lunch; and an Indianapolis Indians baseball game.

Navigating downtown streets and traffic shouldn’t be a problem because cyclists can access the Park from any trail in the Indy Parks Greenways system, making the event safe for families with young bike riders.

“Indianapolis is one of the few major cities in which you can take bike trails from the outskirts of the city to the heart of downtown,” said Robert Whitt, executive director of the White River State Park Development Commission. “You also can drive your car to the Park, unload your bike, and make the Park your starting point for riding the Indy Greenways system. The Park has great access and wonderful amenities for bikers.”

More info about the Bike IN at the White River State Park website.

What’s worse than being awakened by pounding at your front door at 3:30 in the morning? Being awakened by pounding at your front door at 3:30 in the morning by two police officers.

Continue reading "The Curious Incident of the Cops in the Night-Time"

As Vanessa pointed out in the comments on Jen's Grocery Store Roundup -- we are lacking in the south side coverage. We admit it -- we're lame. I live downtown, and everyone else lives sorta north-ish, like Meridian Kessler/Broadripple/Monon, with Jim holding down the fort up in Fishers.

Mike's a regular in the Fountain Square area. I have occasionally traveled to the Greenwood Park mall, and have seen the inside of both of the goodwill stores on the southside (great place to pick up board games) but as far as we're concerned, Indy's south side is the "here there be dragons" section of the map.

So help us out -- what's fun to do on the southside?

We've talked about this before but now it is about to happen, much of Indianapolis is going to be smoke free starting March 1st. Below is the list of places where smoking is no longer allowed:

• Elevators, health care facilities, laundromats and licensed child care and adult day care facilities.
• Restrooms, lobbies, reception areas, hallways and other common-use areas.
• Polling places, shopping malls and sports arenas.
• Lobbies, hallways and enclosed areas in common areas in apartment buildings, condominiums, trailer parks, retirement facilities, nursing homes and other multiple-unit residential facilities.
• Public transportation facilities, including, but not limited to, buses and taxicabs and ticket, boarding and waiting areas of public transit depots.

Smoke Free Indy has been doing a great job of following this issue, check them out.

Our site got a shout-out on the Torpor Indy blog for our tagline, which they referenced while linking to an article on Indianapolis housing rates. According to the National Association of Home Builders, Indianapolis jumped back to the top of the list as the nation's most affordable housing market for the last quarter of 2005.

In the nation’s most affordable major housing market of Indianapolis, Ind., 88.7 percent of new and existing homes that were sold in the fourth quarter were affordable to households earning the area’s median income of $64,000. The median sales price of all Indianapolis homes sold in that time frame was $120,000. Also near the top of the list for affordable major metros were Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pa., followed by Detroit-Litonia-Dearborn, Mich.; Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich.; and Dayton, Ohio, in that order.

I get a laugh every time I read about New Yorkers paying $1,000,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, when I own a 2,300 square foot, four-bedroom house, and my girlfriend has a 2,000+ square-foot house of her own. At least on this one thing we can say: eat it, New York!

It's coming up on March, which is one of the best months to get good wind for kite-flying. (Although I guess April is National Kite Month.) I have a cool dragon kite and an excellent collapsible, portable nylon kite, neither of which I've ever flown -- but I'm determined to change that this year. So where's the best spot for kite-flying here in Indianapolis? I'm looking for a big open field with no trees or power lines, and while I have some ideas and a friend recommended Ellenburger Park, I'm open to suggestions.

And if you're looking for a cool wind-powered device of your own, I spotted some really excellent ones at Costco in Castleton last night. They had five or six varieties of sturdy, nylon 3-D kites for $9.99, including a Red Baron bi-plane, and a pirate ship complete with skull and cross-bones. I couldn't justify snapping one up because I haven't flown my own yet, but I'd be proud to own either of them.

If you're really into Kite-flying, you could organize a Midwest Festival. Looks like they're looking for volunteers.

When I have a short shopping list or just need to grab some quick sustenance, I head to the Safeway at 57th and Illinois.

As far as groceries go, it's on the cramped, old and cruddy side. It feels like a small town store with a limited selection, lumpy scuffed linoleum, and quirky but friendly cashiers.

Generally, the store offers your garden variety merchandise, but every once in a while you'll come across something completely unexpected, like a patch of violets in a rubble-strewn vacant lot. My latest find was not-from-concentrate blood orange juice, which made for some excellent martinis. They also have a permanent endcap of English and Irish food, such as spotted dick, Cadbury flake and Aero chocolate bars, and Barry's tea (which I previously had to mail order).

It's such an odd juxtaposition. Is one of the owners English or Irish? Do they take speical orders from the neighborhood? Did they do it to compete with the now-defunct Atlas? Whatever the reason, I like it. It keeps me coming back to see what I might find next.

Here's a nice website that displays old penny postcards of Indianapolis landmarks, some of which are no longer around. I have a nice collection of these that I purchased from both eBay and from antique stores around town. Some of the really fun ones are of Broadripple Park, which used to contain an amusement park and miniature "White City" like Chicago's World's Fair, and Garfield Park, which had a small Zoo, complete with bear cages.

The really interesting (and more expensive) postcards to look for are real photo postcards like this one, which are one-of-a-kind.

One of the buildings I wish were still around is this one: The Pythian Building, which was the home of one of the many men's clubs in Indy in the 1900's.

Looks like Marsh's decision to not develop the property at 54th and College (which we mentioned here last week) has struck a nerve with some people.

Quick, what's the connection between these four recent Indy Star stories? Can you spot the problem here?

Study: Indiana still lags much of nation in tech economy
"If Indiana were a technology student in a world that hired only those with doctorates, it would be a high school dropout headed back, midlife, for its GED."

Economist's view: State in doldrums
"The outlook for the Indianapolis-area economy has gone from tepid to anemic, with the real value of homes and household incomes slipping and Indianapolis falling behind national averages."

Coming up: a social hub for up-and-comers
Article about the dearth of meeting places for young twenty and thirty somethings, because there are so few people moving to Indiana and there are not enough organically produced social scenes.

GOP lawmakers want schools to teach 'intelligent design'
"Indianapolis school officials said they haven't heard from parents who want intelligent design added to the curriculum. 'There has been no interest or discussion by our parents with the administration regarding the intelligent design concept,' said Willie Giles, Indianapolis Public Schools associate superintendent."

Continue reading "An Indianapolis Star Quiz for You"

Several of us IndyScribers had a long and rambling discussion at lunch today of Indianapolis, city development, city history, and urban planning. It's funny how all of us, despite our varied careers, are intensely interested in civic development, an occupation that's related to nothing that we actually do. I think if I had to pick a new occupation, city planner would be one of my potential choices.

I've written about (and we've read several) books about Indianapolis and it's history. Here are a few interesting titles more generally about city development.

Continue reading "Indianapolis and City Planning"

Here's one of those slick tools that I wish existed out there on the internet: a database of Indianapolis street names. Indianapolis has a department of Geospatial Information Services, but their tools all seem to be mapping tools and not databases that I can browse through.

I think of this every time I've driving down Allisonville road, and I pass Periwinkle Way. I love that street name. Every time I see it, I imagine the heterosexual men who live on the street writing the address on their mail or filling out a form, and I chuckle.

Continue reading "Indianapolis Street Names"

Marsh says they are delaying plans for an Arthur's specialty foods grocery store at the home of the former Atlas, but they're not saying why.

So I wrote them a letter on their company web site. Here it is.

Continue reading "Marsh Delays Plans for Store at 54th and College"

I just stumbled on the following while searching for city ordinances regarding fire pits...

Broad Ripple Gazette
Broad Ripple History

These sites didn't help me of course (And indygov.org is a rough site to search) but they're cool none the less.

Normally I'd just pass this sort of thing along in an e-mail to the rest of the IndyScribers. But what the heck. Here's a random list of upcoming events in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas...

Continue reading "Even More Upcoming Things in Indy"

This message was sent to us from a reader of the site considering a move to Indy. Based on this description, what would you recommend?

I was considering a move from Scottsdale, AZ to the Indianapolis area. We would like to capitalize on the fact that we made money on our home because of the booming real estate market here. But, I have to say after reading many of your articles, I'm wondering if it's such a good idea. I know you can't get a grasp on a city by just looking at demographics on-line, but I thought it would be a start. I was looking at city-data.com and other websites that give statistics about crime, schools, weather, etc.

We are a married couple in our 30's with two preschool aged children. We would like to live in a family friendly suburb with excellent public schools, good shopping and restaurants in a thriving metropolitan area. A place where downtown is safe to walk and there are fun things to do on the weekends. I've been studying Fisher and Carmel as potential locations.

We considered moving to the Detroit suburbs because I have family there and there are better schools and more culture. But, I am reluctant to move back to an area where there is so much crime, high property tax, and miserable people.

Can you give me your opinions on why it would be a good or bad idea to move to the Indianapolis area? I do not want to move to another "Detroit". Some other cities we considered were Colorado Springs, Minneapolis and Kansas City, MO. Thanks for your time!

Saint Monica's Catholic Church is accepting donations of clothes that will be distributed. Contributions accepted through Friday, September 9th at 6131 N. Michigan Rd. Find out more here.

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North Meadow Circle of Friends Church (1710 North Talbott Street, downtown) is accepting donations of clothes, bedding and other items through Tuesday, September 13th. Contact Tony or Jenny Barrows
317- 924-1086 for details. Items will be picked up on that date by the Pastors for Peace emergency caravan, which is driving down to Louisiana to deliver items. You can help by giving: Clothing, Bedding, Non-perishable food items, Bottled water, Money for gas and driver's expenses.

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Synthesis Entertainment Benefit at Radio Radio on Friday, September 9th, at 9 p.m. $5 cover will go to disaster relief, and KB Homes will match, dollar for dollar, all the money raised, which will be donated to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Synthesis Entertainment and Evolving Records DJs Adam Jay, TFA, Seth Nichols, John Mack, Dave Owen, and Johnny Utah will mix the best in electronic dance music as attendees raise funds. Numerous prizes and gift certificates, donated to the event by local companies, will be given away in a drawing.

Once again - the disclaimer of this series is that the "moron" in question is yours truly. In anycase, I was finally able to haul the bike out of the garage, dust it off, and take advantage of the location of my new home - which is pretty much right next to the Monon. It gives the home a park-like feeling to be able to look out and see people riding their bikes, jogging or just walking past on the trail.

My main destination was the Indiana State Fair. I didn't plan on going, but since I can hear the nightly concerts from my house, I just wanted to cruise on by. Rows and Rows of cars filled the overflow lots and the grounds of the Indiana School for The Deaf. Upon passing 40th street, the rows of cars turned into RVs. It seems not every traveling fair is like HBO's Carnivale, as evidenced by the tripod supported Direct TV dishes hooked up to many of the RVs. Ah - the comforts of home...

One nice thing about using the Monon to access the Fair Grounds is something called "Pedal and Park". Near 38th street and Gate 18, a fenced area is set up, with attendants, who allow bicycle riders to park their bikes freely and securely. Open from 10:00 a.m. until 7 p.m., running August 10th through the 21st (ok - it's a bit late, yes, I know - but what do you want? I've been busy), Park and Pedal is in place to encourage non-motorized transportation - including roller blades.

Park and Pedal at IndyGreenWays.org

I haven't quite managed to take the plunge and throw money down on a washer and dryer set for the new home. So in the meantime, I've returned to an old haunt - Nora Coin Laundry (1371 E 86th St).

Way back when, during a particularly lean period in my life, I would bag up my laundry, leave it in the trunk of my battered Tercel while I worked, and go to the laundromat afterwards. With a pocket full of quarters and a book to keep me occupied, the sun set there on many evenings; listening to the machines chugging away.

Continue reading "Laundry Nostalgia"

My house hunt is indeed at an end and the great exodus from apartment to home was well under way. I was able, with much help, to move everything except the "big stuff" and planned to do the "big stuff" via a box truck myself (with more help) even though I had originally considered hiring movers.

Why? Well, the real estate company (begins with an "R" and ends with "max") who handled my purchase had a box truck available for its clients free of charge.

What a great deal! Sure - it sounded like it.

Continue reading "Michael's Great House Hunt: A Tale of Box Trucks and Customer Service"

I wrote a while back about FreeCycling, which are online services where you can post offers for free stuff you want to give away, or search for free stuff other people are offering. The idea is to keep useful stuff from ending up in a landfill. Indianapolis has two such groups, run through Yahoo Groups, and MSN Groups respectively. I've been a apart of the Yahoo Group for quite awhile, and have found it very useful.

Continue reading "Freecycling Revisited"

To preface this, for the past few years, I have lived in Carmel. Granted, I live in an apartment in Carmel, but it's still Carmel nonetheless (amazingly enough it was a better deal than living just a few miles over the Marion county line, so I went with it). Carmel has been changing lately, and I was curious when I saw the construction of an arch across Range Line Road during the past month.

I've always believed that Carmel exists in its own little world. It's easy to take shots at the north-side 'burb, simply for its reputation for Volvo-driving Soccer Moms, yuppies, republicans and even the occasional serial killer.

But c'mon – the city tried to ban the use of aluminum and vinyl siding on houses in a not so veiled attempt to drive out lower-income housing. The strip-mall of Clay Terrace has valet parking. If that's not living outside the box, I'm not sure what is.

So imagine my surprise when the arch was completed and the area of "Old Town Carmel" was dubbed "The Carmel Arts and Design District". What? What do you think that could mean?

Well, let's find out.

Continue reading "Carmel: A City on The Schmooze"

Well probably. I'm getting ready to close on a house in about 7 days. No, it's not the retro-cool 1950s Frank Lloyd Wright home of the "future" like I have been dreaming of, but it has a lot of potential. One day that 1950s home will be mine, I swear!

I wish that the closing process had given me some sort of fodder for bizarre business practices and horror stories of Indiana laws, but try as I might - I have nothing to report that is remotely on topic. All I can say is... stay tuned.

I saw this site on a billboard on the way home last week, Indiana Unclaimed. The site is sponsored by the state and attempts to pair people up with their unclaimed money. Apparently we hoosiers have a staggering $285 million sitting in the state coffers waiting to be claimed.

From the site:

There's a good chance some of it belongs to you or someone you know. It could be from a former employer, an insurance policy, maybe even an inheritance you didn't know about.

Representative Jeff Espich (R 82) was asked, "You don't support bigotry do you, Sir?" His reply? "I sure do!"

There were around 150 people protesting against House Speaker Brian Bosma's Beer Bash for Cash last night at the Rathskeller in the Antheaneum, and my partner Stephanie and I were two of them. Bosma is a leading proponent of anti-GLBT legislation, and as House Minority leader orchestrated the walkout of the House Republicans when then-Speaker B. Patrick Bauer (D-South Bend) refused to hear the Marriage Discrimination Amendment. When Republicans gained control of the House in the 2004 election, Bosma made the amendment one of his top priorities, claiming "this is the most critical piece of the people's business."

Continue reading "Rep. Espich on supporting bigotry: "I sure do!""

After a mercurial spring, I am so ready for summer: Muggy, sweaty, stultifying, tick-infested, crime-rate-increasing, glorious summer. Here’s why.

Continue reading "Summer's a-Comin'"

Aside from being a day of foreboding and superstition, it's also the birthday of yours truly. Usually I have numerous activities planned, involving many people. however, this year, I've been a bit busy with the home shopping (figuring that my own house would make a great birthday present). So I haven't really planned anything. But being a music kind of guy, here are my options for this Friday night...

- The Raveonettes at The Patio
- URN and Absence of Faith at Radio Radio
- The Shivers over at The Melody Inn
- White Lies at The Vault

Hrm.

Is this something that is old news and I just missed it? Inspire.Net claims to be some sort of Indana information database and virtual library. How odd! Let's click around and see what we can find out...

Continue reading "Inspired? Maybe. Maybe not."

One thing I will never understand is why people choose to live in the glorified box that is the traditional ranch house. Or better yet, why would you elect to put some hard earned cash down on a home that is nothing more than four walls and a roof? You know what I'm talking about - those non-descript little white pill boxes that seem to be popular no matter what the decade. Barely a porch and not much personality, such homes almost equal death to quality of life for me.

Does that make me pretentious? Well – who cares? Let's not forget how much I love my stuff.

One thing I also love is retro culture. If I were a little bit cooler, I'd be dressing like I had stepped out of 1951. If I were a lot richer, I'd be driving a '58 Belaire. If I were a little bit smarter, I would have done all of this before the retro fad came and went in the '90s.

And finally – if I lived on the west coast, I'd have an Eichler home.

Continue reading "Michael's Great House Hunt: In Search of Indiana Eichler"

Last month, the heat pump system in our house went out (see previous article for details). Since that time I have been waiting to get some proof of how efficient this new-and-improved system is. Sick fascination with the numbers? Yes, and I'm fine with that. Earlier this week, I got my electricity bill and the number crunching began...

Continue reading "Heat Pump Revisited"

Freecycling networks harness the power of the Internet to connect people who have stuff to throw away with others in their area who would like that stuff, so it doesn't wind up in a landfill. We ALL have things in our garages, closets, attics, offices, etc., that we don't need. Freecycle lets you find someone who does. No item is too big or too small but ALL must be 100% free with no strings attached. A perfect consumer/earth friendly circle: no overhead, no money, no waste and no catch.

The basic idea is that you join a local email mailing list (many are hosted through Yahoo Groups) and you then receive messages from people in your area listing items they have for offer, or items they are looking for. You can post items that you want to get rid of, and people then e-mail you personally to arrange to pick-up or deliver the item, all free of charge.

Continue reading "Freecycling - Giving away your stuff"

We all know that gas prices are insane right now, but I was shocked by something other than the total price after filling up my car on the way home tonight. The pump actually stopped working when I reached $50.00. OK, I was shocked by the price too, but the bigger issue at hand: have we reached some bug with pay-at-the-pump systems that limit how much gas can be pumped at a time? Are gas prices so high that they have outstripped the functionality built into the pumps? When gas prices top $5.00/gal will I have to actually make two transactions to completely fill up the car? Is this a sign I should trade in my SUV for a Prius?

Key variables:
- about 21 gallons were pumped in the car
- price per gallon was $2.38 (87 octane)
- I used my debit card
- I used a pump at Kroger on 65th and Keystone

I'm kidding, of course; I'm not suggesting you should deliberately go out and have open-heart surgery. Unless, of course, your doctor says you need to. But since I'll be doing it soon, I'm certain it will be all the rage and everyone will want a fashionable chest scar like I'll have. Since that's the case, let me tell you how it all came about. I was born with a heart murmur, which I've always had to have monitored by my doctor during my regular check-ups.

Continue reading "How to Have Open Heart Surgery in Indianapolis"

Aside from any other morons on the Monon, the one moron we're talking about would be yours truly. No matter how badly it's snowing outside right now, I'm eager to get back outside and hit the Monon. I'm one of the folks who consider it a blessing that the Monon Trail is close to where I live and to where I work.

During the summer last year, I was able to ride my bike in to work in relative safety. It gave me a nice boost to the day, provided me with some exercise, and even saved me a few bucks on gas. Let's not talk about the price of gas though.

Something that I found very useful was the Indy Greenways website, which has plenty of information for fair weather trail fiends like me. Maps, updates on new trails, construction notices for existing trails - the folks at Indy Greenways do a fine job. And while I'm at it, a not-so-bad resource for local punk rock bike enthusiasts is the Indianapolis Hardcore website. Believe it or not, hardcore punk rock kids enjoy their bikes. Though you will probably never find one of them on the Monon.

Last weekend the heat to our house stopped working. After flipping the breaker back on a couple times only for it to kick back off again, I knew that this was a problem larger than a "glitch". Time to call in the experts. Over the course of the next few days I learned more heating, air conditioning, heat pumps, and freon regulation than I ever wanted to know.

Continue reading "Pump up the ...heat?"

This did not happen to me, but it happened to a friend of mine, so I'll relate it here. I was due over at a friend's house on Sunday… we'll call him "Chip"… with a few other mutual friends when I received an odd call. "Hey," said the voice on the other end, "I can't get 'Chip' on the phone, which is weird because we were told to call before we come over." Shrugging that off as strange, but no big deal, I continued on my way.

When I arrived at Chip's house, his wife had just woken up and was a bit groggy. "Sorry," she said, "I was up late last night because Chip got mugged." Holy smokes!

Chip was fine. And in fact, it was the other two guys that attacked him who would probably be seeing the inside of a hospital before they ever saw a jail cell. But honestly, would these thugs tell anyone that they were beaten up by a man with a shopping cart? Read on…

Continue reading "Shopping Cart Vigilante Justice"

In response to the State Legislature's current bill (SJR 7) seeking to limit equal marriage rights for same-sex couples by amending the constitution, gay rights advocates and their friends and families are planning a Rally/Silent Protest at the east steps of the Indiana Statehouse on Tuesday, March 8 at 11 a.m. to protest this piece of legislation and several others that are currently under consideration. Organizers are expecting over 1,000 supporters to attend the rally.

Continue reading "Statehouse Rally for Equal Marriage Rights - March 8"

Herron-Morton Place is an historic residential neighborhood in Downtown Indianapolis, comprising a 25 square block area just east of Meridian Street, and north of the bustling downtown area. It is beautiful, quiet, pedestrian-friendly, and is just close enough to downtown to walk or bike to major events, but just far enough north to be outside of busy downtown traffic.

Continue reading "Herron-Morton Place Neighborhood"

I'm not about to write a guide on the subject of how to buy a house. I've already skimmed through plenty of those, and trust me – other people can do it better. However, there are definitely a few points to consider. Aside from the money aspect, you're going to have to decide where you want to buy a house. As with any other city, finding that perfect neighborhood in Indianapolis, like rocking a rhyme, can be tricky.

Continue reading "Michael's Great House Hunt: Taking A Bite Out of Crime"

I caught wind of this a few weeks ago, because my friend Jason works for the construction company that will be building the new store: the IndyChannel is reporting that a Crate and Barrel Store will be going into the location of the the recently vacated for new digs TGIFridays restaurant at Keystone at the Crossing. Because that mall (and that tiny little area) isn't nearly crowded enough as it is.

Continue reading "Crate and Barrel comes to the Fashion Mall"

Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. provides a list of 22 spots where you can get wireless internet access, some of it free and some for a fee. On the other hand, wi-fihotspotlist.com lists 36 wireless locations in Indianapolis. It's not clear from this list which services are free and which are paid. So an IndyScribe wireless outing/control panel training session is in order! Woo hoo! We are such geeks.

According to the Indianapolis Star, the City of Indianapolis is trying to come up with a tagline to define the city, in the same way that Vegas has "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas." Although they hasten to assure us that they're looking for something less risque. Damn. And I thought we were going to finally get some spiciness going in good old Naptown.

Continue reading "May We Suggest "Flat, cheap and out of control?""

Using Indianapolis' official City website, Indygov.org, you can view maps of Indianapolis much like mapquest, and aerial photographs dating back to 1935 that allow you to view the whole city and also to zoom in close to see, for example, the roof of your house.

Continue reading "Indianapolis Aerial Photography"

Just east of Westfield Boulevard and north of Broad Ripple Avenue is the Broad Ripple dam, a wooded area of the White River that's fenced off and not accessible, just north of the Broad Ripple pumping station. On a sunny summer day a few years back, my friends and I climbed up the painted wall next to Westfield Blvd., shimmied through a hole in the fence, and hiked back through the woods to the dam.

Continue reading "Hidden Indy: Broad Ripple Dam"

Back in the early nineties, my friend Dennis Williams was a Franciscan friar. We met doing volunteer work, and once we were working on a fundraiser together and we needed folding chairs. Dennis asked the staff of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church (one of the oldest and the only Franciscan church in Indy) if they would donate the use of some chairs for the fundraiser. Dennis didn't mention until we were in the church that we were going down into the catacombs beneath to retrieve them.

Continue reading "Hidden Indy: The Catacombs Beneath Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church"

Back in the early nineties, I lived in the Marleigh Apartment building in the 1400 block of Delaware in downtown Indianapolis, which is in Old Northside neighborhood. Across the street was an impressive array of old Victorian houses with all the gingerbread and other bling they put on houses back in the 1800's. I used to walk down the street and daydream about owning one of them. One day on a walk, I stumbled across something really strange.

Continue reading "Hidden Indy: The Mystery Tao on Delaware"

Perhaps I'm a little typical of my Gen-X slacker brethren. I'm already into my 30s and I've just now decided that apartment living is not the coolest and the idea of "equity" is something that is appealing to me. Plus I would like to stop sharing my wall space with drug dealers, 3 A.M. vacuum sweepers and the occasional cockroach.

So I've been looking at houses.

Continue reading "Michael's Great House Hunt"

As part of their program to promote safer driving, State Farm Insurance compiled a list of the 10 most dangerous intersections in Indiana, using data determined by the number of crashes at various intersections, how many of those crashes involved injury and the severity of those crashes.

Eight of these dangerous intersections are in or around metropolitan Indianapolis, so we daredevils here at IndyScribe, along with co-workers and friends, decided it would be fun to pick one local dangerous intersection per week to photograph on our lunch break.

Continue reading "Indiana's Most Dangerous Intersections"

The Indianapolis Star put together a list of "what and who will be noteworthy in the Indianapolis arts scene this year." And it's a big yawner, to say the least. My favorite noteworthy event is that Deer Creek (I refuse to use the corporate name for the concert facility, and you can't make me) is getting another gateway and expanded roads to ease traffic snarls at the venue north of Indianapolis. I'm not denying that it needs to happen, but is it one of the hot events of 2005?

Continue reading "Indy Star's "2005 hotlist" is really not that hot"

I received some sad news yesterday: the Video Vault is going out of business. This independently-owned video store had the best selection of old, foreign, and art-house movies in Indianapolis. The Lutz family owned this business for more than 19 years, and are finally unable to compete with the likes of BlockBastard, WalMart, and NetFlix.

Continue reading "End of an Era"