'Indianapolis' (
IPA: ) is the
capital city of the
U.S. state of
Indiana, and the
county seat of
Marion County, Indiana. Also called "Indy", "Naptown", and "The Circle City", the
2000 Census counted the city's population at 791,926. It is Indiana's most populous city and is the
13th largest city in the U.S., the third largest city in the
Midwest, and the second most populous State Capital in the U.S., behind
Phoenix, Arizona.
Indianapolis has shed its image as a
Manufacturing, or Rust Belt city, due in part to an aggressive downtown revitalization campaign. The diversification of the city's economic base since the 1960s has also contributed to this transformation. A large part of this diversification involves the hosting of events, especially sporting events. The labels of ''The Amateur Sports Capital of the World'', and ''The Racing Capital of the World'', have both been applied to Indianapolis. The city has hosted the
1987 Pan American Games, the
NCAA Basketball Tournament, the
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, the
United States Grand Prix (last race
June 2007), and is perhaps most famous for the annual
Indianapolis 500. The attendance at both the Indianapolis 500 and the Allstate 400 makes them the largest single day sporting events in the world, with well over 250,000 fans in attendance at each. Indianapolis also has the second most monuments inside city limits, behind only
Washington D.C..
The
Indianapolis Metropolitan Area is among the fastest growing in the
Midwest, with growth centered in the surrounding counties of
Hamilton,
Hendricks, and
Johnson Counties.
History
Indianapolis was founded as the state capital in 1821. Jeremiah Sullivan, a judge of the Indiana Supreme Court, invented the name ''Indianapolis'' by joining ''Indiana'' with ''polis'', the Greek word for ''city''; literally, Indianapolis means "''Indiana City''". The city was founded on the
White River under the incorrect assumption that the river would serve as a major transportation artery; however, the waterway was too sandy for trade. The state commissioned
Alexander Ralston to design the new capital city. Ralston was an apprentice to the French architect
Pierre L'Enfant, and he helped L'Enfant plan
Washington, DC. Ralston's original plan for Indianapolis called for a city of only one square mile, and, at the center of the city, sat the Governor's Circle, a large circular commons, which was to be the site of the Governor's mansion. Meridian and Market Streets converge at the Circle and continue north and south and east and west, respectively. The Governor's mansion was finally demolished in 1857 and in its place stands a 284-foot-tall (86.5-
meter-tall) neoclassical limestone and bronze monument, the
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. This is now known as
Monument Circle.
The city lies on the original east-west
National Road. The first railroad to service Indianapolis, the Madison & Indianapolis, began operation on
October 1,
1847, and subsequent railroad connections made expansive growth possible. By the turn of the century, Indianapolis had become a heavy
automobile manufacturer, rivaling the likes of
Detroit. With roads leading out of the city at all directions, Indianapolis was on its way to becoming a major hub of regional transport connecting to
Chicago,
Louisville,
Cincinnati,
Columbus and
St. Louis, as is befitting the capital of a state whose motto is "The
Crossroads of America." This same network of roads would allow quick and easy access to suburban areas in future years. Natural gas and oil deposits in the surrounding area in the late
19th century helped the economy of Indianapolis prosper. City population grew rapidly throughout the first half of the
20th century. During this period, rapid suburbanization began to take place, and racial relations deteriorated throughout the 1960s, although, on the night that the
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, Indianapolis was the only major city in which rioting did not occur. Many credit a speech by
Robert F. Kennedy, who was in town campaigning for President that night, for helping to calm the tensions. Tragically, his life was cut short a few months later in California. Racial tensions heightened in 1970 with the passage of Unigov, which further isolated the middle class from Indianapolis's growing African American community. Court-ordered school desegregation busing by Judge S. Hugh Dillon was also a controversial change.
In the
1970s and
1980s Indianapolis suffered at the hands of
urban decay and
white flight. Major revitalization of the city's blighted areas, such as
Fall Creek Place, and especially the
downtown, occurred in the
1990s and led to an acceleration of growth in and around the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. The city's relative flat terrain allows for easy access to areas in and around the city.
The opening of
Circle Centre Mall in downtown Indianapolis signaled a revitalization continued. Currently, the city is experiencing growth in the hospitality industry with the new Convention Center addition and the construction of
Lucas Oil Stadium. A new high-rise hotel will be built to add more hotel rooms. This adds to the growing list of downtown accommodations and restaurants.
Indianapolis International Airport is currently building a new midfield airport terminal, scheduled to open in 2008.
Neighborhoods
Indianapolis in the 1910s
Indianapolis has several distinct neighborhoods and cultural districts throughout the city.
★
Indianapolis Cultural Districts
Geography and climate
According to the
United States Census Bureau, "the balance" (that part of Marion County not part of another municipality) has a total area of 368.2
square miles (953.5
km²)—361.5 square miles (936.2 km²) of it is land and 6.7 square miles (17.3 km²) of it is water. The total area is 1.81% water. These figures are slightly misleading because they do not represent the entire Consolidated City of Indianapolis (all of Marion County, except the four excluded communities). The total area of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, which does not count the four excluded communities, covers approximately 373.1 square miles (966.3
km²).
At the center of Indianapolis is the One-Mile Square, bounded by four appropriately-named streets: East, West, North, and South Streets. Nearly all of the streets in the One-Mile Square are named after U.S. states. (The exceptions are Meridian Street, which numerically divides west from east; Market Street, which intersects Meridian Street at Monument Circle; Capitol and Senate Avenues, where many of the Indiana state government buildings are located; and Washington Street, which was named after President
George Washington. The street-numbering system centers not on the Circle, but rather one block to the south, where Meridian Street intersects Washington Street —
National Road.)
Indianapolis is situated in the Central Till Plains region of the United States. Two natural waterways dissect the city: the
White River, and Fall Creek.
Physically, Indianapolis is similar to many other Midwestern cities. A mix of
deciduous forests and
prairie covered much of what is considered Indianapolis prior to the
19th century. Land within the city limits varies from flat to gently sloping; most of the changes in elevation are so gradual that they go unnoticed, and appear to be flat from close distances. The mean
elevation for Indianapolis is 717 feet. The highest point in Indianapolis lies at Crown Hill Cemetery atop Strawberry Hill (the tomb of famed Hoosier writer
James Whitcomb Riley) with an elevation of 842 feet, and the lowest point in Indianapolis lies at the Marion County/
Johnson County line, with an elevation of about 680 feet. The highest hill in Indianapolis is Mann Hill, a bluff located along the White River in Southwestway Park that rises about 150 feet above the surrounding land. Variations in elevation from 700-900 feet occur throughout the city limits. There are a few moderately-sized
bluffs and
valleys in the city, particularly along the shores of the White River, Fall Creek, Geist Reservoir, and Eagle Creek Reservoir, and especially on the city's Northeast and Northwest sides.
Indianapolis has a
humid continental climate (
Koppen climate classification ''Dfa''). Like most cities in the Midwest, it has four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid, with average high temperatures approaching 90°F (32°C), with days approaching or exceeding 100°F (38°C) not unheard of. Spring and autumn are usually pleasant, with temperatures reaching around 65°F (18°C). Spring, however, is much less predictable than autumn; midday temperature drops exceeding 30°F (17°C) are common during March and April, and instances of very warm days (86°F; 30°C) followed within 36 hours by snowfall are not unheard of during these months. Winters are cool to cold, with daily highs barely inching above freezing. Temperatures occasionally fall below 0°F (-18°C). The rainiest months are in the spring and summer, with average rainfalls of over four inches per month, but these averages fluctuate only slightly throughout the year.
The city's average annual precipitation is 41 inches (1,040 mm).
The average July high is 85.6°
F (29.8°
C), with the low being 65.2°F (18.4°C). January highs average 34.5°F (1.4°C), and lows 18.5°F (-7.5°C). The record high for Indianapolis is 107°F (42°C), on July 25th, 1954. The record low is -27°F (-33°C), on January 19th, 1994. Snowfall varies from about 20 to 30 inches (500–760 mm) a year.
| Month[2] | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|
| Avg high °F (°C) | 35 (2) | 40 (5) | 51 (11) | 63 (17) | 74 (23) | 82 (28) | 86 (30) | 84 (29) | 77 (25) | 66 (19) | 52 (11) | 39 (5) | 62 (17) |
|---|
| Avg low °F (°C) | 19 (−7) | 23 (−5) | 32 (0) | 41 (5) | 52 (11) | 61 (16) | 65 (18) | 63 (17) | 55 (13) | 44 (7) | 34 (2) | 24 (−4) | 43 (7) |
|---|
Demographics
| Historical population[3] |
|---|
| 'Census Year' | 'Population' | 'Rank' |
|
| 1840 | 2,692 | - |
| 1860 | 18,611 | 48 |
| 1880 | 75,056 | 24 |
| 1900 | 169,164 | 21 |
| 1920 | 314,194 | 21 |
| 1940 | 386,972 | 20 |
| 1960 | 476,258 | 26 |
| 1970 | 744,624 | 11 |
| 1980 | 700,807 | 12 |
| 1990 | 741,952 | 13 |
| 2000 | 791,926 | 12 |
The 2006 Census estimate for Indianapolis, Balance (an unofficial area which is only a portion of the Consolidated City of Indianapolis) is 785,597. (The population of the full Consolidated City of Indianapolis contains approximately another 9,974 people--derived by adding the 2006 Census estimates for areas left out of Indianapolis, Balance and using 2000 Census data for portion of
Cumberland, Indiana included in Consolidated City of Indianapolis).
Greater Indianapolis is a rapidly growing region located at the center of Indiana and consists of
Marion County and several adjacent counties. The
Combined Statistical Area (CSA) of Indianapolis will likely exceed 2 million people in the 2007 estimate, ranking 23rd in the
United States and 7th in the midwest. As a unified labor and media market, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) had a 2006 population of 1.66 million people, ranking 33rd in the United States. Indianapolis is the 7th largest MSA in the Midwest and has three very rapidly growing counties just outside city limits:
Hendricks County,
Hamilton County, and
Johnson County.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 791,926 people, 320,107 households, and 192,704 families residing in the city. The
population density was 2,163.0 people per square mile (835.1/km²). There were 352,429 housing units at an average density of 975.0 per square mile (376.4/km²). The racial makeup of the balance was 69.1%
white, 25.50%
black or
African American, 0.25%
Native American, 1.43%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 2.04% from
other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. 3.92% of the population are
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
From 2000 to 2004, the Hispanic population in Indianapolis increased by 43%.
[1] The majority of the non-white population lives in the central and north portions of the inner-city area. Indianapolis has over 6000 immigrants from the former
Yugoslavia.
The median income for a household in the balance is $41,964, and the median income for a family is $48,755. Males have a median income of $36,302 versus $27,738 for females. The
per capita income is $21,640.
[2] 14.8% of the population lives below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.2% of those under the age of 18 and 8.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
There are 320,107 households out of which 29.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% are
married couples living together, 15.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% are non-families. 32.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.39 and the average family size is 3.04.
The age distribution is: 25.7% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.2 males.
Government
Indianapolis utilizes
Unigov, a complex, multi-tiered
consolidated city-county government with overlapping and incomplete jurisdictions at many levels. The current mayor of Indianapolis (
as of 2007) is
Bart Peterson (D). Mayors since the institution of the current government structure have been:
Steve Goldsmith (R), 1992-1999,
William Hudnut (R), 1976-1991, and current U.S. Senator
Dick Lugar (R), who served 1968-1975. As the capital of Indiana, Indianapolis is the location of the
Indiana General Assembly, the
Supreme Court of Indiana, and the office of the
Governor of Indiana.
Law enforcement
Indianapolis and Marion County historically maintained separate police agencies: the Indianapolis Police Department and Marion County Sheriff's Department. On January 1, 2007, a new agency, the
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, was formed by merging the Marion County Sheriff Department with the Indianapolis Police Department.
IMPD is a separate agency, as the Sheriff's Department maintains jail and court functions. IMPD has jurisdiction over those portions of
Marion County not explicitly covered by the police of an excluded city or by a legacy pre-
Unigov force.
Crime
For the past decade, crime rates within Indianapolis city limits have fluctuated greatly. In the late 1990s, violent crimes in inner-city neighborhoods located within the old city limits (pre-consolidation) peaked. The former IPD police district, which serves about 37% of the county's total population and has a geographic area covering mostly the old pre-consolidation city limits, recorded 130 homicides in 1998 to average approximately 40.3 homicides per 100,000 people. This is over 6 times the 1998 national homicide average of 6.3 per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the former Marion County Sheriff's Department district serving the remaining 63% of the county's population, which includes the majority of the residents in the Consolidated City, recorded only 32 homicides in 1998, averaging about 5.9 murders per 100,000 people, slightly less than the 1998 national homicide average. Homicides in the IPD police district dropped dramatically in 1999 and have remained lower through 2005. In 2005, the IPD police district recorded 88 homicides to average 27.3 homicides per 100,000 people; nonetheless, the murder rate in the IPD district is still almost 5 times the 2005 national average.
When considering the total Consolidated City of Indianapolis, the overall crime rate has historically been low compared to the national average. Nonetheless, crime in impoverished inner-city neighborhoods remains a problem. Areas of Indianapolis that were unincorporated or separate municipalities before the 1970 city-county consolidation generally have significantly lower crime rates although their aggregate population is higher than the old pre-consolidation Indianapolis city limits. Thus, crime figures for the Consolidated City and the entire Marion County average out to a low rate. However, according to FBI reports in 2006, for the first half of the year, Indianapolis saw one of the larger increases in homicides in the country for the first half of 2006 as compared to the same time period in 2005.
[4] Overall violent crime in Indianapolis increased 8% for the first half of 2006 compared to the first half of 2005.
[5] While Marion County has still not surpassed its record homicide number of 162 set in 1998, it is on pace to see one of the highest numbers of homicides since then, with 153 committed in 2006
[6] as the year draws to a close. In one 2006 event, seven individuals from the same family were murdered in their home. In 2007, city leaders such as Sheriff
Frank Anderson and Mayor
Bart Peterson have rallied in neighborhoods in effort to stop the violence in the city.
Largely, the immediate downtown area of the city around most main attractions, venues, and museums remain relatively safe. IMPD uses horseback officers and bicycle officers to patrol the downtown area or the city. Certain areas of Indianapolis, most notably portions of the city's East Side, remain a challenge for law enforcement officials.
Politics
Until the late 1990s, Indianapolis was considered to be one of the most
conservative metropolitan areas in the country but this trend is reversing.
Republicans had held the majority in the City-County Council for 36 years, and the city had a Republican mayor for 32 years from 1967 to 1999. In the 1999 mayoral election,
Democrat Bart Peterson defeated Indiana Secretary of State Sue Anne Gilroy by 52 percent to 41 percent. Four years later, Peterson was re-elected with 63 percent of the vote. Republicans narrowly lost control of the City-County Council that year.
In 2004, Democrats won the Marion County offices of treasurer, surveyor and coroner. The county GOP lost further ground during the 2006 elections with Democrats winning the offices of county clerk, assessor, recorder and auditor. Only one GOP countywide office remains: Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, who narrowly defeated Democratic challenger Melina Kennedy with just fifty-one percent of the vote in his bid for a second term, despite outspending her two-to-one. At the township level, Democrats picked up the trustee offices in Washington, Lawrence, Warren and Wayne townships, while holding on to Pike and Center townships.
John Kerry defeated
George W. Bush in the
2004 U.S. presidential election by roughly 6,000 votes in Marion County, 51 percent to 49 percent.
[7]
Education
Higher education
Indianapolis is the home of the following colleges and universities (in alphabetical order):
Butler University,
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI),
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana,
Marian College,
Martin University,
Oakland City University Indianapolis, and the
University of Indianapolis(UIndy).
Butler University was originally founded in 1855 as North Western Christian University. The school purchased land in the
Irvington area in 1875. The school moved again in 1928 to its current location in at the edge of
Butler-Tarkington. The school removed itself officially from religious affiliation, giving up the theological school to
Christian Theological Seminary. A private institution, Butler's current student enrollment is approximately 4,400.
IUPUI was originally an urban conglomeration of branch campuses of the two major state universities,
Indiana University in
Bloomington and
Purdue University in
West Lafayette, created by the state legislature. In 1969 a merged campus was created at the site of the
Indiana University School of Medicine. IUPUI's student body is currently just under 30,000, making it the third-largest institute of higher learning in Indiana.
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, a state funded public school, was founded as Indiana Vocational Technical College in 1963. With 23 campuses across Indiana, Ivy Tech has a total enrollment of just over 70,300, with just over 12,000 attending campuses in the Indianapolis area.
Marian College was founded in 1936 when St. Francis Normal and Immaculate Conception Junior College merged. The college moved to Indianapolis in 1937. Marian is currently a private Catholic school and has an enrollment of approximately 1,800 students.
University of Indianapolis is a private school affiliated with the
United Methodist Church. Founded in 1902 as Indiana Central University, the school currently hosts almost 4,300 students.
Primary and secondary education
Indianapolis has eleven unified public school districts (eight township educational authorities and three legacy districts from before the unification of city and county government) each of which provides primary, secondary, and adult education services within its boundaries. The boundaries of these districts do not exactly correspond to township (or traditional) boundaries, but rather cover the areas of their townships that were outside the pre-consolidation city limits.
Indianapolis Public Schools served all of Indianapolis prior to 1970, and is still the city's largest school corporation today.
Libraries
Public library services are provided to the citizens of Indianapolis and Marion County by the
Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library (IMCPL). The educational and cultural institution, founded in 1873, now consists of a main library, Central Library, located in downtown Indianapolis and 22 branch locations spread throughout the city. Serving over 5.43 million visitors in 2006, IMCPL's mission is to provide "materials and programs in support of the lifelong learning, recreational and economic interests of all citizens of Marion County."
Cultural features
The Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis
Indianapolis prides itself on its rich cultural heritage. Several initiatives have been made by the Indianapolis government in recent years to increase Indianapolis's appeal as a destination for arts and culture.
Cultural Districts
Indianapolis has designated six official
Cultural Districts. They are
Broad Ripple Village,
Massachusetts Avenue, Fountain Square,
The Wholesale District,
Canal and White River State Park, and
Indiana Avenue. These areas have held historic and cultural importance to the city. In recent years they have been revitalized and are becoming major centers for tourism, commerce and residential living.
Monument Circle
At the center of Indianapolis is
Monument Circle, a
traffic circle at the intersection of Meridian and Market Streets, featuring the
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. (Monument Circle is depicted on the city’s flag, and is generally considered the city’s symbol). Monument Circle is in the shadow of Indiana's tallest
skyscraper, the
Chase Tower. Up until the early 1960s, Indianapolis zoning laws stated that no building could be taller than the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Each Christmas season, local electricians string lights onto the monument. It is lit for the holiday season in a ceremony that attracts tens of thousands of Hoosiers to downtown Indianapolis on the day after Thanksgiving. The "Circle of Lights" festival celebrates the lighting of the city-proclaimed "World's Largest Christmas Tree" which, in reality, is just the monument decked out in lights.
The War Memorial
War Memorial Plaza
A five-block plaza at the intersection of Meridian and Vermont surrounds a large memorial dedicated to Hoosiers who have fought in American wars. It was originally constructed to honor the Indiana soldiers who died in
World War I, but construction was halted due to lack of funding during the
Great Depression, and it was finished in 1951. The purpose of the memorial was altered to encompass all American wars in which Hoosiers fought.
The monument is modeled after the
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. At 210 feet (64
m) tall it is approximately seventy-five feet taller than the original Mausoleum which was demolished to build a fort during the
Crusades. The blue lights, which shine between columns on the side of the War Memorial, make the monument easy to spot. On the north end of the War Memorial Plaza is the national headquarters of the
American Legion and the
Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library's Central Library.
Indiana Statehouse
The Statehouse houses the
Indiana General Assembly, the
Governor of Indiana, state courts, and other state officials.
Festivals and Conventions
Beginning in 1999 the city became host to the annual Indy Jazz Festival. The festival is a three day event held in Military Park near the canal. Past stars have included
B.B. King,
Aretha Franklin,
Bruce Hornsby,
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones,
Kool and the Gang,
Ray Charles,
The Temptations,
Dave Brubeck,
Emmylou Harris,
Chris Isaak,
Jonny Lang,
Norah Jones and regional and local favorites.
Every May Indianapolis holds the 500 Festival, a month of events culminating in the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade the day before the running of the
Indianapolis 500. The Festival was begun in 1957 and the first Queen of the Festival was Ann Lawrie who was named in 1959.
The Circle City Classic is one of America’s top historically African-American college football tournaments. The football game is the showcase event of an entire weekend. The weekend is a celebration of cultural excellence and educational achievement while showcasing the spirit, energy and tradition of America’s historically black colleges and universities.
In 2003, Indianapolis began hosting
Gen Con, the largest
role-playing game convention in the nation (record attendance thus far being numbered in excess of 30,000), at the
Indiana Convention Center. Future expansion of the convention space is expected by many to further increase attendance numbers in coming years. The convention center has also recently played host to such events as ''Star Wars Celebration II'' and ''III'', which brought in
Star Wars fans from around the world, including
George Lucas. From October 25 to 28, 2006, the convention center was home to the 79th national
Future Farmers of America convention, bringing around 50,000 visitors in from around the country. It will also host it every year up to
2012.
[8]
Indianapolis is also home to the
Indiana State Fair, as well as the
Heartland Film Festival, The
Indianapolis International Film Festival, the
Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival, the
Indianapolis Alternative Media Festival, the
Midwest Music Summit and the
Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival.
The
Indy International Wine Competition which is the largest U.S. wine competition outside of California is held in Indianapolis every July at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
The city has a vibrant arts community that includes many fairs celebrating a wide variety of arts and crafts during the summer months. They include the
Broad Ripple Art Fair,
Talbot Street Art Fair,
Carmel Arts Festival and the
Penrod Art Fair
Ethnic and cultural heritage festivals
Perhaps the largest of Indianapolis's ethnic and cultural heritage festivals is the Summer Celebration held by
Indiana Black Expo. This ten-day national event highlights the contributions of African Americans to U.S. society and culture and provides educational, entertainment, and networking opportunities to the over 300,000 participants from around the country.
Indy's International Festival is held annually in November at the
Indiana State Fairgrounds. Local ethnic groups, vendors and performers are featured alongside national and international performers.
Other local festivals include:
★
St. Joan of Arc church and school holds a French Market
[4] every September with raffles, food, live music, and free admission.
★ Holy Trinity
Greek Orthodox Church hosts the
Indy Greek Festival the Friday and Saturday after
Labor Day in September.
★ The
Indy Irish Festival is an annual event in the middle of every September.
★ The
Italian Street Festival is held annually in early June at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church.
★ The Fiesta Indianapolis is held annually in September by
La Plaza at the American Legion Mall and Veterans Memorial Park
★ The
German Fest is an annual event held in October at the
Rathskeller in the Athenaeum Building
★ The
Middle Eastern Festival of Indianapolis takes place annually in July at St. George Orthodox Christian Church.
★ The St. Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church of Indianapolis hosts many different events each year. To find out more visit http://home.att.net/~st.nicholas.indy/
Sports
Indianapolis is home to the Super Bowl XLI Champion
Indianapolis Colts of the
NFL, the
Indiana Pacers of the
NBA, the
Indiana Fever of the
WNBA, the
Indianapolis Indians of the
IL, and the
Indiana Ice of the
USHL.
In addition, the headquarters of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the main governing body for U.S. collegiate sports, is in Indianapolis, as is the
National Federation of State High School Associations.
The city has hosted the Men's and Women's NCAA Final Fours (the semifinals and final of the
NCAA basketball tournament) several times, and as of 2006 the NCAA is holding the Women's Final Four in Indianapolis at least once every five years. Also,
Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, will host the
Big Ten Tournament for 5 straight years starting in 2008 after it won the Big Ten bid over
Chicago and the
United Center
Indianapolis also hosts the RCA Indy Tennis Championhips, one of the many tournaments which are part of the US Open series.
Indianapolis is well known for its ability to host large events.
IMS hosts 2 major races every year, the
Indianapolis 500 and the
Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. Starting in 2008, the
MotoGP Motorcycle series will host a weekend at the speedway. As previously mentioned Indy plays hosts to many Men's and Women's Final Fours and will continue with the opening of
Lucas Oil Stadium.
Lucas Oil Stadium and the city of Indianapolis also made a bid to host
Super Bowl XLV in 2011 but lost to
Dallas and the
Dallas Cowboys New Stadium by only 2
NFL Owner votes. Indianapolis also hosted the
Pan American Games in 1987.
Indianapolis Colts
Lucas Oil Stadium under construction
The
Indianapolis Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984. During the early years the Colts struggled to win many games. After a playoff berth in 1987, the Colts drifted back to mediocrity and worse until the mid '90s. In 1995 the Colts made their 1st step towards success when they made
AFC Championship Game but lost to the
Pittsburgh Steelers on a last second play. Then in 1998 GM
Bill Polian drafted
Peyton Manning out of
Tennessee turning the Colts around. Since drafting Manning the Colts have made the playoffs in 7 of 9 years and recently won
Super Bowl XLI against the
Chicago Bears, 29-17.
Lucas Oil Stadium will open before the 2008 season, replacing the
RCA Dome, as the new home of the Colts.
Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Pacers & Fever
Indiana Pacers
The
Indiana Pacers began play in the
ABA in 1967 and winning 3 ABA Championships. Then in 1976 the Pacers received an invitation to join the
NBA. In 1987 they drafted
Reggie Miller out of
UCLA and became an instant playoff perennial. In 2000 they reached their first and only
NBA Finals but lost to the
Lakers in 6 games. After the 2004-2005 season Reggie retired and the team has struggled mightily on and off the court.
Indiana Fever
The
WNBA expanded to 4 new cities in 2000 including Indianapolis. The
Indiana Fever was one of the 2000 expansion teams. The WNBA awarded Indianapolis a team with the opening of
Conseco Fieldhouse. The Fever won their 1st game in
Miami, against the
Miami Sol, on national TV but finished the 2000 season in last place thus receiving a high draft pick. In the
2001 WNBA Draft the Fever drafted
Tennessee superstar
Tamika Catchings with the 3rd pick, although she was forced to sit out the 2001 season with a knee injury. Catchings won the 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year and each season has led the Fever in points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), located in
Speedway, Indiana, is the site of the
Indianapolis 500-Mile Race (also known as the Indy 500), an
open-wheel automobile race held each
Memorial Day weekend on a 2.5 mile (4 km) oval track. The Indy 500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world, hosting more than 257,000 permanent seats (not including the infield area).
The track is often referred to as the Brickyard, as it was paved with 3.2 million bricks shortly after its initial construction in 1909. Today the track is paved in asphalt although a section of bricks remains at the start/finish line.
The
first 500-Mile Race (804.67 km), held in 1911, was won by driver
Ray Harroun driving a Marmon Wasp. (Marmon, incidentally, was an Indianapolis manufacturer.) The "500" is currently part of the
Indy Racing League series, with the
2007 running seeing Scotsman
Dario Franchitti triumph for
Andretti-Green Racing.
IMS also hosts the
NASCAR Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (originally the "Brickyard 400"). The first running of the Brickyard 400 was in 1994, and is currently NASCAR's highest attended event. Driver
Jeff Gordon was the first to cross the finish line in the
inaugural race, and
Tony Stewart won most recently in
2007.
In 1998 IMS began expanding the original track, to include a Formula One road course, utilizing the traditional brick start-finish line and adding a new infield
road course inside the surrounding oval.
From 2000 to 2007, IMS hosted the
Formula One United States Grand Prix. Driver
Michael Schumacher took the first finish. The last US Grand Prix run at IMS, in 2007, was notable for firsts.
Lewis Hamilton took the checkered flag, and in doing so became the first rookie to win a Grand Prix at Indianapolis, as well as the first
black driver to win any Speedway race.
The Speedway is scheduled to host its first
MotoGP event in September of 2008.
Other series host races at nearby
O'Reilly Raceway Park; it is also the site of the annual US Nationals, the most prestigious drag-racing meet of the year for the
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) .
Recreation
Parks
Indianapolis has an extensive
municipal park system with nearly 200 parks occupying over 10,000
acres (40 km²). The flagship
Eagle Creek Park is the largest municipal park in the city, and ranks among the largest urban parks in the United States.
[5]
Other major Indianapolis Regional parks include:
★ Garfield Park (established in 1881, according to the Indygov website, the oldest Park in Indianapolis. Located on the Near South Side)
★ Riverside Park (Near West Side)
★ Sahm Park (Northeast side)
★ Southeastway Park (Franklin Township, Marion County)
★ Southwestway Park (Decatur Township, Marion County)
Additionally, Indianapolis has an urban forestry program that has garnered several Tree City USA awards from the
National Arbor Day Foundation.
Indianapolis Zoo
Opened in 1988 the
Indianapolis Zoo is the largest zoo in the state and is just west of Downtown. It has 360 species of animals and is best known for its Dolphin exhibit which includes the only underwater viewing dome in the
Midwest.
OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
Indianapolis is home to the largest mini-marathon (and eighth largest running event) in America. This year (2007) is the 30th anniversary of the Mini and it is run the 1st weekend in
May every year and includes one lap around the famous
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This event is part of the 500 Festival, now its 50th year running. The race starts on Washington Street just off
Monument Circle and ends on New York Street back downtown. The Mini has been sold out every year, with well over 35,000 participating. The 2006 Men's winner was Kenyan Ben Kimondiu, the 11th straight year a Kenyan has won the race. On the women's side, an American won for the first time in 13 years. She was Hoosier Native Lucie Mays-Sulewski. 2007 Race results: Joseph Chirlee (Men's Winner), marking the 12 straight year a Kenyan has won the Men's division of the Mini, & Janet Kogo Cherobon (Women's Winner).
Museums
★
Children's Museum of Indianapolis (the largest children's museum in the world)
★
Indianapolis Museum of Art
★
Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum
★
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art
★
Indiana State Museum
★
NCAA Hall of Champions (Hall of Fame for college athletics)
★
James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home
★
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum
★
Conner Prairie (A living history museum)
Other places of interest
★
Butler University
★
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
★
Indianapolis Zoo
★
Garfield Park Conservatory and Sunken Gardens
★
Heslar Naval Armory
★
Holcomb Gardens
★
Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
★
Irvington Historic District
★
Slippery Noodle Inn
★
White River Gardens
Local media
Indianapolis is served by local, regional, and national media.
Economy
Companies
Indianapolis is the international headquarters of the pharmaceutical corporation
Eli Lilly and Company, health insurance provider
Wellpoint, insurance company
American United Life,
ATA Airlines, and real estate companies
Simon Property Group,
Hunt Construction Group,
Finish Line, Inc. and
Duke Realty Corp. The U.S. headquarters of
Roche Diagnostics,
Thomson SA,
Conseco,
Interactive Intelligence,
First Internet Bank of Indiana, and
Dow AgroSciences are also located in Indianapolis. Other major Indianapolis area employers include
Clarian Health,
Sallie Mae,
Cook Group,
Rolls Royce, and
General Motors.
Real Estate
The
National Association of Home Builders and
Wells Fargo ranked Indianapolis the most affordable major housing market in the U.S. for the fourth quarter of 2006.
[6]
Transportation
New Midfield Terminal
Airports
Indianapolis International Airport, identified as IND, is the largest airport in Indiana and serves Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. In addition to a recently completed air traffic control tower, the airport is currently undertaking the building of two large concourses, a new airfield, two new parking garages, and apron improvements. The new terminal is being built with the intent of easing passenger access, and is being constructed between the two existing runways. The old terminal will be demolished after the new terminal opens. The current project is slated for completion in late 2008.
Many air services utilize Indianapolis International.
FedEx, an
Air Freight company, is currently expanding its largest hub in the country located at Indianapolis International. Indianapolis is also a
focus city for
Northwest Airlines.
Highways
Five major Interstates serve the Indianapolis area including
I-70,
I-74,
I-65,
I-69, and the
I-465 Beltway. The
I-865 Connector contains part of U.S. Route
52 and connects
I-65 to
I-465, on the northwest side of Indianapolis. Future interstate plans include possibly extending
I-69 southwest to Evansville.
Major U.S. highways serving the region include U.S. Routes
31,
40,
52,
36,
136, and
421.
Mass transit
Indianapolis's transit provider is the
Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation, also known as IndyGo. The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation was established in 1975 after the city of Indianapolis took over the city's transit system. Before 1997, IndyGo was called Metro.
In 1953, the last streetcars ran in Indianapolis. Trolleybuses made their last run in the city four years later in 1957. Since 1957 Indianapolis has had an all-bus transit system.
Central Indiana Commuter Services (CICS), funded by IndyGo to reduce pollution, serves Indianapolis and surrounding counties.
People mover
The Clarian
people mover connects the
Indiana University School of Medicine,
Riley Hospital for Children,
Wishard Hospital and IUPUI & Indiana University School of Medicine facilities at the north end of the
Downtown Canal with Methodist Hospital. The Clarian People Mover is available for public use. Plans for a more expansive system are being considered that would operate throughout downtown Indianapolis. The existing people mover is sometimes inaccurately described as a
monorail, but in fact rides on dual concrete beams with the guideway being as wide as the vehicle.
Transportation issues
Indianapolis has managed to sustain a "relatively low" amount of traffic congestion for a city its size.
[9] This could be due to its generally flat topography which has allowed for an extensive network of roads and highways, as well as enabling homes and businesses to be decentralized over a larger area. This network might also have been the reason Indianapolis has not further developed its
mass transit system. As the 13th largest city in the U.S., Indianapolis has repeatedly been ranked below 40th in Mass Transit Availability.
Some complaints include
[10]:
★ the
bus-only city mass transit system; the absence of
rapid transit and
light rail.
★ the undue emphasis on
automobile travel in city planning; the lack of
sidewalks and
bike paths.
★ excessive automobile usage resulting in
environmental degradation (specifically
air pollution), as evidenced in the city's often poor
air quality
★ the lack of cross-town bus routes, forcing bus riders to travel downtown to cross from one side of the city to another, often doubling or tripling what the trip distance would have been with a direct route.
★ the "lack of vision" in building a transportation network based entirely on non-
renewable resources and old
technology
★ the paucity of scheduled bus routes, often forcing riders to choose between arriving at a destination extremely early, or late.
★ the lack of night bus services, which forces those who work late shifts to find other ways to get around. These can be much more expensive.
★ the
fiscal costs of building (for instance
liens), repairing, and replacing roads
There are other concerns over a lack of safe walking paths in many areas of the city. Many
suburbs which were
incorporated in the 1960s and 1970s are now relatively near the center of the city, and don’t have sidewalks. This often forces
pedestrians to navigate a narrow
road shoulder near high-speed automobile traffic.
Other facts
Elvis Presley's last public performance was held in the now demolished Market Square Arena on June 26, 1977.
Both
United States Navy ships named
USS ''Indianapolis'' were named for this city.
Indianapolis has been the headquarters of the
Kiwanis International organization since 1982. The organization and its youth-sponsored Kiwanis Family counterparts, Circle K International and Key Club International, administer all their international business and service initiatives from Indianapolis.
ISNA [the Islamic Society of North America], which describes itself as the largest Muslim-American organization in North America, is headquartered in Plainfield, a suburb to the southwest of Indianapolis.
A young
Thomas Edison worked as a
telegraph operator at Indianapolis's Union Station rail depot.
Indianapolis contains the national headquarters for at least 26 fraternities and sororities. Many are congregated in the
College Park area surrounding
The Pyramids.
Indianapolis is the headquarters for all three international Jewish fraternities, Zeta Beta Tau, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and Sigma Alpha Mu. www.zbt.org, www.aepi.org, www.sam.org.
Indianapolis is home to BOA, Bands of America, a nationwide organization of high school marching, concert, and jazz bands, and hosts several BOA events annually.
Indianapolis is now also the international headquarters of Drum Corps International, a professional drum and bugle corps association, and beginning in 2008 will host the DCI World Championships in the new Lucas Oil Stadium.
Indianapolis in popular media
Television
sitcom ''
One Day at a Time'' was set in Indianapolis. The opening credits of the show include a shot of
the Pyramids, a set of three distinctive office buildings located near the north-western edge of the city. The first seasons of ''
Good Morning Miss Bliss'' (later to become ''
Saved by the Bell'') and ''
Thunder Alley'' were set in Indianapolis. The U.S. version of ''
Men Behaving Badly'', and
CBS's 2005 drama ''
Close to Home'' were and are, respectively, also set in Indianapolis. Also, in a darker view, in the television show
Jericho, Indianapolis is one of 23 American cities destroyed by nuclear weapons.
See also
★
History of Indianapolis
★
List of famous people from Indianapolis
★
List of foreign consulates in Indianapolis
Gallery
Sister cities
Indianapolis has five
sister cities, as designated by
Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):
References
1. Population Estimates for the 25 Largest U.S. Cities based on July 1, 2006 Population Estimates
2. Indianapolis, Indiana: Averages. ''National Weather Service''.
3. Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990 (June 1998). ''U.S. Bureau of the Census''.
4. http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/prelim06/t4il_mo.htm
5. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061219/LOCAL/612190411/-1/ZONES04
6. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061231/LOCAL/612310441
7. [3]
8. http://www.ffa.org/indymove/index.htm accessed on October 23, 2006
9. The 2005 Urban Mobility Report
10. [7]
External links
★
★
IndyGov.Org - Official city government website
★
Official Tourist Information
★
Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce
★
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