Cultural What?
I think it’s fair statement to say that I live in a pretty cool part of town; If you know me, you probably know that I live and work in the middle of the Mass Ave “Cultural District” in downtown Indianapolis. I’m not sure how they define the neighborhood, or even what a cultural district is, but I’m pretty sure I’m in it. Within walking distance (I define walking distance as a 7 minute stroll) are several great restaurants, pubs, and shops. With a bicycle, the whole of downtown is mine to be had. Even better, I am quite literally 1 block from the best music venue in the city.
Pretty great, right? Sometimes.
Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger
I’ve grown up with a bigger city at heart. At one point it was NYC; it’s been Chicago, Seattle, Portland. Even the Stockholmss and Lucernes of the world have made the list. Regardless, I have always longed for something bigger, better, cooler. The fact that I always have something “better” in mind means that I’ve often not given Indianapolis a fair shake. I’ve lamented the lackluster music scene, the what’s-a-sidewalk?-spread-out-ness of the city-county, the fuck-your-environment-I’m-driving-to-work public transportation, and the lack of pedestrian life.
What Do You Want to Do?
At the same time, I wonder what a larger city might offer that I would even take advantage of. Aside from more varied (or well known) professional opportunities, I’m not sure what. Save for a good rock show, I’m not much into night life. I like a good restaurant for sure, but I much prefer to cook for myself. I get all of my news and mediated entertainment through the web 1. I love a good movie theatre experience; But like most things, even that is cheaper and probably easier here than in a bigger city. And except for one major exception, the shopping isn’t half bad either.
Happy
The one really great thing about Indianapolis has nothing to do with amenities, population, or public services. It’s that most of the people I want to be around are here. That’s what probably keeps most people where they are, I would suspect.
And I guess that’ll do for now.
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