Detail of Naplab’s amazing Indianapolis neighborhoods map, 46″ x 48″
Indianapolis is one of those places where you ask where someone is from or where they live, the response is the name of a neighborhood or side of town. Consider this map your personal decoder ring. One of the coolest maps you will ever see of historic and other neighborhoods of Indianapolis by our friends at Naplab – copies are still available.
And while we plan to add more substance to this list in the near future, you may want to start with the Historic Urban Neighborhoods of Indianapolis, a group originally formed under what is now Indiana Landmarks.
We have heard readers say they want to hear more on Indianapolis neighborhoods, so here’s the starting list of Historic Neighborhoods of Indianapolis. Which is your favorite and who has stories to share? Please let us know if we missed any!
Arsenal Heights (Market St. to New York St., between State St. and Oriental St.)
Augusta
Bates-Hendricks (I-70 to E. Beecher St., Madison to I-65)
Beech Grove (Prospect St. to E. Thompson Rd./465, between S. Keystone Ave(until I-65)S. Sherman Dr. and RR tracks/465)
Broad Ripple (White River to Kessler Blvd, between Meridian St. and Evanston Ave.)
Brookside (10th St. to Brookside Pkwy S Dr., between Rural St. and Sherman Dr.)
Butler-Tarkington (Central Canal to 38th St. and Meridian St.)
Chatham-Arch (I-65 to E. Michigan St., between N. East St. and N. College Ave.)
Community Heights (10th Street to 21st Street, between Emerson and Arlington)
Cottage Home (E. 10th St. to E. Michigan St., between RR and Oriental St.)
Crooked Creek
Crown Hill (38th St. to W. 30th St., between Martin Luther King Jr. St. and Meridian St.)
Cumberland (Welland St. to Warehouse Rd., between Meijer Store and Carroll Rd.)
East 10th Street
Emerson Heights(Tenth St. to Michigan St., between Linwood Ave. and Emerson Ave.)
Englewood
Fall Creek Place (23rd St. to Fall Creek Pkwy S. Dr., from Pennsylvania to College)
Fayette Street
Fletcher Place (Louisiana St. to I-65, between East St. and I-70/I-65)
Forest Hills (Northview Ave to Kessler Blvd E. Dr., from the Monon Trail to College Ave.)
Fountain Square (English Ave to Raymond St., between I-70 and S. Keystone Ave.)
Garfield Park (E. Southern Ave. to E. Troy Ave., between Madison Ave. and Shelby St.)
Grace-Tuxedo Park (10th St. to Washington St., between Sherman Dr. and Linwood Ave.)
Haughville (16th St. to Michigan St., between Tibbs Ave. to the White River)
Hawthorne (W. Michigan St. to RR tracks, between N. Tibbs Ave and N. Belmont Ave.)
Herron-Morton Place (16th St. to 22nd St., between Pennsylvania St. and Central Ave.)
Irvington (10th St. to Brookville Rd., between Emerson Ave. and Edmondson Ave.)
Holy Cross (Michigan St. to Washington St., between I-65 and State St to Oriental St.)
Irish Hill (Washington St. to RR tracks near 250 Shelby St., between College Ave. and State St.)
Little Flower (16th St. to 10th St., between Emerson Ave. and Sherman Dr.)
Lockerbie Square (Michigan St. to New York St., between East St. and Davidson St.)
Martindale-Brightwood (30th St. to I-65, from the Monon Trail to Sherman Dr.)
Mass Ave
Meridian Park (30th St. to 34th St., east side of Meridian St. to the west side of New Jersey Street)
Meridian Street (40th St. to Westfield Blvd., from the west side of Pennsylvania St. to the east side of Illinois St.)
Meridian-Highland (White River to W. 16th St., between I-65 and N. Meridian St.)
Meridian-Kessler (38th St. to Kessler Blvd., from the east side of Meridian to the Monon Trail)
New Augusta (W. 71st St. to W. 7rd St., between Georgetown Rd. and Purdy St.)
North Kessler Manor (E. 56th St. to Kessler Blvd. E. Dr, from Keystone Ave. to Rural St.)
North Square (Fletcher Ave. to Virginia and Woodlawn Ave., between Calvary St. and Shelby St.)
Northwest Kessler (W. 48th St. to W. 56th St., from Northland Ave/Melbourne to Kessler Blvd. N. Dr.)
Norwood Place (Southeastern Ave. to Terrace Ave., between RR west of Vandeman Ave. and Sherman Dr.)
Old Mill Park
Old Northside (16th St. to I-65, between Pennsylvania St. and Bellefontaine)
Old Southside
Old Speedway (16th St to 10th St., between Main St. and Winton Ave.)
Oliver Johnson’s Woods (44th St. to 46th St., east side of Central Ave. to west side of College Ave.)
Ransom Place (W. St. Clair to W. 10th St., between Paca St. and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.)
Rocky Ripple (W. 51st St. to W. 54th St., between Riverview Dr. and Canal Blvd)
Southeast (Washington St. to Raymond St., between Madison St. and Keystone, Pleasant Run and Sherman Dr.)
Southport (S. Madison and Southport Rd.)
Springdale (Brookside Pkwy S Dr to 10th St., between N. Jefferson Ave and N. Rural St.)
St. Clair Place (10th St. to E. Michigan St.)
St. Joseph (I-65 to Ft. Wayne Ave., between Pennsylvania St. and Central Ave.)
Stringtown (W. Michigan St. to W. Washington St., between N. Belmont Ave. to N. White River Pkwy.)
Warfleigh (Between the Canal and White River from Riverview Drive to College Ave.)
Watson Park (Fairfield Ave. to 38th St., between Central Ave. and Woodland Ave.)
Wholesale District (Market St. to South St., between Capitol Ave. to Pennsylvania St.)
Williams Creek
Willard Park (East Washington St. to RR tracks, around S. State Ave.)
Windsor Place (East Brookside Ave. to E. 10th St., between Massachusetts Ave. and N. Jefferson Ave.)
Woodruff Place (E. Michigan St. to E. 10th St, east of Arsenal Technical HS)
Don’t forget Bean Creek. A near southside neighborhood east of 65, south of Raymond and north of Troy. it is a tired neighborhood from the teens and 20’s. it is full of many nice cottages and still home to a lot of good blue collar workers and retirees.
I’ve just learned about two neighborhoods on Indy’s north east side – The Meadows and Devington. I didn’t see them on the above list. Warren Buffet was at the new apartment development in The Meadows last September! That’s crazy!
But are those neighborhoods historic? What is the time frame for the bulk of the housing stock?
I grew up between both. Use to go to the Devington shopping center as well as the Medows shopping and bowling. I do believe that Neto’s use to be in the Medows area. Bar owned by ex Pacer.
I grew up in this area on Millersville Dr. My parents built the house there at 3919 Millersville Dr. The area used to be a gravel pit and they filled it in and developed it. There is quite a bit of Indy history in it and most if it I am putting in a book series I am writing but it is from my memories and does have some fiction to it. I was born there in 1953 and lived there until 1970 so I saw all the building and development, civil rights, the real estate practices of blockbusting, and I even shook hands with Robert Kennedy when he came to the Meadows in 1968. Devington was right next to Arlington HS and was our hangout there in HS. I went to School 69 in 1959 and and started fourth grade at school 11. This was prompted by segregation and not because we moved. Dick the Bruiser used to live right behind what would become Netos in the Meadows. It was then called the Stockholm House and was a sort so Swedish smorgasbord restaurant. Devington was probably the most famous when Judge S Hugh Dillon approved busing to integrate IPS. Arlington HS seemed to be the focus of the news coverage for that time and there was a lot of troubling times that spilled through that area from unrest at the time.
Meadows and Devington are the “new” old neighborhoods. Mostly post war 40’s and 50’s houses. Not traditionally considered historic, but over 50 years which would make it eligible for historic registry.
Babe Denny is the current name for the Near Southside neighborhood, not the historic name. It is named after “Edward Bay ‘Babe’ Denny, the manager of Ray St. Center and Miekel Street Park in the 1940’s. He was also one of, if not the first, Black Motorcycle Officers of the Indianapolis Police Department” (http://indiamond6.ulib.iupui.edu:2011/cdm/ref/collection/NOS/id/584).
Hi, Tiffany! I’ve been a resident of the Indianapolis Area for the last 13 years; mostly, in Speedway. I moved out here from the Philadelphia area to be a bit closer to the racing industry.
Being a former resident of SE PA (Southeastern PA), I couldn’t help but notice several years ago the names of several streets on the east side of Indy: LaSalle, Drexel and Temple. Seeing as how these are all universities in Philadelphia, I have often wondered if there was any connection to the city planners who were expanding the east side of Indy along E Washington St.
I’ll keep an eye out for future events that you may be hosting as it would be fun to meet you and pick your brain on days of yore.
– Gar
Hello, great blog!! About 6-weeks ago my husband and I purchased this historic house on Fall Creek Pkway S Dr http://images.indianahistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/P0130&CISOPTR=355&CISOBOX=1&REC=6 I have been trying to find out what neighborhood it is locaetd in ever since! I see on the map that it is “xxx Highlands” but I cannot make it out. It is the tiny neighborhood just above near north and to the left of Fall Creek Place. Might you be able to tell it to me? Thanks so much!!! We are thrilled to be leaving NJ and coming to Indy as soon as we can!
What is the history of the “original Pleasant Run” before the parkway was placed following the creek. From what I have found in the sandor maps is that the property of my house was a tract of land that ran south from Washington street south across pleasant run to the rail road tracks, for a total of 3 acres. this was before Wallace ave was extended to Pleasant run drive. would love to find some history on my house, all we know is the house was built in 1905, the house next door was built for a brother, and the house behind was built for the mother.
Thanks.
Hello! I found this page today and had a great time learning all kinds of things about my new home town. Everything but history of the neighborhood we are now in. We live just south i f Washington and Morris. Would it be possible to get more information about this area please/
Hello, This is my first post here. I was wondering who remembers Brightwood witch was roughly bounded by Rural, Emerson Mass. ave. and 34th street. Also Forest Manor witch was between Sherman Drive,34th street, 46th street and Emerson? Brightwood had a great shopping area on station street between 25th street and Mass ave. There was a bowling ally ( The Moonlight Bowl) A movie theater ( The Dream) also a library Church, 5and10, drug store, hardware store, two banks, post office. Anyone remember anything else. I grew up on Denny Street Between 30th and 28th. Went to grade school at Robert Browning #73. A three story school with basement and gym Kindergarten thru 8th grade at the Southeast corner of 30th and Forest Manor.
So remember those places. Grew up at 28th and Forest Manor. Wish the area would come back. The City needs to start putting money in this neighborhood and a little less in downtown.
Was wondering about the house at 6020 N Moller Rd, Indianapolis, built by William Guion in 1865 . We are rehabbing it and it still has a lot of the original charm. Wondering about the history of it and the Guion family.
Hey, what about Bosart Brown?
And just across the street south from, Bosart Brown Pleasant Run. Both were part of “Irvington ” before the historic district was set.
Hi Tiffany,
I noticed that Warfleigh was mentioned in some other articles on this website as having historic value, I am wondering why it is not listed in this article? What am I missing?
Thanks!
Cathy Babcock
Tiffany,
Sorry, just noticed it. I overlooked as it was not highlighted in red like many of the others. Sorry!
Cathy Babcock
Hi, Cathy.
The neighborhood names that are highlighted in red are hyperlinks to those neighborhoods’ websites. Although Warfleigh does have Warfleigh.net, it is not accessible to the general public without an administrator’s approved. Only the neighborhood sites that anyone can freely visit without a login have links to them, which results in their names turning red.
Sharon
What about Lawrence. The town had an identity even when Ft. Harrison was there. Because in the old days Ft. H was considered out in the Boondocks.
Hi….what about Williams Creek? I didn’t see it on the list. There were seven original homes built there…all of a different ethnicity. I grew up in Williams Creek and used to know which ones they were but have forgotten a couple of them. Most have been bought and changed over the years but there must be some record of the 7 originals.
Thanks
You missed ROBSON-VOORHEES, which is ON the map albeit misspelled. Established circa 1850. Does that make us historic?