indianapolis

Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Snack Time

An unfortunate truth about downtown Indianapolis streetscapes is the “missing teeth” in what was once a picture-perfect urban smile. Suburbanization took its toll, particularly in the once-bustling retail districts. One stretch that remained noticeably neglected, even after...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Flying Around the Track

Indy has been abuzz about aviation in the news this past week. First, the ultimately aborted downtown ‘buzz-by’ from a Boeing 747, which featured locally produced Rolls-Royce engines. Second, and perhaps the bigger news, was...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Indy’s Once Favorite Pasta

Shorter and colder days, increase cravings for comfort food. And comfort food means everybody’s favorite carb group: pasta dishes. Unfortunately, Indy doesn’t have ethnically named enclaves like other culture-rich cities. No “Little Italy,” “Little Tokyo,”...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Indy Ghost Stories

As we approach that spookiest of holidays, the subject of haunted places and ghost stories always come up. Whether you are a believer or skeptic, it’s always interesting to reflect on the history and reasoning...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: It’s Fun to Stay

You can certainly see the result of residential growth when driving around downtown Indianapolis and encountering numerous construction sites. All of these new people will certainly need more places to shop, eat, and play. A...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: All’s Fair

August brings about a favorite tradition amongst Hoosiers. Every year nearly one million people descend on the Indiana State Fairgrounds in the capitol city to celebrate the agricultural spirit of the State of Indiana. If...

Posted in: Indianapolis Collected Indianapolis Collected: The Secret in the Old Diary

Charlotte Jane Anderson died 17 years ago. A life-long Indianapolis resident, she left behind a cousin, a house, and a diary that chronicled every day of her life from January 1, 1947 to December 31,...

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Posted in: Sunday Ads Sunday Ads: Indy’s Industrious, Illustrious Illustrators

Let’s set the scene… Indianapolis in the 1890s: Due to recent technological advances in printing, Indianapolis newspapers are suddenly able to efficiently print cartoons and illustrations on every page. These become popular features for entertainment and...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: A Stay off of The Circle

The Harrison Hotel located at Capitol and Market once featured a decorative limestone base and awning to protect guests from the afternoon sun. (Image: Amazon) The fate of a historic building dating back to 1928...

Posted in: In the Park In the Park: Canterbury Park

Passenger rail service was nearly eliminated by the late 1950s or early 1960s. (William H. Bass Photo Collection courtesy of the Indiana Historical Society) Welcome to Canterbury Park! This picturesque 1.7-acre neighborhood park is east of Meridian-Kessler...

Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Pardon my French

Not many would picture fine French dining at a roadside motel as this ad from the 1960s boasted. (Image: Indiana State Library) When Indy residents head out of the city on State Road 67 towards Vincennes,...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: The Greatest of All Time?

Mobil Oil boasts three consecutive victories in this ad, including the 1953 race won by Bill Vukovich. Notice the wooden grandstands and brick front-stretch. (Image: eBay) Memorial Day weekend brings about another exciting edition of...

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Posted in: In the Park In The Park: Forest Manor Park

Welcome to Forest Manor Park, established in 1937 Welcome to Forest Manor Park on Indianapolis’s east side. This 18.8 acre neighborhood park was established in 1937, to meet the needs of families moving out of the...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Congratulations, Seniors!

Manual High School students enjoy a picnic, courtesy of Stark and Wetzel meats. The plant, located as west Ray Street went through a couple of different names after being sold in 1974. In 2004 Hebrew...

Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: The Hoosier Grand Prix

1965 Program (Image: eBay) This weekend, the month of May heats up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For the second straight year, fans will be treated to the Angie’s List Grand Prix as a precursor...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Summertime Cruisin’

Happy May 1st! As spring heads into summer, we start thinking of how to take advantage of the warm weather. Some sixty years ago, area teenagers participated in a deeply-rooted cruising culture as way to...

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Posted in: General Back to the When

38 North Pennsylvania Street Years of Operation: 1932-1997 Notable: Before Office Depot or Staples there was a local leader in office supplies called Stationers. The Ober family-owned company opened in 1933 on North Pennsylvania. Two years...

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Posted in: At Your Leisure At Your Leisure: Last Train to Indy

No passengers can be seen waiting in this 1970 photograph. (Image: Library of Congress) Passing the Romanesque Union Station may create conflicting emotions for some. It is gratifying to see an impressive historic building restored–especially...

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Posted in: In the Park In The Park: Haughville Park

Welcome to Haughville Park! This five-and-a-half acre park on the city’s west side opened in 1922. Located at 520 North Belleview Place, Haughville Park is one of the park system’s most popular family destinations. The...

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Posted in: Misc Mondays Misc. Monday: Indy’s Most Famous Funeral Train

Abraham Lincoln was shot on Good Friday 1865, and died the following morning. For three days, the fallen leader’s remains lay in state in the White House as a vast host of mourners filed past. ...

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