Naptown is officially awake. If you have ever visited, worked in, or lived in Indianapolis, you know how much pride there is for our little/big city. Whether it be the Hoosier hospitality, the “just right” size of the downtown, or the copious amount of entertainment destinations, there is something appealing to Indy for a wide variety of people. Just check out Visit Indy’s website, and you’ll see what we mean.

We wanted to share some of our Indy love, coming from staff members who aren’t from here originally.

Sarah Hempstead
Originally from Springfield, Ohio
Lived in Indianapolis for 19 years

“I love several things about Indy: how easy it is to be involved and make a meaningful difference here, the wonderful -caring-energetic- creative people, how accessible everything (and everyone is), my amazing neighborhood (Meridian and Kessler), and our awesome, active, walkable downtown.”

 

Andrew Eckrich
Originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana
Lived in Indianapolis for 3 months

“Lots of post-grads moving to the area and it makes for a fun time in Broad Ripple, on Mass Ave, and Fountain Square.  And all of those areas are connected by bike paths.  I usually call Indianapolis the “Denver of the Midwest” because of the way it’s growing and attracting so many young people.

Folks on the coasts might not understand it, but there’s just something about living in the Midwest.  For example: the ‘thank you’ wave on the road simply doesn’t exist in New York City.”

 

Jessica Seale
Originally from Centerville, Ohio
Lived in Indianapolis for 7 years

“I love that there is always a lot going on downtown or in the neighborhoods adjacent to downtown,  the walkability/bike trails, the affordability, the size of the city (Chicago is a little too big for me, but home is too small)!”

 

Megan Scott
Originally from Chicago suburbs
Lived in Indianapolis for 11 years

“I love the livability. The cost of living is really low, making home ownership affordable. As a small city, we still have ample professional sports, theater, concerts, and other cultural events. And I have yet to find a city with nearly as strong of a food and beverage scene. We have tons of great, local restaurants, along with lots of local breweries and now distilleries are starting to open up.”

 

Eric Graul
Originally from Kansas City, Missouri
Lived in Indianapolis for 6 years

“It’s a long list, but they all stand out compared to other cites I’ve lived in or visited. Very affordable housing, lots of parks, trails, and bicycle friendly roads, wide variety of dining options that would meet the demands of nearly any foodie, wide variety of pro and semi-pro sports in the area, low traffic for a city this size, strong push for community development/redevelopment/revival in many neighborhoods that had previously been depressed.”

 

Jennifer Bremer
Originally from Connecticut
Lived in Indianapolis for 15 years

“Indy is centrally located to easily travel back east or any other direction (the Crossroads of America!); very affordable, but lots to do – arts, festivals, concerts, dining, shopping; easy commute from west side downtown. Specifically also enjoy Speedway too, lots of growth and development on our Main Street and other areas!”

 

Eddie Layton
Originally from Southern Virginia
Lived in Indianapolis for 1 year

“The city is very manageable and not overwhelming, there’s a lot of things to do within close travelling.”

Let us know what you think should be added to our list!