Sarcasm in the City: A Love Letter to Indianapolis

Dear Downtown,

The whole world loves to share an opinion. Particularly when you’re a young adult with many important decisions left to make -- from your college major to purchasing your first car, to your wedding date, (budget, venue, theme, food, guest list), the size of your future family and the names of all your children. Sometimes these opinions are invited, most of the time they’re not, but that’s okay because they usually come from a good place.

Recently Ron and I have been receiving a lot of opinions on where we’re going to live when we move. Because it’s assumed, we will move. This June, we’ll have been living in the same canal apartment for five years. That shocks many of our friends and family. Financially, renting in the heart of the city is the antithesis of practicality. For all the cash we’ve gleefully shoved down a sewer drain, we could own a (very small) house in the suburbs by now. And who wouldn’t want that?? A plot of fenced-in land and a stack of bricks in a quiet four-star school district outside the treacherous concrete jungle – that’s the American Dream, right?

Both being born and raised in the ‘burbs, that’s what we’d always believed. And to an extent, we still do. Our hearts will always pump out fond memories and pride for our childhood homes. And depending on where Ron lands a job we may very well find ourselves shacking up on a cozy little cul-de-sac in the near future. Where I’m sure we could be very happy, watching our dogs romp around in the backyard, letting our kids ride their big wheels in the driveway, and writing blogs about the bizarre habits of our eccentric neighbors.

But what was once our only vision for the future, is now a distant second. To you.

Naptown.

Circle City.

Indy.

We never saw it coming, our love for you. When we moved into the apartment, we didn’t paint the walls or hang up any artwork because we didn’t think we’d be here long. This wasn’t going to be our home, so it wasn’t worth the effort.

Nearly five years later, the walls are still white. The artwork is still in the closet. (basically we’re lazy) But this IS home. Because when you live in the city, home isn’t where you sleep. It’s in the streets. The value isn’t in a garden, granite countertops, or overwhelming square footage. It’s in the culture -- the grit and glamour that mix and coexist all around you.

We didn’t get that at first. Initially we were annoyed by the inconvenience of the one-way roads, and the sound of sirens wailing all through the night. We felt frustrated by the inherent limitations, like lack of space for a dog or dinner parties.

Yet day by day, our discontent faded. Turned into tolerance. Then like. Then love. Before finally reaching a level of full-on adoration that we can’t ever imagine going dim. You may not have had us at hello, but you complete us, Downtown Indy. Because in a way, you are us. (Or how we like to think of ourselves, anyway.) A scrappy underdog on its way up.

No, you can’t quite compete with the swagger of New York. The shine of Tinsel Town. The history of the Windy City.

Yet.

Genuine, long-lasting respect is earned over time. And in the grand scheme of things, you’re new money. You’ve come a very long way, but you’re still in the process of carving out your own unique identity.

So far though, the steps you’ve taken and the choices you’ve made? Wins. Huge, huge wins.

Upscale restaurants, museums, theatres, and hotels.

The zoo, canal, cultural trail, and parks.

Lucas Oil. Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Victory Field.

Carroll Stadium. The Nat. Indiana/World Skating Academy.

Georgia Street. Circle Center. Monument Circle.

Mass Ave. Fountain Square.

New Condos and Apartments. A growing University.

So new there aren't many pictures of The Alexander
and City Way yet. Also Ron and I can't figure out
how to pronounce "Cerulean" So we just call it
"The Crustacean."

A bad@ss mutha f’n LIBRARY.

And so much more.

Some are old, some are new, all are clean. And friendly. And just as safe, if not more, than any community in the surrounding counties. (Want to debate that? Let’s go. Meet you in the comments.)

We visited many other midwestern cities while traveling in college, for medical residency interviews, and vacations. And each time we returned home to the same conclusion: Nothing compares to you.

No other city inspires us the way you do. 4.5 years into this, and my heart still skips a beat when I turn onto Indiana Avenue and see the skyline on my way home for work. And Ron? He still takes pictures of the sun setting against the cityscape every time he gets a chance.

You’re just right for us. Not too big, not too small. Not obnoxious or pretentious. There’s humility in your hustle, but determination behind each carefully calculated move. You’ve got style and class, Indianapolis. The rest of the world may not recognize it yet, but we do.

So contrary to the opinions of many, we don’t feel we’ve wasted a single penny in our time here. The value in this location far outweighs the price of rent.

At some point, when our funds and credit finally climb high enough to leave rental status, we hope to invest in one of your awesome urban properties. But if that’s not meant to be, and we have to leave, we will pack our bags with gratitude, sweet memories, and sadness.

But not one iota, of regret.

Mad Love,

Ron & Karen