Indianapolis's population estimates are out! (Bloomington, Kokomo: crime, how much, gated)

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by missik999

Are you serious?? Austin and Indy are MILES apart. Austin is unique, quirky, smart and spirited. The neighborhoods have character, are vibrant and individual. No cookie cutter vinyl villages, strip malls and chain restaurant domination in Austin.

Austin is full of young professionals, and has the nightlife to prove it. Unique restaurants are everywhere, with many being vegetarian and vegan. In Indy you can have a hard time finding a decent veggie burger.

Austin has been been smartly planned, New Urbanism in action. Neighborhood identity is fiercely protected and cultivated.

Bikes and dogs are everywhere. People in Indy love their cars. In Austin people love their bikes, greenspace, lakes, parks, trails and outdoor activities.

Austin is very green, the direct opposite of Indy.

I understand that you love Indy, but comparing Indy to Austin is not realistic.

For someone like myself who's between the Metroplex and thru Austin and parts of Florida on a regular yes. Uh, Austin's full of cookie cutters just like everywhere else if you get out of the touristy areas. Dogs everywhere, name a city where they're not? For the record, there's nothing unique about any city. As far as how I feel about Indianapolis, since I've never said, you DON'T KNOW how I feel about the city or its people and you'd probably be surprised and/or offended if I told you.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

The cities r pretty comparable as far as nightlife.

You're way out there on this. Austin is the live music capital of the world. Indy has what a city Indy's size can be expected to have.

Originally Posted by normcrok8

I have news for you......the US Government gave the OK to build an I-69 extension all the way to Texas and the project is already long underway. The extension in the Hoosier State WILL happen, and there is nothing the environmrentalists, farmers, tree huggers and rednecks can do to stop it. Modern development ALWAYS wins.

If you dont think interstate extensions help cities grow, then you havent been paying attention. If I am correct...US 40 (the National Road) is what helped Indy grow and develop in the 1800s. The same is true today, because there will be many more people traveling between Indy and Bloomington/Evansville when the interstate is completed, not to mention new businesses developement. Its long overdue because SW Indiana needs development--bad! And if you dont think interstates bring developement and more traffic, just take a very short drive down to County Line Rd near I-65 and C for yourself. The development has been astounding.

You bumped right into the problem. The hippies do not want Bloomington on an Interstate. They'll do everything they can to keep Bloomington special and insulated.

[GregHenry]

Originally Posted by missik999

Are you serious?? Austin and Indy are MILES apart. Austin is unique, quirky, smart and spirited. The neighborhoods have character, are vibrant and individual. No cookie cutter vinyl villages, strip malls and chain restaurant domination in Austin.

No, not really. Austin has almost no identifiable neighborhoods. It's all shopping centers, strip malls and office complexes. I can get a Fuddrucker's in Austin but not Indy.

Austin is full of young professionals, and has the nightlife to prove it. Unique restaurants are everywhere, with many being vegetarian and vegan. In Indy you can have a hard time finding a decent veggie burger.

And when you do find it, you should be beaten. Cities don't gain character, grow, prosper and become worth visiting because of vegan culture. The vegans piggyback on the producing classes and only emerge when there are enough liberals in a population to tolerate them.

Austin has been been smartly planned, New Urbanism in action. Neighborhood identity is fiercely protected and cultivated.

Hardly. It's wide-open subdivision explosion. Don't try to claim it's a warmer Cincinnati. Dropped in the residential areas of Austin, you'd have no idea where you are. I found nothing uniquely Austin, except a bunch of boastful bumper stickers.

Bikes and dogs are everywhere. People in Indy love their cars. In Austin people love their bikes, greenspace, lakes, parks, trails and outdoor activities.

I didn't see this crowd at Bonedaddy's or in Lockhart.

Austin is very green, the direct opposite of Indy.

It's brown, arid and hot, with very short trees. Monroe County is green. Many parts of Indy ae quite green.

I understand that you love Indy, but comparing Indy to Austin is not realistic.

I find Indy much prettier and easier to get around. Austin gets nasty traffic jams, as nobody rides their commuter rail. Houston's interesting. You can keep Austin, San Antonio and Dallas.

[indy18]

Let me clarify that I would rather live in Indy than Austin. But there is certainly nothing in Indy that is as wild as 6th street in Austin.

[missik999]

Originally Posted by indy18

Let me clarify that I would rather live in Indy than Austin. But there is certainly nothing in Indy that is as wild as 6th street in Austin.

I know Austin and San Antonio in a way that few people on this forum do. I used to commute by bicycle between Austin and San Antonio, and between San Antonio and Corpus Christi. I got to know the people, the restaurants, and the neighborhoods very well in a way that most people haven't experienced.

I have also bike commuted between Westfield and Indy, and there is no comparison. I realize that it is popular on this forum to be a cheerleader for Indy, but Indy is not Utopia. I choose to live here and I love Indy but recognize that it lags behind other cities in many ways.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by missik999

I know Austin and San Antonio in a way that few people on this forum do. I used to commute by bicycle between Austin and San Antonio, and between San Antonio and Corpus Christi. I got to know the people, the restaurants, and the neighborhoods very well in a way that most people haven't experienced.

I have also bike commuted between Westfield and Indy, and there is no comparison. I realize that it is popular on this forum to be a cheerleader for Indy, but Indy is not Utopia. I choose to live here and I love Indy but recognize that it lags behind other cities in many ways.

Commute or take a leisurely go at your own pace trip? Big difference between a 12-15 mile bike commute from the Indianapolis' northern border to Westfield southern border as compared to a minimum 55 mile commute between the extreme southern edges of Travis county (not even Austin) and the extreme northern border of Bexar County (hadn't even reached San Antonio at that point) and the 140 miles or so between San Antonio and Corpus Christi and its vast nothingness in between the two.

[missik999]

Originally Posted by msamhunter

Commute or take a leisurely go at your own pace trip? Big difference between a 12-15 mile bike commute from the Indianapolis' northern border to Westfield southern border as compared to a minimum 55 mile commute between the extreme southern edges of Travis county (not even Austin) and the extreme northern border of Bexar County (hadn't even reached San Antonio at that point) and the 140 miles or so between San Antonio and Corpus Christi and its vast nothingness in between the two.

It is 18 or 19 miles from my home to my office in downtown Indy, and I ride extensively through residential areas and neighborhoods in Indy and suburbs as well. Riding a bike you get to know the neighborhoods and people much better than you do just driving in a car.

As for Austin and San Antonio, I have ridden between them as well as through the neighborhoods and around the cities.

If you want to really get to know an area, get out of your car and on a bike. Or talk to cyclists, they are a great resource if you want to know about neighborhoods.

As far as bike-friendly areas around Indy, the north suburbs are very good. Westfield and Carmel are the best. Many businesses in Carmel keep bikes for their employees to ride while running local errands.

Indy in general is not very bike-friendly, unless you enjoy confusing bike lanes down the middle of downtown streets, or bike lanes that are full of glass and trash. Indy drivers don't respect bikes and bike lanes.

The south suburbs are not bike friendly. Greenwood has no bike trails at all. Whiteland has one trail that is 1 1/2 miles.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by missik999

It is 18 or 19 miles from my home to my office in downtown Indy, and I ride extensively through residential areas and neighborhoods in Indy and suburbs as well. Riding a bike you get to know the neighborhoods and people much better than you do just driving in a car.

As for Austin and San Antonio, I have ridden between them as well as through the neighborhoods and around the cities.

If you want to really get to know an area, get out of your car and on a bike. Or talk to cyclists, they are a great resource if you want to know about neighborhoods.

As far as bike-friendly areas around Indy, the north suburbs are very good. Westfield and Carmel are the best. Many businesses in Carmel keep bikes for their employees to ride while running local errands.

Indy in general is not very bike-friendly, unless you enjoy confusing bike lanes down the middle of downtown streets, or bike lanes that are full of glass and trash. Indy drivers don't respect bikes and bike lanes.

The south suburbs are not bike friendly. Greenwood has no bike trails at all. Whiteland has one trail that is 1 1/2 miles.

R u talking about the bike trail between worthsville and stop 18 west of 31? Greenwood major biking area is around valle vista and into craig park. Outside of 31 and maybe smith valley the roads aren't that wide

[SuperTramp1]

Originally Posted by GregHenry

They'll do everything they can to keep Bloomington special and insulated.

Hopefully. Bloomington is easily the best city in Indiana.

As far as city population estimates, does it really matter? For a case study, let's take DC:

CITY POPULATION:
Indianapolis: 829,000
DC: 618,000

Oh, hey, check it out: Indy is clearly way bigger than DC. Long live the king. Let's check out the urban population just to gloat about our greatness.

URBAN POPULATION
Indianapolis: 1.2 million
DC: 4 million

Wait a second -- huh!? How is that possible? Oh, I guess this is why...

PERCENTAGE CITY/URBAN
Indianapolis: 69%
DC: 15%

Look what happens when you switch the proportions:

Population of DC if it took up same proportion of urban area as Indy: 2.76 million
Population of Indy if it took up same proportion of urban area as DC: 180,000

This is why no one except for local planners care about city population. It's laughable to in any way suggest Indianapolis is the 11th largest city in the country.

[msamhunter]

Originally Posted by SuperTramp1

Hopefully. Bloomington is easily the best city in Indiana.

As far as city population estimates, does it really matter? For a case study, let's take DC:

CITY POPULATION:
Indianapolis: 829,000
DC: 618,000

Oh, hey, check it out: Indy is clearly way bigger than DC. Long live the king. Let's check out the urban population just to gloat about our greatness.

URBAN POPULATION
Indianapolis: 1.2 million
DC: 4 million

Wait a second -- huh!? How is that possible? Oh, I guess this is why...

PERCENTAGE CITY/URBAN
Indianapolis: 69%
DC: 15%

Look what happens when you switch the proportions:

Population of DC if it took up same proportion of urban area as Indy: 2.76 million
Population of Indy if it took up same proportion of urban area as DC: 180,000

This is why no one except for local planners care about city population. It's laughable to in any way suggest Indianapolis is the 11th largest city in the country.

A city's boundary is it's boundary. If city limits do not matter then neither does msa since ir is itself an imaginary boundary. Can't have one be valid while trying to ignore the other. Dc is landlocked, indy is land locked. Neither can expand its borders. As i said earlier no one cares about a suburb until that core city has been selected. No one cares about carmel until they have decided on indianapolis. No ine cares about arlington until they have decided on dc. Trying to downplay a core city is a joke in itself since they are the core factors when it comes to locations. I will bet the farm you did not choose your locale because if some suburb.