Indianapolis, IN

Located in the center of the state, Indianapolis is the capital of Indiana, as well as its largest city. With a population of about 800,000, Indianapolis is one of the major economic hubs of the Midwest and is known by many for its sports teams and events. The total population of the nine-county metropolitan area that surrounds the city is more than two million.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

• Designed by architect Alexander Ralston, the city was originally built on a wheel-shaped plan resembling those of Washington, D.C., and Paris, with radiating streets converging on Monument Circle at the city's center.
• Two of these diagonal streets, Virginia and Massachusetts Avenues, became commercial districts known for their flatiron-shaped buildings and diverse ethnic flavor. Today the Massachusetts Avenue and Virginia Avenue Historical Districts are vibrant shopping areas, home to small businesses that have been part of the city for generations as well as theaters, locally owned boutiques, new restaurants, and coffee shops.
• In the 1970s, Indianapolis's downtown suffered from the urban blight common to many cities in the industrial Midwest. The opening of the Circle Centre indoor shopping mall in 1995 gave a needed spark to revitalize the area. Today the neighborhood around Monument Circle is once again the civic and cultural center of the city. Dominated by the dramatic pillar of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, built in 1901 of bronze and native Indiana limestone, the area houses the State Capitol, the Indiana State Museum, and the Indiana Symphony Orchestra. The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is a short walk away.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Built to be the state capital, Indianapolis developed early as a major rail center, attracting industrialists to the city in the nineteenth century. Meatpacking plants, foundries, and automobile manufacturers drove the city's economic development. The automotive industry, and the supporting industries related to it, are long gone, but the city remains an important commercial, financial, and industrial center for the Midwest.

• Much of the city's economy is based on its position as a regional distribution, retail, and medical center.
• Local industries, including international pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company, produce a range of goods, including pharmaceuticals and chemicals, machinery, plastics, wood and paper products, and transportation and electrical equipment.

SPORTS TEAMS

Indianapolis is probably best known as the home of the Indianapolis 500. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909 as a test track for local automobile plants, and the first 500-mile race was held at the Speedway in 1911. Today the Indy 500 draws enormous crowds to Indianapolis at the end of May each year. Since 1994 the Speedway has also hosted the NASCAR Allstate 400, which is NASCAR's most well-attended event. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame is a year-round attraction.

• The city is home to five professional sports teams: the Indianapolis Colts football team, the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever basketball teams, the Indiana Ice hockey team, and the Indianapolis Indians, a professional AAA baseball team affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
• Indianapolis is also the headquarters for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and has become an international center for amateur sports. In addition to the NCAA and its Hall of Champions Museum, Indianapolis is home to the national offices of the National Federation of State High School Associations, USA Gymnastics, USA Diving, U.S. Synchronized Swimming, and USA Track & Field; the National Institute for Fitness and Sport, a not-for-profit center for sports-physiology research; the Major Taylor Velodrome, a world-class bicycle racing track; the Indianapolis Tennis Center; and one of the top Soap Box Derby tracks in the country.
• Indianapolis hosts many national and international sporting events, including the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments; the Indianapolis Tennis Championships, which are part of the U.S. Open series of competitions; and the Circle City Classic, which was originally a football bowl game for African-American colleges and has become a weekend-long showcase for their academic achievements.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Indianapolis is home to several museums and galleries, including:

• The Indianan State Museum, with permanent and changing exhibits, two restaurants and an IMAX theater.
• The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, including artifacts from 10 North American native cultural areas.
• The NCAA Hall of Champions, a hall of fame for NCAA student-athletes.

EDUCATION

Indianapolis offers a wide range of colleges and universities, including:

• Brown Mackie College
• Butler University
• Christian Theological Seminary
• Ivy Tech Community College
• Lincoln Technical Institute
• Marian College
• Martin University
• University of Indianapolis
• Indiana Wesleyan University
• Oakland City University (Indianapolis)
• Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

The Herron School of Art, originally established as a private institution, is now part of Indiana University-Perdue University Indianapolis.

LOCAL MEDIA

A wide range of local, regional, and national media serves Indianapolis, including twenty-six televisions stations and more than thirty radio stations. The nationally syndicated comedy talk show the Bob and Tom Show originates from WFBQ in Indianapolis.

Local publications include:

• The daily newspaper Indianapolis Star
• Four weekly papers: The Topics, the alternative newspaper Nuvo Newsweekly, and papers serving the African-American and Latino populations, Indianapolis Recorder and La Voz de Indiana
• Indy Men's Magazine
• Indianapolis Women's Magazine
• Indianapolis Monthly
• Indianapolis Business Journal
• Inside Indiana Business
• The online arts magazine Branches