The most beautiful city, perhaps.

[Risa]

perhaps not. but i shouldn't call out m2
in the other thread without going there
myself, right?


Anyway.....

[Risa]

This is Indianapolis. I don't remember any of this.
I never got to see it from this view. This is what gentrification looks like, however. It helped the city. I just wish it had helped more of those it had displaced.

The neighborhoods surrounding the city had a lot of black folks.

That's changed, now, not just because of the influx of Mexicans I've heard about. But what was 'slow' is now 'rapid'.

There was a time, before Mayor Hudnut, when the canal area was in decline. By the time I had left, it was a place to be. It was beautiful. It felt safe. The closest I'd get to it would be when I'd take walks, when I was at business college, or working temp for the city/state, early mornings around 6 or 7 a.m. after getting off the bus... or early midday when the job required me to walk to the historic Madame C.J. Walker building, on the west and north side of downtown proper.

It's very calming in the middle of Indianapolis, just before the rush of people comes in. At least, it used to be.

Any good that's come to Indianapolis, always remember to thank Mayor William Hudnut III.


And the tall building on the left is the Indiana National Bank, i think. That's where the July 4th fireworks displays would be held for free. As the 80s wound down, the displays got less 'wow'. I don't know if the number of 'duds' (midair smoke bombs instead of glittering displays) was the result of rain and weather or cheaping out or what.

Folks started going to White River Park, to sit out on the grass, and watch the radio synchronized show instead. A little better parking. But there was something magnificent about staring up all those stories to the sky. You were lowly, beneath the Indiana National Bank building. You were part of the scenery, at White River.

Are both held anymore?

[Risa]

I remember when the brown building on the right was being built. But I don't remember it's name. It's either a bank or the hyatt.

Is the green building with the antennae Merchants? I don't remember that either.

[Risa]

This is 'The Circle'.

There used to be a really good Steak n Shake on the North corner of the grid, and a couple steps East. Good luck finding a seat at the Mcdonalds, South and mid-east on the same grid. And all night long the cars would cruise up and down Meridian, especially heading up from the Circle to 38th Street and back down. Lot of cops downtown to make sure the kids didn't do something stupid. It wasn't about speed, or hydraulics... just cruising around, and around, and around, until you a) wanted to do something else and b) could ease your way out of the gridlock in the first place.

This is all while and before the Circle Centre Mall was completed, and while and before the revitalization of the grand central station (probably not the right name, but the train station becoming a 'mall', pub magnet and kinda sorta meeting place was before Circle Centre).

What I remember about Grand Central Station, is that once you passed under the overbridge, you were on the southside, and there was *nothing* on the southside except parking and the grayness of industry. It felt dead, where heading north back towards the Circle held color.

[Risa]

I don't remember which way the lady on top of Monument Square (which is in the middle of The Circle) faces. North or South. But she is either north or south.

there are some great carvings in the limestone along the base. at least, there used to be.

there is a little church a couple steps north of the Circle proper, and to the east. The ISO concert series used to be held there. I only went once or twice, part of a school trip. It wasn't as big as I imagined it. But the music was nice.

Further north is the Veterans War Memorial, and to the right (east) of that is the headquarters for the Indianapolis Star and News.. another building which wasn't anything at all how i imagined it. it was so cramped, going inside; it wasn'tthat it wasn't friendly, it was that it wasn't.. there was no room for people. news was support to go out... it was an 'exit only' building, if that makes sense.

the Veterans War Memorial is in a nice size field. If I saw that much green grass in Albuquerque, I'd probably faint from shock.


to the left of the memorial is the old Athletic Club. or the Klan Headquarters, depending on who you ask and what version of Indiana history you're about to get from them -- the 'affluent folks and base of power', or the 'racist folks and base of power'.

they're both the same.


Up a little north (just north of the Vet Memorial field?) is the Indiana Central Library. Brass and marble and the scent of not-lysol *grin*

Unless you were in the children's book section. That was a little warmer. I guess it had to be.

The stacks were a great place to not want to be alone. Very unsafe vibe. Back then. But there was always the audio section you could chill in, instead.

To its left, and a couple steps south is the Scottish Rites building.

I still have no idea who the Scottish Rites folks are; I always got the impression they were like Freemasons and Shriners, but different. Impressive building to a 19 year old.

The Shriner building, by the way, is to the east of all this (or at least, it used to be).



What is the name of the building that had the multi-colored sculptures in front?

[Risa]

this is hinkle. hinkle is part of Butler University.
Yes it is cramped. yes, that makes for great basketball.


bands would practice there. i don't have any personal stories to relate here, that are worth relaying here.

[Risa]

Roslyn's used to be all over the city. But especially downtown, you couldn't miss the big yellow light-bulbed sign with the arrow directing you to yummy pastries and coffee.. just walk east from the Monument until you hit your first (or 2nd? nah first) cross street, and turn north so that your nose was hitting up against the plate glass of the display cases.

It's a misfortune what happened later.

http://www.commonplacebook.com/humor/jokes/roselyn.shtm

The Official Roslyn's Bakery Costume - Halloween 1999
Author Unknown

Editor's Note: For those of you who don't know, Indianapolis' Roslyn Bakeries (well-known local establishments for years) were closed because of the unsanitary conditions of their factory.

You have been chosen to wear the official Roslyn's Bakery costume for Halloween 1999. As an Ex-employee your costume will consist of the following dress code - if you should take on this job, you will be paid minimum wage with all the pies and cookies you can eat free. Thank-you for your interest with Roslyn Bakery.

Sincerely, Jeff Clark

the official costume:
the following items need to be worn daily:

1. (1) white waitress style dress or lab coat.
2.(1) hair net or pill hat with logo.
3. (1) box of roslyn pastries tied up in a white/pink box with attached strings.
4. (1) name tag with employee name and ss# on company logo.
5. (20) rubber toy cockroaches to be clipped on all over entire costume -may substitute rodents if needed.
6. (1) box of rat poison if desired prop is needed.
Thank-you again for shopping at Roslyn's Bakery!

If you'd like more information on becoming an ex-employee of Roslyn's bakery...let's talk. You supply the beverage - I'll bring the yummy pie and droppings!

Equal opportunity employment-includes rodents and bugs.

They had a next-day shop on the east side (black section, not white section) amid all the nicely kept lawns and brick houses of the older black church-going folk. Is the church still there, with the blinding white steeple and red brick?

The next-day bakery (not the proper name) was where you could pick up armloads of cookies and boxed cakes and (the Big One, for me) cheese danishes.

I still haven't come across a bakery that did cheese danishes like Roslyn's did cheese danishes. And you can forget rum cakes. You need thumbprint cookies? don't bother looking elsewhere. wedding cookies? same. Chocolate chip? welcome to nirvana.

with a side of a half pint of chocolate milk (or D, or 2%, skim, whatever you wanted, just open the waist level fridge) to wash it all down with... life was good.

That was the 70s, the 80s, and the very early 90s.


Whatever happened where things deteriorated to the point they did, someone needed to be shot. And if it was always like that, someone needs to be flayed alive.


The one I remember, most, even more than the 2nd day bakery and the historic building (well, at least historic sign), was the one next to Arlington High School, off 38th and Arlington, next to where the Haag's used to be (which became Hook's, which is probably People's or CVS or Walgreen's.. a shame, if only because of the Hook's fountain area at the Indiana State Fairgrounds off 38th and Fall Creek... but even the Snowbird (which was right next to the Fairgrounds, outside of the fencing but beside the train tracks (?) on the west. a great place to watch the rides light up the sky in August, if you couldn't afford to get in.. and that was a lot of times and a lot of people.. and you could find a space. but that was the 70s, way after the segregation days caused that shit in the first place) and the Tee Pee (inside of the Fairgrounds, couldn't miss it.... huge ass Tee Pee on top of the building, east side) both finally succumbed to 'we no longer have a use for you') and Krogers.

They finally turned Haag's/Hook's/People's into some workforce development center. I have no idea what it is now.

But the Roslyn's made a lot of trips that way worthwhile.

Who wanted a cheap ass Kroger's whipped cream cake ( :roll: ) when you could have Roslyn's. Even their icing was different. A lot of people call their icings buttercream, but it just tastes bland.

And now it's gone. Cuz someone fucked up, and couldn't bother to keep it clean.

I'll admit, I thought they made all that stuff in the back of each store, not at some plant. But what do i know.

It's kinda like Subway's saying they make their bread fresh, when all they really do is take frozen dough, spray water over the top, dump some toppings on, and stuff it in the oven.

I miss Roslyn's. the good one. not what it became. It was the White Castle of bakeries.

[Risa]

I have no idea where this was taken,
but this is EXACTLY what albuquerque
downtown is like midday, and it's
exactly the mood along route 66/central,
particularly along the university/nob hill/
old downtown area.

the west isn't.


but wow, this picture sums up the
warmth (light and architecture wise,
at any rate) of Albuquerque perfectly.

damn.

it's to experience shit like this, just
out of the blue, every day, that people
should come to albuquerque.

like walking into a fairy ring, but better.

let's look at the description:

Albuquerque Light
Albuquerque has a wonderful quality of natural light that ranges from sun-splashed days to brilliantly hued sunsets. Almost daily, one can catch a spectacular sunset with velvety blue, pink, orange or red hues dancing across the sky! The richness of the light is also seen in the warm pinkish hues that paint the Sandia Mountains most evenings, especially in the fall and winter months. And, that marvelous light is ours to enjoy regardless of season. Even overcast or rainy days (which are rare occurrences) can lead to spectacular displays of light come sunset.

I believe that living in the presence of great natural light inspires creativity. Perhaps that's why the Albuquerque / Santa Fe area has such a vibrant and diverse creative community of artisans, artists and photographers. They are drawn to the light!

Photo: Alvarado Transportation Center, downtown Albuquerque.

I take it back I guess I have seen this. I just didn't recognize it as this... and frankly, my 'relationship' with ABQRide/SunTran is rather.. belligerant ;)

but yeah. The Alvarado is right next to the Amtrak depot, where they sell panchos and indian blankets and other stuff outdoors open-style, and across the street from the 'new' Century Rio 8 and the Stone Mountain Creamery (which is expensive, but damn, that's a lot of ice cream packed into that 'little' scoop )

[Risa]

wonder if the sun will cooperate today to take some photos... you know that moment in Ladyhawke when Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer see each other for half a second as who they really are?


Remember how beautiful that was?



That's every day, looking east, towards the mountains... but especially 'between the halves' of the day, at sunrise and sunset.


to fully appreciate the west, you have to see when everything is clear, the sun behind you. it's like looking at the bottom of a long dried ocean. gorgeous, and intimidating... it stretches forever.

[PSUFAN]

I guess the emulator broke.

[Derron]

Nice travel monologue.

Reply to your own post much???

As you can see, no one gives a fuck about Indy... is just like any other city downtown full of low life bums and druggies, and the cast of black, brown and white trash.

[Risa]

Nice travel monologue.

Thank you.




and no, psufan. but i did crap on m2.
if i'm going to ask him his stories, i
should give some of mine, right?

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

No. No, you shouldn't.

[Goober McTuber]

Nice travel monologue.

Thank you.




and no, psufan. but i did crap on m2.
if i'm going to ask him his stories, i
should give some of mine, right?

Absolutely.

[Risa]

No. No, you shouldn't.

You don't like my stories?

[PSUFAN]

You could work on being more concise. Miscellaneous rambling works for

...but not for you.

You're just covering too much territory. Maybe you should set a goal for each post, and try to reach it.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

concise

Concur.

[Risa]

[PSUFAN]

Good...much better.

[quacker backer]

your best post ever