Some of my neighbors sitting in my not-Downtown front yard.
What I should have said:
“If by ‘Downtown,’ you mean ‘not Downtown,’ I like it just fine. See, I live just south of 40th St., which is 40 blocks north of the center of Indianapolis. To me, ‘Downtown’ is that part of the city with all the tall buildings and businesses and monuments, which doesn’t really describe where I live; in fact, I live a lot closer to Broad Ripple, but I notice you’re not asking me how I like living in Broad Ripple. I think of ‘Downtown’ as the original Mile Square of Indianapolis. I guess you could extend it to 16th St., maybe 25th St., if you really want to push it the northern boundaries.
“If by ‘Downtown,’ you mean ‘closer to the middle of Indianapolis than I’d ever be willing to live,’ I like it just fine. I know things are scary down here, what with all the people who don’t look exactly like you, men living in sin with other men, lack of cul de sacs, etc. Somehow, we manage; in fact, we’ve found that people who don’t look exactly like us are interesting and make our lives richer. At very least, they exhibit kindness and assholishness in the same proportions and to the same degree as any people anywhere, including the people who live in your even-more-not-Downtown neighborhood.
“If by ‘Downtown,’ you mean ‘where black people live’–which is kinda sorta what I think you mean–I also like it just fine, but I think you’re a racist.”
What I said:
“I like it just fine.”
Awesome. My Greenfield-resident family members lock their car doors as soon as they get off the interstate coming to see me in SoBro. I do the same when going to see them.
My family is the same way. 51st and Primrose ain’t so bad. I told them to get over themselves.
Haha, you’ve got it exactly right; we’re in the same place more or less, we live just south of 38th. I defend the 38th street corridor online every time I see asinine comments about “if you visit that area you get what you deserve”… that kind of thing. For anybody who is watching, this area is making an amazing, an interesting to watch, transformation and re-integration. They’re almost falling over themselves trying to rehab entire (and massive) apartment buildings over on Meridian and 38th, and the racial makeup has quickly become much more evened-out. In a few years I have no doubt you’ll see stories about the “sudden transformation” of this corridor to a new, pleasant, safe neighborhood; but for those of us willing to watch with unbiased eyes, its been going on for years.
….and maybe he simply was asking how you liked living downtown. Geez. What would be your response if he asked ” how are you?” How could you interpret that offensively?
Thanks for reading, everyone.
@Jeff: just striving for clarity here. It’s amazing how many people have asked this question. I’m sure a lot of people who’ve asked me how I like living “Downtown” simply don’t have the same idea I have about what that means. I’m also pretty positive that people who want to know how I like living “Downtown” and then throw in references to drug dealers and ask me if I own a shotgun have something else on their minds.
Funny you didn’t mention the shotgun/drug dealer thing in your article. That would be worthy of some of your well honed smarm, to be sure. However, I think people ask that question in a more truly inquisitive way than you realize. No one would think of living in “downtown” Indy 10 + years ago. Now it is a true alternative for people that crave a “city lifestyle.”
If people are really inquisitive, they should ask people who live Downtown how they like living Downtown. I live in Meridian-Kessler, where we hone our smarm to a high sheen.
Jeff,
I lived downtown 10 years ago, 15 years ago and I loved it. Now I live two blocks south of Ken, across the divide of 38th street, in a beautiful, old neighborhood with lots of really interesting people, mostly families and middle class folks. Our neighborhood meetings are standing room only.
I wish I had people ask me how I liked my neighborhood in code. I have friends/family who’ve referred to my neighborhood as the ghetto or a slum to my face and questioned how we could consider having kids there. Give me well honed smarm any day of the week over that.
You know, people ask me all the time how I like living in a rural area. I don’t assume they mean “How do you like having rednecks burn crosses in your front lawn every Friday evening.”
I suppose it’s possible that some people mean that. But I usually assume they mean more prosaic things like — “How do you like having to drive further to get groceries.” Or “How do you like having terrible roads in the winter.” Or “How do you like having coyotes run through your back yard in the evening.”
Or more likely, they are just making idle conversation based on a small amount of geographic ignorance and the tiny bit of information they have about you.
But, then again I honestly enjoy being randomly judgmental about people – so far be it from me to suggest you are doing the same.
No, I wouldn’t say I’m being randomly judgmental. Actually, I’m a relatively nonjudgmental person.
I really do think most people who’ve asked me this question–and there have been a surprising number–just have a different idea of what “Downtown Indianapolis” is. Which makes it totally a matter of semantics.
And yet, there are also certainly people who mean, “How do you like living near, you know, those people?” These people, as you say, Kit, are racist.
As for the former, I just think it’s funny. It’s like asking me how I like living in Castleton. The real answer is, I don’t know. I don’t live there.
Also, people referring to shotguns and drug dealers are clearly being racist.
Double also, I guarantee there are more firearms within a square mile of where I live than any single square mile anywhere in Indy with the exception (maybe) of Don’s Guns.
kit, i am in agreement with most things you said. I personally would exercise caution when throwing down a “that’s racist” accusation. “Shotguns” and “drug dealers” comments, to me, are simply a socioeconomic stereotype/insult. I have no statistics, but I’m sure there are just as many white drug dealers downtown as black, hispanic, or whatever.
You are making my point, Jeff: there are certainly more white drug dealers, just as there are more white welfare mothers, etc. And no one should casually call anyone else a racist. But if we don’t point out subtle racism, especially between white people who think it’s okay to sling racist innuendo when there are no black people in the room, it’s just going to continue.
I really do live (and work) downtown. People’s reaction to when I tell them are mixed. They are either jealous or respond with some underlying tone that I should be scared to death to live here. I can’t think of another place I would want to live frankly. After living on the north side for several years and working in Hamilton County, there is no way I could live in the suburbs. Keep your cookie cutter houses and I’ll keep having fun in Downtown Indy.