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Moving Downtown from the ‘Burbs

Posted by: Sarah Matlock
Posted: August 17, 2015
Categories: Uncategorized

sMatlock_indyCoupleIt was an easy decision, really. We enjoyed the calm and quiet ‘burbs for one full year. Living near Main Street in Carmel, we took Sunday afternoon strolls, signed up for library cards, and sipped on chardonnay at Peace Water Winery. He worked nearby and I walked the dog on the Monon most evenings. Life was calm and quiet and nice.

Then, in early spring, we made our way back downtown to meet friends for a birthday dinner. Suddenly, we were hit with a rush of possibilities. Downtown, couples strolling hand-in-hand were accompanied by a dog on a leash instead of a baby carriage. Downtown, local brews replaced Napa Valley wines. Downtown, coffee shops outnumbered lawn mowers. Downtown, we were at home.

sMatlock_stJoes

We moved downtown at the beginning of the summer, which I’ll always hold is the very best time to move downtown. We take strolls and bike rides on the Cultural Trail. The canal is a perfect 1.5 mile trek from our front door. On quiet nights, we can hear live music streaming from Rathskeller or the cheers from soccer fans at Chatham Tap. We take the dog on a walk and run into grad school comrades or former colleagues or old friends.

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Indeed the very best part of this transition is all the socializing! Living the in ‘burbs, a good 45 minutes from the Circle, we hosted a handful of dinners and one epic Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. Most of the time, however, it was just the dog, the cat, the TV, and the two of us.

Within 48 hours of moving downtown, we had our first guests and it’s been a rotating door ever since. Whether a friend’s heading to a concert in Fountain Square or meeting a date at Bakersfield for drinks, we’re sort of right on the way. It’s incredible.

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Factor in a neighborhood community made of adventure-seekers, good-beer-drinkers, travelers and tinkers, we’re never alone for long.

Three months into this urban living experiment, we’re still learning the ropes. With my waistband and his wallet shrinking, we have finally started paying attention to the dinner specials written on chalkboards by restaurant doors. Grabbing drinks on Mass Ave has turned into inviting friends to join us for grilling out or to watch a rooftop sunset.

sMatlock_dogPark sMatlock_dogMassAve

Then there are the countless resources to find free events around the city, such as First Fridays Art Tours or live music on the patio at Chatterbox or Easley Winery. We almost can’t step outside without stumbling onto a food truck or a pedal bar or a bike race. A person could stop working and sleeping and still not have time to do everything there is to do downtown.

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We do miss a few of our suburban luxuries, like always being a stone’s throw away from a dog park. We miss the abundance of parking spaces and giant trees. We miss the times we thought three minutes of backed up traffic on Main Street was considered rush hour. We miss always being able to see the stars.

Even so, we wouldn’t change it now. Living downtown has a pace and quality of its own that neither of us had experienced before. We still catch ourselves being surprised at how downtown Indianapolis is a “real” city – that many of the sights, sounds, and smells parallel experiences we’ve had in “real” cities, like Chicago or NYC.

sMatlock_dogCanal

When we pass a street performer or jump in an Uber or duck into a corner booth at a packed bistro, we can feel it. We made the right choice to pack up the dog, move into a tiny, concrete-floored studio apartment, and be a part of the action.

In time, we will likely make our way back to a neighborhood with a real yard—maybe Irvington or Midtown. In time, we’ll also contribute more to our 401ks and take our vitamins and clean up messes made by sticky fingers and slobbery kisses. In time, we hope to crave that calm and quiet atmosphere that lends itself to carpooling on family vacations and recommending contractors to the new neighbors who just moved in next door.

For now, we couldn’t be happier. Downtown, we’re surrounded by music, art, food, and friends. Like I said, it was an easy decision, really.

sMatlock_indyDog

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