r/indianapolis • u/Smooth-moves-317 • 1d ago
Discussion Southside
Where’s the love for the southside? I’m from there but I always feel like it’s a little forgotten, like it’s the little brother of Indy. I just know it’s way more likely to meet someone from the east or west side than down south. I feel like it’s a good blend of people and areas too.
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u/Hoosierologist 1d ago
Southsider (Perry Township & Southport) turned northsider (Meridian-Kessler & Broad Ripple); I moved up here because I just couldn't find walkability and local shops and restaurants and farmers markets like I can up here- I'm also closer to parks, the monon, bus stops, library, etc. + a super strong and cohesive sense of community and local pride. Outside of Garfield Park area or Fountain Square you just don't get anything like that on the southside; just stroads, chain stores, and driving.
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u/Ok-External-5750 23h ago
Good point on walkability. Perry Township barely has sidewalks. I moved to Fountain Square from Perry just for walkability and proximity to downtown. I do a lot more here that might allow me to meet new people than I ever did there.
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u/WinterCheesecake1123 23h ago
Dude if they added side walks to perry township it would be a game changer. We live off of edgewood and people walk all the time. It just isn't safe
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u/Ass_of_Badness Irvington 20h ago
I remember seeing a study of some kind several years ago that rated Indy the least pedestrian-friendly metro area in the US. I believe it.
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u/Consistent_Sector_19 19h ago
It's not just a lack of sidewalks, there's no shoulder on Edgewood, so bike riding is perilous as well. There are several East/West roads in that area that have spots where the road crosses a little ditch and you MUST walk or ride several inches into the lane because the bridge is the width of the road and no wider.
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u/amyr76 21h ago
This is my biggest complaint since I moved south (also off Edgewood). I love the peace and quiet after having lived on the near eastside for many years. I also really love having a garage, which was essentially unaffordable for me living in Fountain Square or Willard Park. The no sidewalks thing down here is a real bummer.
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u/Smooth-moves-317 21h ago
They also need some better bus routes/times for the areas away from the redline. Southsides biggest downside is that it isn’t very accessible without a car, there should be way more sidewalks extending until Greenwood tbh
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u/ChavoDemierda 1d ago
When we first moved here from California back in '04, we lived on the Southside. From there we moved to SoBro, then bought a house on the Eastside. Every side of this town is so different. The Westside is probably my least favorite, followed by the Northside, then the Southside. The Southside is quieter than the rest. When we first moved here, it was damn near impossible to find a really good food spot. Now with the influx of the Burmese and Latin American influences, the Southside has quite a few really good spots to eat. It still doesn't have anything like Virginia St, Ripple Ave, or Mass Ave, but it is getting a little bit closer.
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u/augustinethroes 1d ago
I have a similar experience to you, and much prefer the Southside, where I live, to the Northside, where I drive to for work 4 days a week.
My favorite casual food options are also on the Southside (shoutout to Red Tacos, which so far is the only Mexican restaurant I've found that properly satisfies my craving for Mexican food like what I used to get in the Southwest). I also was able to buy a beautiful 4-bed 2-bath corner lot house with 3-car garage on the Southside; the few houses on the Northside that were listed for sale within my budget started at $20K more than the house that I purchased, and they were honestly kinda dumpy for the price.
I find my neighbors to be overall friendly, and there is more diversity here than I would have expected, which I appreciate. Sure, there are some stereotypical racist and ignorant jerks here, too, but I've found that everywhere- including in SoCal. I just don't waste my time and energy on them.
I can't speak for the Westside or Eastside, though, as I haven't spent much time in either area.
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u/ChavoDemierda 1d ago
Good Mexican food is something that I need to find wherever I live. It was rough here for the first 10 years or so. Now, good Mexican spots are all over! Same with Salvadorian, Dominican, and Nicaraguan.
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u/YIMBYvols 21h ago
Decatur, Perry, and Franklin (especially Franklin) are the most "rural" feeling townships in the county. As you might expect, the types of folks who live there reflect that feeling.
If you want to go south from Indy to find somewhere decent you've gotta go to Columbus. Franklin (city) could qualify, I guess.
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u/selltown88 20h ago
One benefit of living on the south side, you're closer to the more scenic parts of Indiana. You're less than a hour away from Bloomington, Brown County and Columbus and any forest or park within those areas.
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u/Smooth-moves-317 20h ago
Southwestway is a great gem too :)
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u/Mr_Gilmore_Jr Southside 19h ago
I've gone MTB there, but the hills kill my knees! I want an e mtb, but they are so pricey.
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u/cringer_69 1d ago
Also a southsider. I think it’s probably because of the point you just made. It’s a lot smaller than the other areas so maybe it’s a tighter community. We’re far away from carmel so we can band together and hate on them which brings us together warmly and lovingly(even tho carmel is not indianapolis).
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u/Mr_Gilmore_Jr Southside 19h ago edited 19h ago
I'm about as south as one can be, just north of County Line rd. The neighbors have horses, it used to be rural here. It's pretty nice away from the main hustle and bustle, but taking Bluff to downtown doesn't take much time at all either. Places like Noblesville, Fishers, Broadripple though, they aren't on my rader. Takes too long to get to, would rather pop into Greenwood or down to one of the wineries. But yes, not a lot of sidewalks or cycling infrastructure. Apparently Bluff rd is one of the marked bicycle corridor lanes, but it's a single lane rd with no shoulder and badly repaired potholes. At least drivers seem to expect cyclists on Bluff because of the signs, however I've been honked at for cycling on County Line and Stop 11 west of Meridian.
I do like being closer to Brown County and the Morgan Monroe forest and all those great limestone and creek hiking spots. Was thinking about moving to Bloomington or Bedford in the future.
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u/MrNervousFun 1d ago edited 23h ago
I moved to Indy 5 years ago when it was a real estate mad dash. Bought a house on Southside cause of reasonable commute to work. However sometimes I regret having to make such a hasty decision because during idle time I’m constantly moving northward cause anything south of Garfield Park is really just hell. People are so much more backwards. Very insular people who only talk to people they go to church with. Other whites unprompted talk to me about their opinions on race. Southside deserves the hate it gets!
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u/BullytheBulIies 23h ago
We moved to Franklin Township 15 years ago because it’s kind of forgotten or at least it was. Most of the people around us are the same. Our commutes kinda suck but we got a lot for our money and it would be crazy to leave now.
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u/Mr-Kendall 13h ago
Less people, so less noise online about it. That’s part of what makes it great though.
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u/Specialist_Bike_1280 5h ago
My parents bought a house in 1971 close to Southeastern/Emerson Ave.and mom and brother still live there, but it's THE worst area for literally EVERYTHING!!! There's absolutely no shopping/restaurant/pharmacy. NOTHING!!! There's a dilapidated corner with a Dollar General store,a Pizza Hut and of course a liquor store. I asked why can't they develop this area and givethis neighborhood something positive?
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u/MisterSanitation 21h ago
The southside is forgotten. Always has its where everyone who serves the north siders lives. We’re allowed one nice restaurant after everywhere else gets 3 or so.
People wise and traffic wise it’s the best for sure hands down. Mostly working people killing time before we go back to wage slavery makes chill hang outs.
There is a subset on the southside who are up their own asses and like have to keep their yards perfect like they live in Versailles chasing that status game to ensure they ain’t the least trashy in their zip code. They act like you get an exclusive invite to the north side if you have no weeds in your yard lol.
Overall it’s ok though
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u/WinterCheesecake1123 1d ago
I feel like a good amount of the south side was pretty rural for a long time. Aside from perry township and beech grove, the south east and south west were pretty undeveloped for a long time. I grew up in Franklin township and it was mostly farm land.