Who We Are
West Indianapolis is an older, working-class, residential neighborhood amid heavy industry located on the near southwest side of the city center. The West Indianapolis neighborhood is bound by the White River on the east, Raymond Street on the south, Holt Road on the west, and the Conrail railroad tracks on the north. These boundaries cover the area of the former Town of West Indianapolis when it was annexed into the City of Indianapolis more than 110 years ago.
The appeal of West Indianapolis is that it is a ‘small town within a big city.’
In 2000, the neighborhood had 10,075 people residing in the neighborhood, but a daytime population nearly twice that of the resident population. The appeal of West Indianapolis is that it is a “small town within a big city.” Like much of the south side of Indianapolis, West Indianapolis has always been a working neighborhood where modest homes were constructed for recent immigrants. The homes were immediately adjacent to factories and shops in which the immigrants worked. This frugality is evident in the small size and simple design of the homes. Waves of immigrants from Germany, Italy, Eastern Europe, and Appalachia settled in the area. The density, affordability, and proximity to employment and transportation continue to attract new immigrants – evidenced by the recent substantial influx of Hispanic residents.
This quality-of-life plan is the compilation of many great ideas and countless hours of hard work. It is meant to capture the energy that this neighborhood has for making this a better place to live, work and play. In this document we present a vision of all the things our neighborhood seeks to accomplish in the coming years, and we specify who, what, when, and where these accomplishments will take place. The planning process—from community building through visioning and action teams—is also captured in this document so that others may replicate our successes. Most importantly this plan is a living guide for neighborhood progress. It will not sit on a shelf, but instead regularly inform the strategic decisions of neighborhood leaders.