The Idle

The Idle is a public park overlooking the I-65 and I-70 interstate interchanges in Indianapolis, Indiana. The park is located right off the Indianapolis Cultural Trail on Virginia Avenue, directly in-between the city's Fletcher Place and Fountain Square neighborhoods, which themselves are geographically separated by I-65. The concept behind The Idle was conceived in 2013, through the vision of Tom Battista, a local Indianapolis property developer and entrepreneur.

Location

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Nearby Places

Horace Mann Public School No. 13

Horace Mann Public School No. 13 is a historic school building located at Indianapolis, Indiana. It was designed by architect Edwin May and built in 1873. It is a two-story, square plan, Italianate style red brick building. It has an ashlar limestone foundation and a low hipped roof with a central gabled dormer. A boiler house was added to the property in 1918. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. It is located in the Holy Rosary-Danish Church Historic District.

School

Fletcher Place

Fletcher Place is a historic district and neighborhood in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana named after Calvin Fletcher, a prominent local banker, farmer and state senator. The neighborhood is clearly defined by I-70/I-65 to the south and East Street to the west. The northern border of the neighborhood is along South Street, Lord Street, Fletcher Avenue, and Bates Street, depending on specific location. The eastern border of the neighborhood is Virginia Avenue in some places, while it is I-65 in a few spots, and Calvary Street in a few areas. Fletcher Place is surrounded by the Wholesale District to the north, Eli Lilly and Company to the west, Bates-Hendricks neighborhood to the south, and Fountain Square to the east and southeast. Fletcher Place is the home to a few of Indianapolis' keynote restaurants: Bluebeard, Iaria's Italian, Bosphorus Istanbul Cafe, and Dugout Bar. Additionally, Eli Lilly and Company and Anthem have their world headquarters bordering Fletcher Place, making it a magnet neighborhood for Indianapolis' health-care industry professionals.

Landmark Neighbourhood

Holy Rosary–Danish Church Historic District

Holy Rosary–Danish Church Historic District, also known as Fletcher Place II, is a national historic district located at Indianapolis, Indiana. The district encompasses 183 contributing buildings in a predominantly residential section located in the central business district of Indianapolis. It was developed between about 1875 and 1930, and include representative examples of Italianate, Gothic Revival, Tudor Revival, and Renaissance Revival style architecture. Located in the district is the separately listed Horace Mann Public School No. 13. Other notable buildings include the John Kring House, Trinity Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, John Wands House, Henry Homburg House, Samuel Keely House, Maria Wuensch Cottage, and Holy Rosary Catholic Church. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Church Historic Site

G. C. Murphy Building

The G.C. Murphy Building, better known as "The Murphy" or "The Murphy Building", was built in 1884 and is located at 1043 Virginia Avenue in the historic Fountain Square District of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The G.C. Murphy Building was once made up of separate buildings, but was joined in 1951 to become part of the now defunct chain of five and dime stores of the same name. The Murphy Art Center is an arts center located in the G. C. Murphy Building. The Center houses five galleries, 23 artist's studios, a supplier of art materials, an Italian restaurant, an English Pub and a salon/gallery combination. The building is also home to the offices of MOKB Presents and their venue, The HIFI. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to the Fountain Square Commercial Areas Thematic Resources.

Art Museum

Virginia Avenue District

Virginia Avenue District is a national historic district located at Indianapolis, Indiana. The district encompasses 43 contributing buildings and 1 contributing structure in the Fountain Square Commercial Areas of Indianapolis. It developed between about 1871 and 1932, and notable buildings include the Sanders Theater, Southside Wagon and Carriage Works / Saffel Chair Company, Fountain Square Theater, Woessner Building, Granada Theater, Southside Theater, Schreiber Block, Fountain Square State Bank, and Fountain Bank. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.

Bank Historic Site

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It was partially funded through Patronicity, a crowdfunding website which raised $48,462. Through a match, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority had contributed an additional $41,000. Since the park is located on federal highway land, its creation required cooperation between the Federal Highway Administration, the Indiana Department of Transportation, and the Indianapolis Department of Public Works. The park features an accessible limestone trail leading to a viewing platform, which is furnished with seats salvaged from the city's former Bush Stadium. It also features native vegetation, repurposed ash tree benches, as well as informative signage explaining the area's history and concept behind the project.