The Idle
| The Idle | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Idle in 2022 | |
    | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Motto | "The Idle - A Point of View" |
| Location | Fletcher Place and Fountain Square, Indianapolis |
| Coordinates | 39°45′20″N 86°08′38″W / 39.75556°N 86.14389°W |
| Opened | September 2018 |
| Founder | Tom Battista |
| Operated by | Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc.[1] |
| Cost | $89,462[2] |
| Website | www.idleindy.com |
The Idle is a public park overlooking the I-65 and I-70 interstate interchanges in Indianapolis, Indiana.[3] 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,[4] which themselves are geographically separated by I-65.[5]
The concept behind The Idle was conceived in 2013,[2] through the vision of Tom Battista, a local Indianapolis property developer and entrepreneur.[6] It was partially funded through Patronicity, a crowdfunding website which raised $48,462.[5] Through a match, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority had contributed an additional $41,000.[2] 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.[5]
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.[4] It also features native vegetation, repurposed ash tree benches, as well as informative signage explaining the area's history and concept behind the project.[5]
See also
[edit]- List of parks in Indianapolis
- The 606, urban park in Chicago, Illinois
- High Line, similar project in New York City
References
[edit]- ^ Lynch, Amy (October 1, 2018). "Indy's Newest Urban Green Space is One of a Kind". Visit Indiana. Indiana Office of Tourism Development. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c Bongiovanni, Domenica (September 12, 2018). "You can now sit and watch highway traffic at this viewing perch by Fountain Square". Indystar. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ Mhatre, Amol (October 13, 2019). "The Idle: An oasis in the midst of traffic". CBS Sunday Morning. CBS News. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Idle". Lonely Planet. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ a b c d "The Idle, A Point of View". Patronicity. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- ^ Fernandez, Megan (May 2, 2017). "A Bizarre Park Called The Idle Is Planned For Downtown". Indianapolis Monthly. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
External links
[edit]
- Official website
- "PHOTOS: Park to watch interstate traffic opens near Fountain Square". RTV6 Indianapolis. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- Indianapolis' Idle, an oasis on the interstate on YouTube
