The Idle
| The Idle | |
|---|---|
 The Idle in 2022 | |
    | |
| Type | Urban park |
| Motto | "The Idle - A Point of View" |
| Location | Fletcher PlaceandFountain Square,Indianapolis |
| Coordinates | 39°45′20″N86°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 | idleindy |
The Idleis a public park overlooking theI-65andI-70interstate interchanges inIndianapolis,Indiana.[3]The park is located right off theIndianapolis Cultural Trailon Virginia Avenue, directly in-between the city'sFletcher PlaceandFountain Squareneighborhoods,[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, acrowdfundingwebsite 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 theFederal Highway Administration,theIndiana 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 formerBush 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 inChicago,Illinois
- High Line,similar project inNew 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.RetrievedFebruary 17,2020.
- ^abcBongiovanni, Domenica (September 12, 2018)."You can now sit and watch highway traffic at this viewing perch by Fountain Square".Indystar.RetrievedFebruary 17,2020.
- ^Mhatre, Amol (October 13, 2019)."The Idle: An oasis in the midst of traffic".CBS Sunday Morning.CBS News.RetrievedFebruary 17,2020.
- ^ab"The Idle".Lonely Planet.RetrievedFebruary 17,2020.
- ^abcd"The Idle, A Point of View".Patronicity.RetrievedFebruary 17,2020.
- ^Fernandez, Megan (May 2, 2017)."A Bizarre Park Called The Idle Is Planned For Downtown".Indianapolis Monthly.RetrievedFebruary 17,2020.
External links
[edit]
- Official website
- "PHOTOS: Park to watch interstate traffic opens near Fountain Square".RTV6 Indianapolis.RetrievedFebruary 17,2020.
- Indianapolis' Idle, an oasis on the interstateonYouTube
