I recently attended Indy Hub’s last Hello Neighbor! tour of the summer and I continue to be surprised by the hidden gems of Indianapolis. The final tour explored Englewood Village, located at East Washington Street and Oxford. We met at Indy Reads on Mass Avenue for a brief chat before hopping on our bikes to our destination!
After a quick ride through a stretch of adorable homes past Dorman Street, we arrived at the Daystar Childcare Center. The Center was previously IPS School 3 and has been transformed to meet the needs of the families living in the Englewood neighborhood.
Before Daystar, many families on welfare had a difficult time registering for childcare for their children due to the requirements of many facilities. A public garden space with a pavilion was the perfect place to hear more about the space from the Englewood community and a representative from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful (KIB). KIB has been integral in the rejuvenation of Englewood and they were on hand to answer questions.
Next, we had the opportunity to explore the rooftop of the Englewood Community Center, which to our surprise, was a hockey field. On the rooftop. You read that correctly and it is as cool as you’re imagining. The Community Center provides all of the hockey equipment so that the children in Englewood have the opportunity to play a sport that would otherwise not be available to them.
After taking in an incredible rooftop view of the neighborhood, we walked a few blocks to 206 North Oxford Street. A representative from the Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (INHP) greeted us at an abandoned home. INHP is a resource for prospective homeowners with low, moderate and middle incomes. Through education and mortgage advising, INHP has helped a countless number of Hoosiers become homeowners in Marion County. The organization serves as a catalyst for creating continual investment in our community.
A few houses down, we met a couple that were kind enough to let us tour their home. The house is home to five people and is a mixed-use space to accommodate various needs. In the next few months they will host a recently released inmate and will help him get back on his feet. They have an immense amount of love for their neighborhood and have done a tremendous job renovating the space. After a brownie, baked by our gracious hosts, we headed to Oxford Place Senior Living Center. The Center will open October 1st and will provide low-income housing for people age 55 and up.
Our last stop of the evening was Pia Urban Café and Market. Owner Maria “Pia” Cartagena welcomed us into the café and let us tour the new stage, which will soon showcase a gallery of artwork. The back of the café is home to Cat Head Press, an art studio with tons of character. The Cat Head Press crew even made us personalized postcards as a commemorative take-away for our bike ride. We gathered our bikes and headed back downtown with a new appreciation for Englewood and the people that make it unique.
Stay tuned for details about the Hello Neighbor tours for 2017!
