The Idle - A Point of View

A spot we had the pleasure of visiting during my time in Indy on our morning walk. We took a step "inside" the area and this was a beautiful park exhibit on display. I'm sure any public park is hard to upkeep but I did notice a good amount of graffiti in here. Still definitely worth a visit, especially if you're on a detour for your walk, and a great spot to sit and watch life happen.

Opened in September 2018, this spot is literally a work of art. It is very creative and unique. It is not your traditional park and is located right off of the Cultural Trail. There is free street parking right out front of the entrance to the park. The entrance has quotes carved in wood. Etched in the concrete on the ground of the entrance is a quote from John Lennon that reads, "Sitting Here Watching the Wheels Go Round and Round" from his song Watching the Wheels. The walk from the entrance to the park is about 200 yards or so. The park itself has bright orange seats, that were salvaged from Indy's former Bush Stadium, under a blues triangular canopy that is anchored by wire cages filled with debris from homes that have been torn down. The park overlooks the I-65 and I-70 interchanges.This spot is cool. As could be expected, it is not very quiet, but can be mesmerizing or oddly therapeutic watching traffic go by. I guess kind along the same lines of a white noise machine. It also looks like a nice place to watch the sunset. If you are a neat freak, you may want to bring some stuff to clean off the chairs before you sit there.I really like this place. I do not know how much time you will spend here. I was not there long, but I had somewhere to be. With the right company, I could see someone spending an hour or so there.

Great cities have magnificent urban parks. New York City wouldn't be New York City without Central Park. Locally, Eagle Creek, along with White River and Fort Harrison State Parks, provide thousands of acres of green space and a life of activity: hiking, biking, boating, attending concerts, and visits to the zoo. But, what if there was a park wherein there was little to do? There is. It's called "The Idle - A Point of View," and it's magnificent in its simplicity.Author Virginia Woolf wrote, "It is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top." The frenetic pace of modern life rarely allows us to "just be," and its effects have proven deleterious to our mental and physical health. At The Idle, you needn't a Fitbit, a water bottle, or a credit card; your humanity is the only requirement.The Idle is the brainchild of Tom Battista, a local visionary, business owner, and friend to many. Using private donations, public space, and lots of volunteers, the park was carved from a strip of land between the Fletcher Place and Fountain Square neighborhoods - overlooking Interstates 65 and 70. It was created with the hope of connecting neighbors and inspiring conversation.Without a careful look, The Idle is missed in the hubbub of Virginia Avenue - just as idle moments in life are. Entering the park, you'll wind through a peaceful and lovely path, ensconced by dense (but well-groomed) foliage. In a matter of seconds, the scene changes; the sound of the interstate rises, and three rows of stadium seats, overlooking traffic, emerge. This, dear reader, is where the magic is. The magic is in the sitting; the magic is in the watching; the magic is in the moment when the harried circus of the city flows around you - and you're none but an observer.Be alone. Be a neighbor. Be an observer. Just be at The Idle - A Point of View.

What in the heck did I just visit? This has to be the most bizarre park that I've ever seen, and yet it makes so much sense that it exists in this area. What once was a bare plot of land is now a place to sit (in bright orange stadium seats, mind you) and watch the traffic from I-65 and I-70 whoosh by. And The Idle is not much else beyond that -- a place to sit and watch. But what more do you need? There are very few free outdoor public spaces where you can gather with neighbors or passersby, sit facing one direction, talk (or not talk) and just relax. I grew up in one of the largest cities in the country, but now I live in Indy, and I miss the sound of traffic, the feeling of being surrounded by metal and concrete, and the smell of car exhaust. The Idle satisfies all those big-city needs of mine.But you also feel like you're in Indy, because of course you are, and you are also surrounded by beautiful plants and some artwork as you meander up the path to get to the seating area. There is a cheeky sign at the entrance of The Idle that tells you to enter at your own risk. I mean, I guess you take a risk entering any place you visit (life is full of risks), so in that sense, the sign is correct. But otherwise, The Idle isn't a dangerous place, but instead a surprisingly calm and peaceful space to visit.

I decided to head down to the Fountain Square/Fletcher Place area during a day off yesterday as I wanted to spend some time on the Indianapolis Cultural Trail. As winter in Indy can be kind of challenging in a wheelchair, I also really wanted to pick up the pace on my Yelp reviews for the year. I'd seen "The Idle" before, but hadn't really had a chance to stop and check it out. After reading Britt and Ken N.'s reviews, along with the others, I decided it would be a stop on my day off. This space, which is essentially where I-65/70 intersect, was previously maintained by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and is adjacent to the Indianapolis Cultural Trial. It's the kind of space where you simply don't think to yourself "Let's put a park there," but I'm sure glad that someone did actually say that and put the wheels in motion to make it happen. Essentially, The Idle is a place to slow down and pray, meditate, rest, converse, chill out or do whatever you do (within reason) in the most unusual of places alongside a highway that basically connects Fountain Square, Fletcher Place, Bates-Hendricks, and Holy Rosary neighborhoods. Because the trail is adjacent to the Indianapolis Cultural Trail, it's even remarkably accessible. You'd want to make sure you're actually on the Cultural Trail side - the other side is a bit more hazardous with some weird spots in the sidewalk that could be quite difficult in a wheelchair. The Cultural Trail, on the other hand, features mighty fine accessibility. The foot of the "The Idle" is marked by a John Lennon quote. The pathway into the park is primarily crushed stone, though it's very finely crushed and pretty easy for a wheelchair. That said, there's a slight grade to it so some care is definitely needed. If there's one thing that really threw me off, and I consider it a major negative, it's that in this place that is marked for being still, peaceful, and meditative right near the entry there's this metallic sign that cautions you regarding danger and says "Enter at your own risk." I was like "Um, okay. So, is it safe or not?" I can't exactly meditate if I'm worried about my safety now, can I? I just thought it was really weird and detracted from the overall aura of the place. As has been noted, as you go in you see a series of bench-type settings with various quotes or sayings. It's very nicely designed and serene. You've also got some seating from the old Bush Stadium, a nice touch probably served up by those fine people from People for Urban Progress. However, it's worth noting that this was truly a community effort supported by dozens of area individuals and businesses. I loved this little space - I love it when someone takes an unused urban space and does something creative, beautiful and that truly benefits the community. While I wish they'd do something with that awful "danger" sign, The Idle really is a little oasis set in the perfect location. It was a perfect place to spend some time on my day off!

Fun usage of a space that was otherwise neglected and inactive. I love the way Idle activates a space that would otherwise be seen as a detractor and neighborhood divider (highway crossing splitting Fountain Square, Fletcher Place, Bates Hendricks neighborhoods). Between Idle and the Cultural Trail, the bridge is now a fun and peaceful addition to the area. As someone who used to live a stone's throw from here, this mini overgrown blob of ground would often gather trash and that's about it. Now, you can step into the park for fun reflective quotes of wood benches and enjoy a seat overlooking the crossroads of three highway divisions. The creation of this park stemmed out of the mind of a creative neighbor and business owner who had the vision of "what is and what could be". Cheers to the dreamers bringing life to the unexpected spaces of our city.

I think labeling this as a "park" is going to set a certain expectation in people's mind before they visit this. Please don't think of this as a park, but rather a spot to relax and watch the world pass by. That being said, this place is amazing. It's right off the Cultural Trail with ample parking on Virginia Ave. for you to use if you can't bike/walk/run there. I visited during the sunset hours and it was the perfect place to watch the cars/world pass by and live in the moment, as cliche as that sounds.For them to also turn this place that was once a dump (literally) and turn it into a useful piece of land to peak drivers' and passersby interest, I think that they did a phenomenal job. Again, don't have high expectations, but the quotes and the fun signage is a nice cherry on top for a spot I will find myself coming back to frequently to watch the sunset!

Lol. This is the "park" that has become a national punchline. Come see the natural beauty of the confluence of "rivers" of motor vehicles.There is a little seating area made from repurposed stadium seats. That's about it.

Such a nice spot to sit and take in part of the city. The path has plenty of benches and the main area has two rows of seating. I love the quotes on the benches and the space. This is not really a park but more of a nice seating spot alongside the cultural trail. There are danger signs but I think that is more meant as a joke. Since this is close to downtown, there was a homeless man sleeping in the bushes.

Pretty cool unique spot. Just follow the path from Virginia Ave as it passes over 65/70 and you'll find about 10 or so stadium seats perched with a view of cars racing by. Why is it that watching others scurry past is something calming!?Benches on the path have quotes that make you go hmmmm... A great little Oasis in the city.If you need to park it should be easy as the park is accessible from part of Virginia avenue that has plentiful free street parking!