A popular resort area for Indianapolis citizens during the early 1900s, Broad Ripple is still vibrant, as reflected by the eclectic boutiques, galleries, and restaurants in the village business district. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 5 miles. ATTRACTIONS: Broad Ripple Park, Monon Trail, Central Canal Towpath, Indianapolis Art Center. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $232,514.
Butler-Tarkington
Residents of the traditional homes on these tree-lined streets enjoy the shops and eateries at 56th & Illinois and cultural activities at Butler University. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 4 miles. BOUNDARIES: Central Canal, Michigan Road, Meridian and 38th streets, and Westfield Boulevard. ATTRACTIONS: Clowes Memorial Hall, Newfields. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $265,252.
Crow’s Nest
City leaders Eli Lilly and L.S. Ayres once owned homes in this neighborhood, still dotted with large estates and imposing architecture. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 6 miles. BOUNDARIES: 62nd Street, White River, and Lieber Road. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $425,000.
Forest Hills
This picturesque area is known for Tudor Revival cottages on winding roads. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 5 miles. BOUNDARIES: College and Northview avenues, Kessler Boulevard, and the Monon Trail. ATTRACTIONS: Proximity to Broad Ripple and the Monon Trail. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $571,854.
Mapleton-Fall Creek
Once home to Indianapolis’s wealthy, these streets are now lined with bungalows, condos, and the occasional early-20th-century home. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 2 miles. BOUNDARIES: 38th and Meridian streets and Fall Creek Parkway. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $201,215.
Meridian-Kessler
DOWNTOWN:
$290,628.
8 miles. AVERAGE HOME SALE:
Amenities include easy access to I-65, a charming town square, and Franklin College. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 25 miles. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $170,600.
Rocky Ripple
In 1921, the mayor of Indianapolis floated a proposal to turn this area near Central Canal and the White River into a lake. Today, it’s a fairly isolated, quiet middle-class spot. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 5 miles. ATTRACTIONS: Broad Ripple, Clowes Memorial Hall, Newfields. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $174,056.
SoBro
Greenfield
CHECK IT OUT! Wander through a handful of the area’s residences during the 47th annual MeridianKessler Home Tour, June 6–7.
With unique bungalows, modest yards, and plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance, South Broad Ripple is a desirable spot for singles and young couples. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 4 miles. BOUNDARIES: 54th and 49th streets, College and Keystone avenues. ATTRACTIONS: Monon Trail. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $189,297.
Williams Creek
Tudor- and Victorian-style homes and new custom showpieces line the creek and winding lanes of this affluent neighborhood. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 8 miles. BOUNDARIES: College Avenue, Pennsylvania and 81st streets, and Williams Creek. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $693,364.
SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES Avon
Avon has witnessed rapid growth in the last decade and now boasts good schools, attractive parks, custom homes, and a traditional neighborhood development in the Village of Turner Trace. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 10 miles. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $240,351.
Thousands visit the seat of Hancock County for the annual Riley Festival, an ode to Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley, born there in 1849. His birth site sits just down the road from a lively courthouse square. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 25 miles. ATTRACTIONS: Pennsy Trail, James Whitcomb Riley Boyhood Home. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $189,955.
Greenwood
In this southside suburb, new subdivisions are being built alongside homes from the 1960s– 1980s, while commercial expansion prompted by Greenwood Park Mall continues to bring more development. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 14 miles. ATTRACTIONS: Greenwood Park Mall, Freedom Springs Aquatic Center. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $190,003.
Lebanon
The downtown square has seen revitalization in recent years, and is now home to a boardgame store, a distillery, and other charming mom-and-pop spots. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 28 miles. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $170,947.
Noblesville
Here, brick-lined streets lead to quaint boutiques and great independent restaurants, and Ruoff Music Center, which hosts national touring acts, is a destination all summer long. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 24 miles. ATTRACTIONS: Federal Hill Commons, courthouse square. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $275,312.
Plainfield
In one of the Circle City’s oldest neighborhoods, architecture varies from large Colonial, Tudor, and French-inspired homes on the west side to bungalows on the east. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 4 miles. BOUNDARIES: Meridian and 38th streets, Kessler Boulevard, and the Monon Trail. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $337,591.
Brownsburg
This Hendricks County community has more than doubled in size in the last 20 years. It’s replete with housing options, from older ranches and two-story homes to custom and track homes in new developments. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 12 miles. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $231,747.
Plainfield is a popular alternative to northside ’burbs for its schools, parks, proximity to the airport, and diverse housing market. New, midrange homes mingle with historic downtown charmers. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 18 miles. ATTRACTIONS: The Shops at Perry Crossing, Splash Island water park. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $225,555.
Meridian Hills
Carmel
People like Carmel for its easy access to highways, generous supply of upscale shops and restaurants, luxurious houses on wooded lots, top-notch school system, and genuine sense of community. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 13 miles. ATTRACTIONS: Arts & Design District, Midtown, Monon Greenway. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $417,833.
Westfield
Most homes here are less than a decade old and are located in well-planned communities with amenities like golf courses and clubhouses. Grand Park, a 400-acre youth-sports complex, attracts thousands of young athletes and their families year-round. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 20 miles. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $357,919.
Meridian Park
Fishers
Zionsville
Franklin
Average home sale prices based on data compiled by the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors and provided by F.C. Tucker Co. Prices reflect January 1–December 31, 2019.
Exclusive since its development in the 1920s and ’30s, Meridian Hills remains a quiet neighborhood of wealthy families. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 7 miles. BOUNDARIES: 81st and 64th streets, Spring Mill Road, College Avenue, and Williams Creek. ATTRACTIONS: Holliday Park. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $692,260. Large Arts and Crafts homes, some with double lots, distinguish this area. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 2 miles. BOUNDARIES: 30th, 34th, and Pennsylvania streets, and Washington Boulevard. ATTRACTIONS: The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $323,569.
Nora
Nora residents can walk to the Monon Trail and great northside shopping and dining. Classic ranch homes from the 1960s and ’70s sit on generous wooded lots. DISTANCE TO 34
IM | CITY GUIDE 2020
For years, Fishers competed with Carmel as the northside suburb of choice, and its growth continues apace. It’s been named by CNN Money as one of the top places to live in the country. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 17 miles. ATTRACTIONS: Conner Prairie, Topgolf, Ikea, Fishers District. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $237,323. Beautifully restored homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s decorate the main thoroughfares of this small city south of Indy.
This coveted Boone County address offers old and new places to live: pricey Victorians with gorgeous gardens, midcentury ranches, spacious and pastoral horse farms, custom-home communities, and traditional neighborhood developments. DISTANCE TO DOWNTOWN: 16 miles. AVERAGE HOME SALE: $450,053.
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Broad Ripple