Meridian Park is a historic neighborhood in the heart of Indianapolis.

I never get tired of exploring Meridian Park! This historic neighborhood is a cozy community just north of downtown Indianapolis, nestled right in the center of the city. Driving through the streets, you can’t help but notice the striking architecture, with beautiful American Foursquare and Arts & Crafts-style homes. Throughout the neighborhood, you’ll come across porch after porch—each unique in its own way. 

My partner and I previously lived in the Old Northside of Indy, and we loved being within walking distance of downtown. So, when we were searching for a house, we knew what we wanted: an older, historic home with a walkable neighborhood and a strong sense of community. Lucky for us, we got that and so much more here in Meridian Park. 

In fact, the house we chose was actually the very first one we toured! Of course, we saw houses in many other neighborhoods, but we just kept coming back to Meridian Park. We couldn’t help but fall in love with its charming character! Every time we’d come, we’d see families playing in their yards, walking their dogs, and riding bikes through the neighborhood. 

With urban connectivity and a caring community, Meridian Park truly is our dream home—and I’m so thankful we moved here! 

Meridian Park is an official Historic Neighborhood. 

One of my favorite things about Meridian Park is the history behind our neighborhood. In the early 20th century, these homes were built to balance family living with modern functionality. All throughout the neighborhood, you’ll find spacious living rooms, beautiful fireplaces, stained glass windows, and welcoming porches. 

That historic architecture reflects the influence of the Craftsman movement, with detailed handiwork and natural materials. The 1919 edition of Encyclopedia America even described our neighborhood as some of the “finest residence streets” in the city. And because our homes have been carefully preserved and restored over the years, you can still admire that beauty today. 

In 1988, residents started documenting our local history and architecture, and their efforts paid off in 2009. Meridian Park was officially added to the National Register of Historic Neighborhoods, and we’re now known as the Historic Meridian Park—or HMP for short! 

After all, we may be a small neighborhood. But all of our residents take pride in the history of our home!

Indiana is the perfect place for travelers!

From Tennessee to Texas, I’ve lived in a lot of places outside Indianapolis, but I’m so glad I chose Indiana to be my homebase. I moved to the Indy region 10 years ago, and back then, I only knew a handful of people here. But over the years, I’ve met people all across the region, made lifelong friends, and found a neighborhood that feels like home. 

I decided to stay in Indianapolis for many reasons, but a big one is that Indiana is perfect for traveling. I mean, we’re called the Crossroads of America for a reason! Whether you’re flying or driving, it’s so easy to get around, see the world, and then come home and relax. 

As a transplant, I still have family in places like Tennessee and Ohio, but that’s just a quick weekend trip from Indy. Every year, I love traveling to National Parks across the country, and there’s nothing like taking a flight from the Indianapolis International Airport. In fact, our airport has been named one of the Best in North America—and it’s less than 20 miles from my house!

But if Indiana is the Crossroads of America, then Meridian Park is basically the Crossroads of Indy! We are right in the center of the city, with lots of convenient ways to get around. 

The Red Line bus route is just two blocks away, which makes it easy to explore places like Fountain Square and Garfield Park. And I can walk or bike to other Indy neighborhoods along the Cultural Trail or the Fall Creek Trail, which connects to the Monon. On a nice day, you’ll often find me biking to Broad Ripple to grab a drink, hit up a coffee shop, or just get a good workout!

Meridian Park hosts fun neighborhood events.

Our neighborhood might be small, but that doesn’t stop us from throwing some amazing parties and get-togethers! 

When we moved to Meridian Park, it was during the middle of the pandemic, so it was a bit difficult to meet our neighbors at first. However, we had some great neighbors who came masked up with donuts, cookies, and holiday treats during Christmas time! 

That’s when we learned about the neighborhood’s monthly book club, and my partner and I jumped on that. We’ve now gone to a handful of book club meetings and even hosted one of our own! It’s been a great way to meet neighbors and learn more about Meridian Park. 

Every season brings new things to do.

One of the first events I participated in was the neighborhood yard sale last May. And it was so much fun to tour the streets and see what everyone was selling! This year, we also joined the annual Alley Clean-Up, where everyone works together to make our home look beautiful. 

Then, we went down to the neighborhood pocket park for the Fall Festival in October. One of my favorite parts of the festival is the annual Chili Cook-Off, where everyone competes to win the coveted golden ladle!

Of course, October’s also the time for spooky Halloween celebrations! Every Hoosier knows that Irvington hosts the biggest Halloween Festival in town, but Meridian Park takes Halloween pretty seriously, too. All of our neighbors stand out in their front lawns with music playing and candy for the kids!

This past Halloween was our first in our new house, and we were so excited to have trick-or-treaters. We were told that a lot of kids come to Meridian Park, so we stocked up on lots of candy as well as some Hippeas and hot chocolate. (Would you believe me if I told you the Hippeas went first?!)

Our neighborhood has also been known to throw a lot of fun annual events. One Meridian Park tradition is the St. Patrick’s Day Porch Crawl, where neighbors celebrate the holiday together with green drinks and shamrock decorations. The Progressive Dinner takes residents from restaurant to restaurant as they indulge in local culinary delights, and the annual Holiday Party is one of my favorite festivities of the year. You might even see an appearance from Santa himself!

Meridian Park is a diverse neighborhood with lots of personality.

When my partner and I first moved in with our two dogs, we knew we wanted a neighborhood with a sense of community. We didn’t know if we’d find that in a bustling urban area like downtown Indianapolis. But we definitely didn’t want a cookie-cutter cul-de-sac with HOAs and all that jazz.

As an Indian American lesbian in a biracial relationship, we also wanted to put down roots in a neighborhood where we felt comfortable and welcomed. And that’s one of the reasons we love Meridian Park: our neighborhood has a very diverse community. You’ll find families that have lived here anywhere between 10 to 50 years, including younger couples like us. After seeing rainbow flags on porches and “Black Lives Matter” signs on front lawns, we knew we picked the right area.

All in all, my partner and I have felt very fortunate to be part of this community. Over the past year, we’ve grown really close to our neighbors—from dinner parties, to dogsitting, to casual “Hey, want to come over for a drink?” texts. And we can’t wait to spend more time with them in the years to come!