Lawrence, Indiana, is a vibrant city that feels like home.

Moving to a new city can make you feel like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz—lost, tired, and desperate to go back home. But there’s no need to click your red heels here in Lawrence, Indiana! Just 10 miles northeast of Indianapolis, our city is a vibrant, welcoming community that makes you feel right at home (with no magic necessary.)

Lawrence is one of the four “cities within in city” in Marion County, like Speedway and Beech Grove. Basically, that means our city operates independently from Indianapolis, although we still have representation on the City-County Council. This makes our community the perfect balance between suburban and urban living—with good schools, quiet neighborhoods, and close proximity to everything Indianapolis has to offer. 

Lawrence is also a city with a lot of history. Back in the early 1900s, the U.S. War Department built Fort Benjamin Harrison in Lawrence to serve as a soldier support facility. The Fort stayed operational until 1991, when the land was repurposed for Fort Harrison State Park. But you can still find parts of the decommissioned military base all throughout the city! 

I’m fortunate to both live and work in the heart of the city. Because downtown Lawrence (lovingly called Fort Ben) is packed with history everywhere you turn. From historic army barracks to old mule barns, many buildings from Fort Benjamin have been renovated and transformed into businesses, restaurants, and housing for local residents. These historic buildings give Lawrence a truly unique sense of place that makes it feel like nowhere else in the world. 

Lawrence invests in community spaces that bring people together.

For me, one of the most important things about Lawrence is that it’s a diverse city with a strong sense of community. In fact, Lawrence is known for hosting a wide range of community events and cultural festivals throughout the year.  You can celebrate Latino culture at Fiesta Lawrence, honor Black history at the Juneteenth Jubilee, or simply enjoy the holiday season at Winterfest. 

From outdoor concerts to community movie nights, Lawrence has something exciting to do just about every month of the year. And best of all, these events are the perfect place to meet your neighbors, make new friends, and spend time as a community. 

Despite its small size, Lawrence also offers a variety of amenities for residents of all ages and interests. For starters, the city is loaded with green space, including both Fort Harrison State Park and smaller spaces like the Lawrence Community Park. 

My kids love going to Fort Harrison for hiking and biking. But the park also has a high-end public golf course, a nature center, and beautiful picnic areas that make it a popular destination for locals and visitors alike. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to believe that this beautiful 1,700-acre park is practically in my backyard! 

Another popular place in our community is the Lawrence Civic Plaza. The City of Lawrence hosts many of its community events down at the plaza, including the annual tree lighting and skating rink. But recently, the plaza has become one of the best community gathering places all year round. 

In 2022, Civic Plaza underwent a $1.5 million renovation—and now, a huge wind tree powers the electric outlets around the plaza, which are free for public use. They even built giant sculptures that spell out “Fort Ben” around the wind tree, creating art that doubles as comfortable bench seating. It’s the perfect spot to bring your laptop and work outside on a nice day! 

Lawrence is a cultural destination for art, music, film, and more.

In 2019, Arts for Lawrence received a $5.8 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to create a new cultural campus for the city. This campus was designed to be a hub of creativity, where all forms of art could come together and make culture more accessible for our community. 

Now, the Fort Ben Cultural Campus is a vibrant arts and cultural center with a wide range of programs and events. From Art Summer Camps to Fridays at the Fort, the campus has become a place to celebrate our culture and foster a sense of community. There’s the Amphitheater for concerts and festivals, the Theater at the Fort for plays and films, and tons of public art for residents to explore and enjoy. 

The first major art installation on the campus was the Musical Swings—an interactive piece that demonstrates the power of community collaboration. As everybody swings on the playground, their movement creates beautiful sounds that harmonize and resonate together. 

The cultural campus also features a Visual Art Center that showcases work from local artists in a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpture, and photography. They host regular art exhibitions, community workshops, and lectures from different artists. And if you’re interested in music, you can sign up for classes in every form of dance—from ballet to hip hop!

Then, in 2023, Heartland Film Festival moved their headquarters to the campus, taking over the Historic Sterrett Center building. You can check out film screenings over in Sterrett or hop over to the Theater at the Fort for a variety of productions throughout the year. Between these two destinations, Fort Ben has quickly become a top destination for film buffs and theater lovers in the Indianapolis area.

Our community is turning into a bike-lovers’ paradise.

Lawrence is also a great place to go for a bike ride. Fort Harrison State Park offers miles of paved trails with scenic views and challenging slopes. The park has options for casual riders and die-hard mountain bikers alike, and you can easily connect to the Fall Creek Trail—which runs about 7 miles into the heart of Indianapolis. That means you can bike from downtown Lawrence to downtown Indianapolis almost completely on trails!  

In 2021, the City of Lawrence even created an affordable bike share program called Tour Lawrence, so everyone can hit the trails. These rental bikes are designed to make it easy for you to bike around the city and simply return them to the docking station when you’re done. Bike share riders also get free admission into Fort Harrison State Park, which is the perfect excuse to spend the day at the park. 

Bicycle rentals are currently available near the State Park entrance at the Lawrence Government Center and at the Fort Ben Cultural Campus outside of Heartland Film.

There’s no place like home. There’s no place like Lawrence.

I feel so fortunate to live in a community that truly feels like home. For me, affordability was a big factor when choosing a place to live. Compared to other cities, Lawrence has an exceptionally low cost of living, especially when it comes to housing. There are many affordable options for homebuyers and renters alike, including single-family homes, townhomes, and apartments. 

But I also wanted to make sure my family would have access to all the amenities and opportunities they deserve. As a mother, one of my top priorities is making sure my children receive a high-quality education that prepares them for success in the future. 

Luckily, the Lawrence Township School District is one of the top-performing school systems in the state. Our district includes several award-winning schools that offer a wide range of academic and extracurricular programs. In fact, Forest Glen Elementary has been nationally recognized as a Magnet School of Distinction and a member of the International Spanish Academy by the Education Ministry of Spain.

Best of all, Lawrence is only minutes away from everything the Indy region has to offer. We’re conveniently located near I-465, I-69, and US 36, so it’s easy to get around and travel to other parts of Indiana. With suburban peace and urban convenience, Lawrence truly is the ideal location for people who want the best of both worlds.