indianapolis Tee

The capital and largest city of Indiana with over 790,000 residents in the city limits and an additional 1,000,000 in the metro area. Carmel is perhaps its most well-known suburb and lies just north of the city in Hamilton County. It is the 12th largest US city by population--larger than even San Francisco, Baltimore, Boston, Washington DC, Cleveland or Milwaukee. It's The second largest state capital. It's also the fastest-growing large city and metro area in the Midwest. Derogatory titles like India-no-place or Napt-Town (hence, the last syllables NAPOLIS in its name)no longer apply. It's often called the Crossroads of America, the Cinderella of the Rust Belt, the Amateur Sports Capital or "Indy" as is most common among locals and Hoosiers. It's a basketball crazed town that is divided in loyalty between the Indiana Hoosiers and Purdue Boilermakers. Ignorant Michiganders to the north often call it Indiana, confusing it with its state. Indianapolis is in the midst of a transformation from being a sleepy, industrial, Midwest metropolis to a more vibrant and modern one of today. The city has spent billions of $$ developing its downtown: Circle Center Mall, Conseco Fieldhouse, White River State Park, a new airport and a new Lucas Oil Stadium for the 2007 Super Bowl champs, the NFL's Colts. Its residents suffer from somewhat of an inferiority complex. They often think Indy is the end of all places and is an undesirable hole. This is hardly the truth. Major national media publications have lauded the Indianapolis area for its afforable cost of living, excellent reputation in the arts, a healthy and steadily-growing economy and a growing population. Eli Lilly, a major pharmaceutical manufacturer has its headquarters in the middle of the city and is a well respected Fortune 500 company. All in all, Indianapolis is a damn fine town to live in and has much to be proud of. It's my hometown and I'm damn proud to be from there.