Friday, August 15, 2008

Bike Life Photos: Street Names on the Sidewalks

I've seen these kinds of sidewalk street markers in a handful of other cities and I've always thought it was a really cool idea. Looks like someone had the same idea in Indianapolis a while ago, though they didn't get very far with it. They're not exactly the same, but for some reason they remind me of old-school, tiled New York subway signs.

All of these signs are in the area around Fall Creek Pkwy. and 24th/25th Sts.
This last photo shows a sidewalk sign in relation to the intersection (strangely, the signs are oriented so you have your back to the street in order to read the street name). You'll also notice another example of those old Indianapolis curbs.

I should mention that I originally noticed these signs while I was on my "Bike Life" experiment last month. It's amazing what you'll notice around this city when you get out of your car.

12 comments:

Jim said...

There's a sign like this on Washington Boulevard at Washington and 42nd or 43rd. But, it reads "Washington Bldv."

CorrND said...

Haha, nice! Maybe I'll have to take a little trip up there to grab a photo to add to my collection.

bhorg said...

Great find!

Donna Sink said...

Yep, Jim: our neighborhood, Warfleigh, has most of the street names imprinted in the first concrete pad of each sidewalk at the intersections. Though I've never noticed the transposed v-d - I'll check this morning as we head to the farmer's market.

Kevin said...

We have this as well, imprinted into the concrete at 55th and Guilford, as well as others around the area. But they do not stand out as much as the ones you pictured. Cool stuff.

Anonymous said...

The tiles were part of the Kessler Park and Boulevard Plan, which was most fully implemented along Fall Creek Parkway. Those wonderful examples near the Old St. Vincent are some of the last survivors in the city.

Donna Sink said...

Checked it out, here at Washington and 63rd it says "WASHINGTON BOUL". A funny shortened version of boulevard, if you ask me!

Anonymous said...

There are other examples of this, including around Garfield Park. One of the best, and they are slowly disappearing, is the old brick posts with concrete ball toppers in the neighborhood south of Garfield. They are about 6 or 7 feet tall and have the street names inset in the brick. Unfortunately many have been hit or have collapsed due to age.

CorrND said...

Thanks for all the responses everybody. I didn't know these were as widespread as they are!

Anon -- do you have a specific intersection where you can see these signs south of Garfield Park? I'd love to go check them out and maybe put up a post here.

John M said...

These are also present in Irvington, on the portion of Pleasant Run Parkway that runs along the southern border of Ellenberger Park. The tiles used in Irvington are identical to those in your photo, and also are in a bit of disrepair.

Anonymous said...

corrND, there are also some of those brick pillars with street-name inserts along 49th, 52nd, 54th, and Kessler between College and Keystone (SoBro), and in Forest Hills; there may be a few in "real" Broad Ripple (north of Kessler from Meridian to Keystone). I've seen a few around Christian Park and Pleasant Run Parkway (east/southeast side), and on Kessler Blvd. North Drive between Lafayette and 56th St.(north/west side). Locations suggest they are features of the Kessler Plan too.

Anonymous said...

I am trying to remember. They are south of Southern Avenue which is the southern border of the park. If I remember, there was one at Nelson and Allen. There were a couple and they are obvious if they are still there.