Established in 1837, Broad Ripple was originally an independent municipality. It was annexed to the City of Indianapolis in 1922. It currently hosts an active social scene fueled by the near presence of Butler University which is an active incubator ground for new Trixies.
And yes, there is even a left bank to hang out along in Broad Ripple. Take that Paris! Broad Ripple is also gathering place for artists, musicians, Starbucks baristas, cute families, upwardly mobile graduates from major Midwestern Universities, and by extension a well-connected and socially active army of Trixies. Watch your back Greenwich Village!
Both the left and right banks of the Central Canal have their own character, but the southern bank has the majority of the shops and restaurants, with the right bank having the housing that morphed from the old summer cottages. The left bank of the Canal is where busy Trixies can be seen jogging, double parking their SUVs for a quick spin into Starbucks, shopping for cute clothes or dining on grilled salmon and avocado salads at trendy bistros like Midtown Grill or Petite Chou.
An early settler who observed that this location along the White River was the widest in the region and that many crocodiles would attack local monkeys swimming in the waters, creating ripples and foaming eddies in the otherwise placid river, apparently named Broad Ripple. (recent member Kaitlyn Ellsworth Binford believes the Monkey’s Tail bar on Westfield may have been named for this historical curiousity) The monkeys and crocodiles are long gone now due to the typhoid outbreak of 1841, but the name stuck. True story. Things have to be named somehow.
Flash forward to present day Broad Ripple and you will find a little settlement that was once an independent village, but in time was absorbed into the city of Indianapolis.
Today's Broad Ripple is a definite put on the brakes kind of place. The housing off the commercial strip reflects the early history of the village. At one time harried city residents used to come out to Broad Ripple to enjoy a boat ride, amusement rides from a long gone amusement park, and spend time relaxing at some of the summer cottages built by well-off residents of times gone by.
Ask any Trixie you see jogging the Monon Trail or power shopping at Pitaya or Niche, and I'm sure you will probably hear that Broad Ripple is very much a place physically and mentally. Physically, Broad Ripple is on a human scale: it's meant for walking, hanging out in bars, grabbing a quick Starbucks, or zooming through in a BMW on the way north to the Fashion Mall.
If you are more inclined for movement to relieve stress and see the surroundings, the Monon Trail, a former railroad line turned running and biking path, and the Central Canal Towpath can take you through the varied scene of buildings and houses to a green landscape and restful waters. Our Village is connected to the Museum of Art on the southwest boundary and the Indy Arts Center to the north. Trixies are virtually surrounded by art, music, bars, cute little bistros, shopping and coffee shops. What a glorious time to be alive!
You can really argue that Broad Ripple is a work of art itself, constantly evolving as it has for over a hundred and fifty years into some place that can be appreciated by the downtown or suburban sprawl-exhausted road warrior or the family looking for a fun way to spend the day.
That is where the mental part of Broad Ripple comes in. Broad Ripple is very much a reminder of more simple times, but unlike the early settlers, we in the 21st Century get to enjoy all the conveniences and few of the problems. Thank you early settlers for taking care of the ugly problems, like Mud and Malaria, before our arrival! If only you could clean up a few sketchy characters hanging out along the Canal by the Monon Bridge and those pesky meter maids who gave my Mini Cooper a ticket last week!
Come and walk the streets of Broad Ripple Village, grab a Starbucks, steer clear of sketchy types and let your mind relax and expand with the variety, going from a ripple to a wave.
