I visited Circle Center Mall a couple weeks ago when I was downtown, and figured I'd visit another…read moremall that has been in the news in recent weeks, Lafayette Square. The current management of Lafayette Square claims they're on a path to redevelopment including adding buildings, amenities, and businesses. And they claim they can do it all without tax incentives. So I wanted to stop by and see the progress. All in all, I'd say Lafayette Square is about 70% leased, though it only has one anchor filled and that is a Shopper's World. Compared to Circle Center which is in a central part of town and has a lot more money backing it, I'd say that's pretty good. I didn't take any pictures of this part, but the front part of the mall off of Lafayette Square as well as that specific part of the parking lot probably look better now than they have at all in the past 20 years. As someone who grew up on the northwest side and frequently visited the mall when I was younger, seeing this mall and walking inside bought back a lot of memories. I vividly remember some of the tenants from my youth, and many of the storefronts such as the old bookstore look exactly the same. There is evidence of the mall's former glory days all over, with signs of former tenants that have never been removed, or aging amenities that are still there, but no longer functional. For a fairly dead mall, I'd say it was also fairly clean and I felt safe. There were families with children in the mall, either to grab some food or shop at the several clothing stores. The rest of the property besides the part that faces Lafayette Road though, is in pretty dire condition and I think it'll take a lot of luck to pull off this re-development.

Lafayette Square Mall is a former Simon Mall that was abandoned by the company and over the years…read morehas fallen into something resembling disrepair and a rather sad lack of use. The mall, which is in the area where I grew up, has 1.2 million square feet of shopping space. I'm unclear on just how much of it is actually utilized, but it's definitely not that much. There's 113 acres of land and plenty of parking. There are still signs of the terrific mall it used to be - and, I must say, it's still vastly superior to Washington Square (another Simon abandoned mall). This area is now known as International Marketplace precisely because of the tremendous diversity in terms of residents and businesses. If you can't find ethnic food in this area, you're not actually looking. I believe that Shopper's World is now the only true "big box" store to occupy the mall. The mall has a mixed history in terms of violence, though I'll be honest and say I've never felt unsafe here. That said, even the area I grew up in near 43rd & Moller Road is a much rougher area than it was when I was growing up. The area around Lafayette Square still has a pretty healthy business cycle to it. There's a fairly new Wal-Mart Supercenter not far away. At Home is fairly close by and there are several other major chains within a mile. However, this area really has worked to re-establish itself to celebrate its diversity. The stores in Lafayette Square are mostly independently owned shops now. The same is true for the handful of restaurants. I do believe Philly Cheesesteak is still in here and it's not locally owned. The mall has generally the same layout it used to have, though decor is pretty barebones these days. I used to really love wheeling these wide paths from one end to the other. Growing up, Lafayette Square was my favorite mall. I certainly can't say that anymore, though I think it still has its charm. I believe nearly all of the parking lot businesses are closed now. For a while, a pizza joint was here. Movie theaters existed for a while. Heck, I'm old enough that I remember when there was a photo developing place in the parking lot. Lafayette Square still gets a surprising amount of business. I was by here today and while the anchor spots are empty there were still pockets with quite a few cars and the halls had some definite business. While Finish Line is still listed on their website, I'm pretty sure they left a little while back. Overall, I do think Lafayette Square gets a bit of a bad rap. That said, there's also not a lot of reasons to come here as there's no major national retailers beyond Shoppers World and no major attractions outside the indie shops. While I've always felt safe here, Lafayette Square has definitely had some issues and I'd be hard-pressed to call it family friendly at this point. Still, this place has potential. Here's hoping that one day someone comes in and really uses this space well and it doesn't go the way of Eastgate or Washington Square.

This small shopping plaza site in the hospital district to the northwest of downtown. With all the…read morelocals working nearby, that this plaza is oversubscribed by quick and casual restaurants isn't having problems. It's also near one of the 90 degree bends of I-65 where there are exits to MLK Blvd.. Hardee's, Panda Express, Starbucks, Chipotle, Pizza Hut, Lincoln Square Pancake House, Jimmy John's and my target today, City Barbecue. The only non-food is a Family Dollar and a liquor store. That's a lot of food. The lot is busy and a little tight, but there are enough entrances and exits. And if you can't find a spot immediately next to one restaurant, you're close enough to another. [Review 13513 overall, 832 of 2020.]

We had a positive short and sweet visit here over the weekend. In true TJ Maxx Fashion, we ended up…read morepurchasing a bunch of shit that we didn't need when we first walked in the door. You know, matching fall jackets for the kids and yoga tops from moi. Regardless, this location was well organized and full of all the fun little treasures that you expect to find at TJ Maxx. I was seeing quite a few great items on the women's clearance rack, but fought the urge to fall down that rabbit hole. They're also conveniently located next-door to Burlington, and Ross so whatever you're looking for you can probably find it between one of these three spots.

I recently visited this store for its yellow ticket sale but not much was available…read more This store is not too big but is always well stocked, organized and the staff is generally helpful. Sometimes I find great deals especially on gifts.

Do I let the secret out? This location has a better selection vs what other locations have sold out…read moreof. Even though this location is busy, I do not think it is quite as busy as other locations. Probably the reason why they have a better selection. I would like to see the drive up staff be more friendly. I've had them walk up to my car and not even say a word. After putting the items in my car, I've also had them not say thank you or even acknowledge you. The inside staff is quite different. The ladies at the register are very nice! I have no complaints there. Target has deals and specials every week. Don't forget to download their app and you will see those weekly.

It's a Target! You know what you're getting, for the most part. The one thing that's a little…read morestrange is that there's no desk or counter at the online order pickup area. It's just a corner with a bunch of bags on shelves. You kind of have to stand there in front of all the bags until someone notices you. There was a lot of trash in the parking lot (I pick up trash frequently, so I always notice these things), but fortunately, that didn't extend to the inside of the store. This Target is well organized and clean. It's a pleasant Target to walk around in.

As a tourist visiting for a weekend: having lived in Silver Lake (LA, CA) for a few years and…read morehaving walked around a bit and dined in this area (Fountain Square), I think it's safe to say that this is the or at least one of the hipster areas in the Circle City. The area feels artsy and very pedestrian/bike friendly. The restaurants look nice, but not overly expensive or unapproachable. It's funny because when I visit new cities, I tend to gravitate towards the restaurants in these type of areas. On this trip, I ate at both Milktooth and Bluebeard - both wonderful places to eat. I also had drinks at Four Finger Distillery and Inferno Room. It's located really close to the main downtown Indianapolis area. I actually parked in the area between here and the downtown area when I went to the Colts game on the Sunday I was here.

It has changed from an artsy community to a more heavily food focused area. Not that I am…read morecomplaining. I thoroughly enjoy all sorts of foods. I take my foodie group to this area to dine out a lot. And you can take a nice walk around the area and admire the murals of this area. There are so many, gorgeous and from such talented artists. I often take a stroll before or after dinner to see the murals or peruse through the little shops. One of the big plus points had always been the free parking. Unfortunately it seems to be changing as I have ended up in a couple of paylots lately. I am not amused. So do yourself a favor and double check your parking spot to see if you need to pay.

I still love shopping at Midland antiques. I have been coming here for years. As with any booth…read morestyle antique shop there are good and bad prices. They always have a couple of people working the register and sometimes three on the weekend to make sure everybody gets through the line quickly!

I love this place. Each time I visit, there is something new to see. As a mixed media artist, I am…read moreoften looking for vintage items to use (paper related ephemera). I did also find some jewelry and a couple of purses. The place has everything from vintage or antique furniture (victorian, mid-century etc) to books, wonky art pieces..too much. Service is good and while there aren't a lot of people around in the way of employees, the cashiers are good and there is an area where you can leave things you want to avoid carrying them around. I believe there are people around to help load heavy items, but I'm not sure of those details. Value varies greatly. Some things are very reasonably priced and others seem outrageously expensive to me, but I guess it depends on supply and demand.

We went here over the weekend of NCAA in Indy and I did not realize how much there was to do inside…read morethe convention center for free! They had a 40 yard dash tons of field games places for cool photos. Etc. good & drinks available as well. We had a ton of fun and can't believe we haven't been before!

I come here once a year for Revive Our Hearts Christians Ladies Convention. It's big and nice. I…read morenormally get lost. But folks are nice and help direct me. See you next year.