Ten years ago, Naplab’s map of Indy neighborhoods became a fixture in hipster apartments. But City-County Councilor Jared Evans didn’t want to buy the damn thing until it was fixed. His stomping grounds on the west side were all wrong. He called the map designers, and his criticisms led to an update. Impassioned reactions like Evans’ are how the group finds, and fixes, its mistakes, says Naplab founder Joshua Alexander. The latest version adds markers for more ‘hoods. Here’s to another decade of heated discussions.
Ben Davis Village
City-County Councilor Jared Evans has pushed for map updates on the west side. One of the places missing from earlier versions is this area named after the Vandalia Railroad superintendent who agreed to make the community a stop along the rail.
Bacon’s Swamp
In 1956, three children drowned in a swamp bordering the Bacon family’s farm. Some neighbors apparently blamed the Bacons for not doing more to prevent these deaths, and, in retaliation, began dumping washing machines, refrigerators, and other large appliances into it. Today, it’s a manmade pond.
Bridgeport
While on a trip to survey the National Road, President Martin Van Buren reportedly got stuck in the mud after a rainy day and stayed the night at the Bridgeport Tavern.
Springdale
When residents learned that their unofficial mascot, a centuries-old Chinquapin oak tree, had life-threatening mites in 2014, they raised $8,000 and paid for the treatment to save it. It’s still standing proudly at Temple Avenue and Brookside Parkway – and could be for another 100 years.
Frog Hollow
Or Frog Holler, if you ask anyone who lives around here. They’ll tell you that for more than 40 years, this community has been referred to by the wrong name – by emergency workers, government officials, and the local media. Frog Hollow? The Frog Holler Neighborhood Association begs to differ.
Old Dogpatch
Baby Boomers may recall Dogpatch as the fictional Appalachian town of Li’l Abner. We’re guessing our own is flatter, but we couldn’t find a trace of it documented other than in a private Facebook group.
Originally published in Indianapolis Monthly, 2018. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.