Great Indy Neighborhoods

Near Eastside

Just outside the heart of downtown Indianapolis, 20 different neighborhoods with 40,000 residents form a community possessing the spirit and know how to make the Near Eastside a great place to live, work, and play. Connected by shared challenges and goals, these neighborhoods began to work collectively through the Near Eastside Community Organization (NESCO), a volunteer-driven association of active residents, businesses, and property owners. The spirit of the Near Eastside, called “an activist community” by The Indianapolis Star, exists because of its strong sense of history combined with a dedication to community development. This area is bordered by Massachusetts Avenue and 21st Street to the north, the Conrail tracks south of Washington Street to the south, Emerson Ave to the east, and I-65 to the west.

The Near Eastside’s parks, trees, and green spaces are wellsprings of recreation and enjoyment. Residents wish to invite redevelopment while preserving traditional urban design and the rich diversity of people who call this neighborhood home. These residents take pride in the historic character of their neighborhoods. And they continue efforts to keep alive and add to the stories of its residents, schools, churches, business and institutions. They do this to make connections: person to person, place to place, past to present.