It was a calm and pleasant spring evening—an ideal time to fly the drone and capture the beauty of my neighborhood in Garfield Park in south-central Indianapolis.

There was no better place to begin than the front yard. About fifteen years ago, the previous homeowner planted a Weeping Yoshino Flowering Cherry (Prunus pendula). Since then, it has grown into a mature tree, producing delicate pink blossoms each April. Its annual display brings a vivid burst of color to an otherwise typical neighborhood street, marking the arrival of spring.

Ascending a bit higher, I flew the drone toward the edges of Garfield Park—the oldest city park in Indianapolis. Established in the 1870s, it was formally named in honor of President James A. Garfield following his assassination in 1881. Initially intended as a suburban recreational area, the park gradually became a major cultural and horticultural landmark. In the early 20th century, landscape architect George Edward Kessler redesigned the grounds as part of his broader Park and Boulevard Plan for the city, introducing formal gardens, fountains, a conservatory, and other notable features.

In July 2024, a major renovation project began on the park’s historic Sunken Garden fountains. Funded in part by a $5.5 million investment from the Lilly Endowment, the project includes restoring the century-old fountains and improving the nearby Pagoda. The Friends of Garfield Park have played a key role, raising substantial funds toward their $1.4 million goal. Construction and testing are expected to continue through September 2025.

This restoration represents a joint effort between city officials and community organizations to preserve and revitalize one of Indianapolis’s most treasured public spaces. Today, Garfield Park remains a vital part of the city, celebrated for its historic architecture, art deco features, and commitment to community programming.

I concluded with a final view of Raymond Street, once intended to serve as an east-west expressway cutting through the heart of the neighborhood.

In 1962, city planners proposed the Raymond Street Expressway to connect Weir Cook Municipal Airport (now Indianapolis International Airport) on the west side to Interstate 74 on the east. The plan called for new interchanges, widened roadways, and newly constructed bridges along the corridor. Despite its scope, the project was never fully realized. Some sections of Raymond Street were improved, but the expressway was never fully completed. Today, the road reflects this incomplete vision—part expressway through the Near Southeast and West Indianapolis neighborhoods, and part urban boulevard through Garfield Park. While it connects to the Sam Jones Expressway on the west side, it ends at Southeastern Avenue on the east, falling short of its planned connection to Interstate 74.

There remains an opportunity to reconsider Raymond Street’s role in the urban landscape. Though it carries a substantial volume of traffic, particularly truck traffic, it could evolve into a more unified and community-friendly boulevard rather than a disjointed corridor. With limited funding available for road maintenance on a per-lane-mile basis, the city might benefit from reallocating resources, enhancing the more heavily traveled segments while reimagining underutilized portions for improved public use.

From blooming cherry trees to century-old gardens and dividing roadways, the evening flight offered a layered view of a neighborhood shaped by both history and hope for revitalization.