| The Idora neighborhood gets its name from the urban amusement park, Idora Park, previously located in the north-western portion of the neighborhood. The amusement park is what fueled the growth of the neighborhood in the early 20th century. Sadly Idora Park closed in 1984 and was the dealt knell to the Glenwood commercial district serving the neighborhood. Idora Park was eventually converted into a large greenspace connected to Mill Creek Park. After the past decade local philanthropy stepped in to stabilize the housing market through demos and renovations. Plenty of vacant lots remain. Glenwood Avenue has a long way to go before becoming a viable urban district as most of its fabric has been wiped away. I’d also like to see dedicated bike lanes built within the neighborhood. |
URBAN STRENGTHS:
| * Nice Historic architecture * Great Tree Canopy. * Well served with park amenities with Mill Creek Metro park wrapping around the neighborhood’s western edge. * Generally good sidewalk infrastructure but limited up to date ADA curbs. |
URBAN WEAKNESSES:
| * Limited in-fill and what does exist is auto centric commercial along Glenwood. * Good access to Dwtn. * High percentage of family households. * Most of blight is along Glenwood but certainly some missing teeth in the neighborhood. Local leaders seem to have at least stabilized Idora with lots of demos and renovations. * Public Transit access isn’t great. Limited bike infrastructure although there is a nice bike path along Mill Creek parkway. * Pretty low income neighborhood with some middle class households. Not great racial diversity either. Black majority district. * Generally a pretty cheap neighborhood. Some housing in the 100Ks and low 200Ks near Mill Creek. These are larger homes. Rentals options are very limited. * Other than the Lanterns Mill Historic site really not cultural amenities here. Hopefully the Historic Foster Theater gets converted to a live music theater as planned. * Retail amenities limited to some pretty typically low income stores like a gas station, family dollar, dry cleaners, and car mechanics. * No schools within Idora. Closest ones are 2 miles away. |
Evaluating our Urban Communities [with a focus on America] 