So many positive things in Carmel

By ADAM AASEN

Carmel City Councilor

Decades ago, Carmel was a bedroom community.

It was a very nice city with top-notch schools but it was a place where people lived but not necessarily where they worked or went out for entertainment. Many Carmel residents made the long commute to downtown Indianapolis every day to work and ventured into Marion County often for dinner or a show.

Carmel has grown as a city. We now have more than 100 corporate headquarters within our city limits, offering residents many options for a short work commute. In the last 25 years, our population has increased from 25,000 to more than 100,000. We’ve gone from about 40 acres of park land back then to more than 800 acres today, including amazing recent expansions to the Monon Trail.

Entertainment options have exploded with a flourishing downtown. We have world class cultural and entertainment venues like The Palladium, the acoustically-perfect 1,600-seat concert hall which will host giant names like John Legend and Ben Folds this fall. Residents can take a short drive, walk or bike ride to Midtown Plaza to enjoy a meal at Sun King and watch free movies and sporting events on the large outdoor TV screen in the public plaza. You can even enjoy a romantic staycation at the Hotel Carmichael, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel that overlooks the Monon.

While Carmel has become internationally known for commitment to innovative city design, we still offer the same amenities that make us feel like a small town.

I cherish the times I watch my two-year-old daughter skip through the splash pads at Central Park or dig through the sand at Founders Park.

I love seeing residents gather for the annual Fourth of July parade, one of the best and most attended in the state. Crowds show up for our wonderful fireworks display and CarmelFest event every Independence Day and it just feels like true Americana.

I love seeing longtime residents filling up their plastic water jugs at Flowing Well Park and waiting in line for pancakes at the Carmel Lions Club.

As we continue to grow as a city – which is a good thing – we can’t lose our small town charm.

To me, Carmel offers the best of both worlds: the amenities, entertainment and business of a big city while still offering the community spirit of a small town. It’s why my family chooses to call it home.

City Councilor Adam Aasen (R-SE District) represents southeast Carmel, which is east of Keystone Parkway and north of 96^th Street. The district borders the north along Main Street from Keystone to Gray Road and along 126^th Street from Gray to the eastern city limits.

For more information, you can e-mail him at adamforcarmel@gmail.com or call him at (317) 361-6737.