Historic King Park Apartment Great Fit for Young Professional

After three and a half years of living in a 460 square-foot studio apartment in downtown Indianapolis, Lauralee Stel was ready for a larger living space and a bedroom door.  An additional change in employment meant that continuing to live downtown would shorten her commute and keep her near friends.  She says, "I love being downtown in the middle of the excitement and energy that city living brings."  And, she adds, "I like to see skyscrapers every day."

Lauralee regularly volunteers at the Harrison Center for the Arts and was interested to learn more about its new venture, the City Gallery, when it began. She considered the possibility of home ownership and the City Gallery connected her to INHP (Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership) where she took the first time homeowner training classes they offer. The City Gallery also supplied her with information on community development corporations including St. Clair Place, Southeast Neighborhood Development Corporation and King Park.

At a First Friday event in 2011, City Gallery staff introduced Lauralee to a woman who had recently moved into The Gramse, a newly renovated 1915 apartment building located in King Park, just north of downtown. The neighborhood boasts of tree-lined streets, Martin Luther King Memorial Park, Goose the Market City Yoga, Salon Orange Moon and Transformation Fitness. She says, "I didn't know what I was looking for until I toured The Gramse. They have modern amenities including a dishwasher and washer/dryer unit in each apartment, plus it's within walking distance of friends and I have a beautiful sunroom off of my new bedroom!"

Since moving in and making friends with her new neighbors, Lauralee's newest neighbor is an old friend, Timothy Lofton. "I heard that he was looking for a place, so I told him about City Gallery and The Gramse." Lauralee is one of the City Gallery's "mavens", a neighbor happy to answer questions about Indianapolis urban living and helpful in connecting others to community.