It comes as no surprise to regular readers of 4Square266 that Irvington has a slight prostitution problem. A contributing factor with this issue is the availability of cheap no-tell motel rooms at the Indy East Motel and the Skyline Motel. When these establishments are brought up in neighborhood meetings, they are often followed with comments like "I wish we could bulldoze them."
I understand the sentiment, but it saddens me that people would be so quick to dismiss these relics from the pre-interstate days. Once upon a time, these establishments located along the former U.S. 40 served traveling salesmen and vacationing families in route to other places. They were not always seen as the seedy places that they have become. But many of these motels have fallen by the wayside. And many more are disappearing. Just recently, an old motel was torn down near Washington Square Mall to make way for a generic strip mall complete with a Qdoba.
With proper maintenance and creative marketing, these old motels could be rejuvenated and prosperous again. It has been popular for a while to take a Victorian home, fill it with antiques, and run it as a bed and breakfast. Why not take an old motor inn, fill it with 50's era furnishings, shag carpeting, add a tiki-style coffeeshop or bar, and market it as a "historic motor inn." Sounds classy, doesn't it? Couldn't you see this as the next big thing? Anybody want to go into business with me on this one? Or do I sound crazy?
I know I'm not the only crazy one out there. If it pleases the court, some supporting evidence:
Indiana National Road Association
Route 40.net
The Society for Commercial Archaeology
Motel Americana
Googie Architecture Online
Route 66
Roadside America
Roadside Peek
Friday, March 24, 2006
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8 comments:
ah...so THAT'S what they're building out here by the mall...we saw where they had demolished the property but hadn't heard what they were building
That's actually a great idea, I think, being a car guy, I would advertise to classic car owners and the like. They would LOVE to stay in a 50's or 60's era hotel, they travel to car shows and swap meeets, and it would make for great pictures with a lot full of period cars. But maybe the coffee house could be a set up like a small dinner.
Great idea. For some inspiration, check out
Boutique Apartments.
It would be great to turn the Indy East into a US 40 themed hotel.
I think that's a great idea, Jason. Don't forget that you'll need to have Dean Martin playing in the background.
Ah, honey, if only we had all the money in the world...the stuff we could do.
It seems like LA has done a pretty good job maintaining its motor inns. A lot of them are apartments (or maybe I just watch too much tv).
I was reading an article/editorial on hotels in the Indianapolis Business Journal supporting the need for a new large 800-1000 room hotel instead of expanding on an existing hotel. It went on to say that all Indy needs now is a boutique hotel. Could the revamped Indy East fulfill that need???
Probably not, but it's a nice thought.
AMEN! Glad to hear someone else in Indy gives a hoot about the disappearing icons along Indy's former US highways.
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