Indy Ranked Among Nation's Top 10 Downtowns

Indianapolis is ranked No. 3 on Livability.com's list of America’s best downtowns.

The editors cited the city’s variety of local architecture, art lifestyles and things to do.

"Living in downtown Indianapolis, Ind., puts people within walking distance to restaurants, entertainment districts, professional sports venues and parks. More than 50 new projects are slated to be completed in downtown Indianapolis by 2017. Residents gather throughout the year on downtown streets to listen to live music, eat and celebrate at annual events like the Sour + Wild + Funk Fest, Independent Music and Art Festival, and the Strawberry Festival."

Livability.com also crunched some numbers to come up with the rankings.

“For this list of downtowns, editors looked at data including improvement in retail and office vacancy rates, the number of people moving into the area, income growth, unemployment, the ratio of people who live and work in the downtowns, and the overall livability of the city. Considerable weight was given to population growth and the ratio of residents to jobs in a downtown area. Urban center experts suggest these are the most telling signs of how a downtown is doing."

Top 10 Best Downtowns, 2014

1. Fort Worth, Texas
2. Providence, R.I.
3. Indianapolis, Ind.
4. Provo, Utah
5. Alexandria, Va.
6. Frederick, Md.
7. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
8. Bellingham, Wash.
9. Eugene, Ore.
10. Birmingham, Ala.