The renovated 10-block Canal Walk provides a picturesque backdrop for the Indianapolis cityscape. A portion of the Central Canal runs through White River State Park. Attractions in the park include the Indianapolis Zoo, White River Gardens, and Victory Field. Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association.

David Letterman once made his home in the Crossroads of America. “Two things I’ve noticed about Indianapolis,” he now says of his former hometown, “whenever you go back: The people are nicer — automatically nicer — and the food is better.”

There have been a few other changes since Letterman moved on to the Big Apple. In recent years, Indianapolis has undergone a vibrant renaissance. In addition to an abundance of friendly Midwestern charm, the nation’s 12th largest city now offers a sophisticated mix of cultural amenities, championship sports, and exciting nursing opportunities.

Completed in 1888 and built of Indiana limestone, the Renaissance Revival-style Indiana Capitol has been the center of Indiana state government for more than 100 years. Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association.

On duty

Ernest C. Klein Jr., RN, CAE, executive director of the Indiana State Nurses Association has a lot to say about Indianapolis. And it’s all good, even when it comes to the national nursing shortage. “Indianapolis has been luckier than either coast,” he reports.

“Visitors are pleasantly surprised the first time they visit Indianapolis,” Klein says. He thinks most visitors expect to find cornfields and a racetrack. “We have both,” he admits, but quickly goes on to point out that Indianapolis is also home to top hospitals, extensive educational opportunities, and first-rate research facilities.

The city serves as headquarters for both the Indiana University (IU) School of Nursing and the IU School of Medicine. Plus, new hospitals are being developed around the periphery of the city to serve the needs of a growing suburban population. Specialty hospitals are springing up, too, Klein reports, particularly in the areas of cardiac care and orthopedics. An abundance of educational opportunities, including graduate programs in nursing at IU and the state’s only program in midwifery at the private University of Indianapolis, provide abundant opportunities for part-time faculty. “It’s a very dynamic, growing city,” Klein says.

A city so full of life certainly deserves a first-class hospital — Indianapolis has three. Methodist, Riley, and Indiana University hospitals, which merged in 1997 to form Clarian Health Partners, consistently rank among the nation’s best hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report.

This is the racing capital of the world thanks to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. Indiana State Tourism.

This year, the six clinical programs at Clarian Health Partners that were ranked among the top 50 in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report are: digestive disorders (12th); urology (15th); cancer (27th); orthopedics (37th); kidney disease (38th); and ear, nose, and throat (44th). But, since 1910, when the first motorized ambulance sped patients from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis’ Clarian Health hospitals have been distinguishing themselves in a variety of ways.

The James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children opened in 1924. Eleven years later, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the hospital’s hydrotherapeutic pool for polio patients. In 1971, Riley Hospital opened Indiana’s only pediatric burn unit. The state’s only children’s cancer center, with 28 beds and a nine-bed stem cell transplant unit, opened there in 1994.

In 1922, Eli Lilly and Methodist Hospital jointly developed the insulin used for treatment of diabetes. In 1964, the first kidney transplant in Indiana was performed at IU Hospital. The following year, the first open heart surgery in the state was performed at Methodist. Many other “firsts” in medicine, including Indiana’s first liver, heart, and bone marrow transplants were performed at Clarian Health hospitals.

Today, Child Magazine ranks Riley Hospital for Children among the nation’s top 20 hospitals. Clarian Health hospitals are also home to Indiana’s only positron emission tomography (PET) scanner. And, for the past six consecutive years, Clarian Health Partners have earned the Arbor Award for Exceeding Patient Expectations.

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is one of the main draws of White River State Park. Indiana State Tourism.

Off duty

“If you haven’t been to Indy,” Frequent Flyer magazine reported in June, “you think you’re coming to a small city surrounded by cornfields. . . . But Indianapolis is a city that is elegant in its layout, sophisticated in its dining options, and full of unusual activities in your off hours . . . .”

Indiana’s capital is home to the largest children’s museum in the world, the largest water clock in North America, and one of the largest Kiwanis clubs in the world. It is also home to the Indiana Repertory Theatre and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, which delight audiences year round.

Old stethoscopes, X-ray machines, ophthalmoscopes, lab equipment, and other medical artifacts are on display at the Indiana Medical History Museum in west Indianapolis. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has designated the museum and the Old Pathology Building of the former Central State Hospital where it is housed as an Official Project of Save America’s Treasures.

The Crossroads of America is also the racing capital of the world, with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosting the two largest single-day sporting events on the planet: the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, as well as the largest Formula One race in the world, the United States Grand Prix. Indianapolis also boasts professional teams in every major sport, including the National Football League’s Colts and the National Basketball Association’s Pacers. ESPN.com recently ranked the city as the most successful professional sports city in the nation.

If you’re looking to learn as you take in the city, head to White River State Park, a showcase of cultural, educational, and recreational offerings nestled in the heart of town. The park bristles with activity thanks to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art; the Indianapolis Zoo, the nation’s only accredited combined zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden; the Indiana State Museum; and an IMAX theater.

The Indiana State Museum is a state-of-the-art facility located in the heart of downtown in White River State Park. The museum is a showplace for Indiana’s cultural and natural history. Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association.

Although undeniably entertaining, the diversity of the city’s attractions is also evidence of a serious commitment to art and culture. “New museums are opening and old ones are being renovated or expanded,” Art Business News reported earlier this year. “Two new outdoor parks are under construction, and the city’s art galleries are forming associations with each other and staging art events of all kinds.”

Last year, an article in the New York Post said, “Neat and tidy, its blood thick with German heritage and passion for sporting events and those who star in them, Indy has plenty of energy.” The city of more than 800,000 people seems to be channeling that energy wisely to create an inviting and successful climate for both businesses and families. The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce reports that the area’s cost of living is well below the national average. The average single-family home is priced at $136,852, according to the most the recent U.S. Census reports.

Indianapolis is at the heart of Indiana and the country. It’s also in the center of it all, whether you’re seeking new nursing opportunities or big-city amenities with a small-town feel.