Collection: AC Mile Square

ABOUT UPPER DOWNTOWN FC

Upper Downtown FC, a veteran team of the ICF circuit.

Upper Downtown prides itself on a history of consistently excellent results, including finishing top of the City Conference standings in 2017. Since then, Upper Downtown has remained a mainstay in the top quarter of the table in the ensuing seasons.

The team colors are Light Grey and Navy Blue.

The light grey pays homage to the iconic limestone buildings present in the area, including the Central Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library and the Scottish Rite Cathedral.  The blue references the waters of the Indianapolis Canal, which terminates in the Upper Downtown area and exemplifies the repurposing of old infrastructure to make new amenities. 

You are considered a resident of this team if you live: Ransom Place, Upper Canal, St. Joseph, Renaissance Place and Chatham Arch, and can include Zip codes: 46202 and 46204

Want to support this neighborhood club?

ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Upper Downtown FC draws from the neighborhoods north of the mile square but south of the highway. The area can broadly be divided between east and west neighborhoods.

On the east side, there are the neighborhoods of St. Joseph, Renaissance Place and Chatham Arch. These communities represented some of the earliest areas of commercial and residential growth outside of the Mile Square in developing Indianapolis. The area boasts a number of architecturally significant houses representing the movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and you can still find some cottages that date all the way back to the Civil War era. Though the pre-automobile side streets can prove confusing to navigate for those unfamiliar within the area, these neighborhoods continue to remain vibrant and exciting communities that continue a dynamic pace of growth and development.

On the west side, there are Ransom Place and Upper Canal. The area developed as the home to one of the most prominent African-American communities in Indianapolis. Indianapolis had enacted a series of exclusionary residential policies in the 1830s. Among these policies included designating the north-west side of the city as one of the few areas where African-Americans were permitted to live. Despite the legal obstacles in place, the area developed into an economic and cultural powerhouse, exemplified  by its most prominent building: the Madam C.J. Walker Building, named after the first female self-made millionaire in the United States. The area became the residence of well-known black civic leaders, doctors, attorneys, and other professionals. The jazz clubs that dotted Indiana Avenue would be a regular stop for prominent bandleaders on national tours. In the 1960s, the area was targeted for intensive revelopments that radically altered the geography of the neighborhood and displaced a large portion of the established community. Recently, efforts have been made to recognize and rectify the adverse consequences of development. Ransom Place and Upper Canal have seen new housing and investment poured into the area, and the neighborhoods boast several excellent bars, restaurants, and access to downtown through the excellent Indianapolis Canal.

Learn more about Ransom Place, Upper Canal, St. Joseph, Renaissance Place, and, Chatham Arch.

ABOUT THE SPONSORS

Sponsor Upper Downtown FC for the 2023 Season!

ABOUT THE CHARITABLE CAUSE

Each team’s charitable cause will be announced at the 2023 Signing Day.