Downtown Fort Wayne - Fort Wayne, IN

Fort Wayne's convenient location sits at the convergence of three rivers: St. Mary's River, St. Joseph River and Maumee River. General "Mad Anthony" Wayne, for whom the city is named, established a fort at the spot where these rivers merge. Many streets, commercial establishments and festivals have "Three Rivers," "Mad Anthony" or "Anthony Wayne" in their names.

Fort Wayne hosts numerous festivals and has an impressive cultural scene. Annual events include Buskerfest in June, Taste of the Arts in August and various festivals from spring to fall at Headwaters Park. The night before Thanksgiving turns into a wintry block party with the Night of Lights, while Fright Night in October fills the streets with zombies and performers. Museums and cultural centers include the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Science Central, African-American History Museum, Artlink, Botanical Conservatory, the historic Embassy Theater and the History Center.

In the early 21st century, downtown Fort Wayne saw a resurgence of interest in the area with the opening of Parkview Field and a general revisioning of downtown. While many restaurants and bars have called the downtown area of the Fort home for some time and have become favorites throughout their years, others have taken advantage of the seemingly new-found interest in the area.

Toscani Pizzeria on Wayne serves up Italian favorites like pizza, pastas and hot sandwiches. Start your meal with one of the restaurant's appetizers. Bruschetta with a little spice and the spinach dip hit the spot before your main course comes. While the pizzas and pastas satiate most appetites, the house specialty is The Hugo, a hot sandwich. Toscani starts by piling on ham, capicollo and salami for the meats, followed by a lettuce-cabbage mix, cheeses, onions and a special homemade sauce. The salads complement any meal, so try one with the special house dressing.

Be sure to check out the Dash-In on Calhoun. This narrow building with exposed brick walls inside doubles as one of downtown's best coffee houses and bars. With an assortment of sandwiches, soups, salads, quesadillas and burgers, the Dash-In has something for everyone in your party. You never go wrong with one of the grilled cheese sandwiches, and the menu features five different versions, including the Euro Grilled Cheese with smoked gouda, havarti and muenster, topped with roasted red peppers. The homemade hummus, which the kitchen proudly features on many of the menu items, always pleases the crowds, whether in the restaurant or at a catered event. The restaurant also features live music, hosts game nights and plays a pivotal role in many of the city's events.

Downtown also houses many classy dining establishments, including Don Hall's Old Gas House, Takaoka, Paula's on Main and the infamous Club Soda. Club Soda, the city's swanky martini bar, hosts live jazz, blues and swing music on Fridays and Saturdays from astounding regional acts, like the Todd Harrold Trio. Friendly bartenders make specialty drinks and martinis at multiple bars in this Chicago-style, two-story bar. If the weather cooperates, sitting outside on the second-floor deck always provides a great view. The menu changes seasonally, but be sure to try the ribeye or the delectable smoked gouda dip.

When locals hit the town at night, they have a handful of favored local spots, with O'Sullivans Italian Pub on West Main being one of the city's favorite dive bars. Residents especially enjoy the St. Patrick's Day shenanigans, live music and cheap drinks here. Another option, the Brass Rail features live music throughout the week and proves to be one of Fort Wayne's most popular joints.

Even though Fort Wayne has the second highest population in Indiana, it doesn't have an interstate in the downtown area. Interstate 69, however, runs north-south on the west side of the city, connecting residents to Indianapolis. Major thoroughfares throughout the downtown area include Jefferson Blvd (US 24), US 33, and Clinton St (US 27).

The city started implementing dedicated bike lanes in the early 21st century, and cyclists use most of the downtown roads with ease. Downtown's sidewalks and close-knit community provide a great walking experience. The River Greenway, a multi-use trail, runs through downtown and various other parts of Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne's downtown area is small enough that you can see one end from the other and walk the length in minutes, so hailing a cab isn't necessary. You can, however, call the handful of taxi companies that serve the area.

Public transportation is available in the form of Citilink, which offers bus service throughout the Fort Wayne area.

Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation manages a handful of properties in the downtown area, including Lawton Park, Headwaters Park and Friemann Square. City parks always have free admission, although some activities may require a small fee or deposit. Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation offers an extensive array of activities for people of all ages and lifestyles, and information is provided in the seasonally published Fun Times magazine.

Headwaters Park serves as the city's primary events spot and hosts numerous large-scale gatherings throughout the year. BBQ Rib Fest, Germanfest, Countryfest and Three Rivers Festival, the city's pride and joy, all take place at Headwaters Park. In winter, Winterval is held here, and the city's ice-skating rink sits under the main pavilion. This large, two-section park features beautifully landscaped walking trails and open space, along with a "sprayground" for kids to enjoy during the summer.

Kid-friendly parks abound throughout the city, even if not within the downtown area. Also, Pawster Park, a dog park extension of Foster Park, sits just south of downtown.

Downtown Fort Wayne enjoys a low cost of living index approximately 16 percent lower than the national average. Residents enjoy inexpensive housing, fair gas prices and affordable attractions and amenities.

The average rental rate for a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Fort Wayne costs approximately $557 per month, while local gas prices sit around 9 percent lower than the national average. The price of a beer at a local bar is sometimes under $2, depending on where you go.

Although dining establishments, bars and events keep the residents and visitors of the Fort busy, shopping remains remarkably quiet in the downtown area. Still, a handful of specialty shops line the streets and provide one-of-a-kind shopping experiences.

One of the city's mainstays, Stoner's Funstore, fills its small storefront with "funny goofy crap," which also serves as the store's domain name on the web. Inside this Main St. establishment lie walls upon walls of crazy costumes and gag gifts for every occasion.

Creative Women of the World serves as a small specialty shop dedicated to "inspiring creative business and marketing solutions for women around the world seeking to rise out of extreme poverty, human trafficking and disasters." It stocks an extensive assortment of home decor, bath and body products, pantry items, stationary, jewelry, accessories and children's items made by women from around the world.

The downtown area does not house any grocery stores, but several lie just outside the downtown area. Two prominent farmers markets take place downtown: the Barr St. Market and the Historic West Main Street Farmers Market.