A walk down Wells
published in Fort Wayne Magazine
Every cool city has one: a “district,” a hip stretch of shops and restaurants where the products and the people are a little different. It’s a haven for creative types, a breeding ground for expression and out-of-the-box thinking, an area where the unusual draws the disenfranchised, the arbiters of leading trends and tourists who want a sense of place.
Dallas has its Deep Ellum; Columbus, Ohio, its Short North. Not much can beat Boulder, Colorado’s Pearl Street. San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury is legendary; even Indianapolis can claim Broad Ripple.
But Fort Wayne is not to be left off the list. There is such a neighborhood – not the only one, but a perfect example – nestled within our reawakening downtown.
It is home to artists, thinkers, entrepreneurs and free spirits. It hosts one-of-a-kind restaurants and shops selling things you simply can’t find anywhere else. It’s got a bit of urban grit, a wealth of warm welcome and the juice of a fresh sprucing up.
Wander for a bit down Wells Street. You might just be surprised.