Indianapolis' newest kids' park used to be a hangout for notorious biker gang Outlaws MC

Will Higgins | IndyStar

Best things to do with kids in Indianapolis There is no shortage of fun for kids in and around Indianapolis. You just have to know where to look.

Real estate gets repurposed all of the time — churches become condominiums, warehouses become artist studios, and so on.

But a plot of land on Indianapolis' east side has taken the concept of the pivot to new levels.

For decades 2204 E. New York St. was where some of Indianapolis' roughest characters congregated. It was secretive-looking and fortresslike but right out in the open on the busy street.

"Outlaws mc Indianapolis," the sign said. The place was a clubhouse for the Indianapolis chapter of the notorious Outlaws motorcycle gang.

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The old buildings were demolished a few years ago, and in their place, as of today, is a new playground for children, with brightly colored climbing equipment, a swing set and possibly the city's first year-round, all-weather ping pong table. There are benches, too, and an outdoor grill.

The ribbon on the city's newest park, to be called Commons Park, gets cut at 10 a.m. Thursday by neighborhood and city leaders. Among them Mayor Joe Hogsett, who in 2012 as U.S. attorney led the raid that put the Outlaws out of business.

Fifteen club members were arrested and later convicted on a variety of charges including drug trafficking, extortion, racketeering, witness tampering and extortion.

The city later took possession of the property.

"I used to walk by that place and wonder what's going on in there," said Anthony Stone, who has lived in the neighborhood for most of his 24 years. "You couldn't see inside. They had the windows blocked. But I knew better than to walk up on that door.

"And now there's this fresh new park for the kids. Nice."

The new park is "progress," but the neighborhood still grapples with crime, said Kay Grimm, who has lived in the area since the early 1990s. She keeps an emu for security purposes.

An emu is a flightless bird native to Australia that is not aggressive, is not even a carnivore, but is large. Grimm's, named Missy Boo Boo, is 5 feet tall and loud. Grimm counts on Missy Boo Boo to freak out would-be intruders and cause them to flee.

Contact Star reporter Will Higgins at 317-444-6043. Follow him on Twitter @WillRHiggins.