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13 Comments
Topics: Civic Branding
Cities: Fort Wayne (Indiana)

13 Responses to “Fort Wayne: My City”

1. Vince says:

   July 25, 2012 at 9:11 am

   That really is a pretty good video, which does not surprise me. I lived in Fort Wayne for seven years in the nineties, and, when I moved there from Chicago, I was expecting it to be a backwoods adventure for a few years, but that was not how it turned out. Fort Wayne is a small city, no doubt, but it really is also an interesting place, with some beautiful neighborhoods and parks and an advanced urban trail system. I met and still know people there who redirected my thinking about the world in substantive ways. I wish I could have brought my Fort Wayne house with me to Cleveland.
2. Racaille says:

   July 25, 2012 at 9:27 am

   Let’s see. The idolizing of thug-life + ubiquitous firearms + drug money….what possibly could go wrong?

   Furthermore, learning how to speak proper English is an important step to prosperity in America.

   Let’s start with the basics.
3. Ken says:

   July 25, 2012 at 10:10 am

   I’m sorry, Racaille, but I have to ask: did you actually watch the video or listen to the words of the song?

   I’ve watched it twice now and see *no* firearms or drug references. I’m also confused by your reference to “thug life,” (unless to you that means a choice of fashion different than your preferences) since the lyrics of the song speak of civic pride and building up/reinventing a city.
4. Cobo Rodregas says:

   July 25, 2012 at 1:01 pm

   I think the sentiment of the song is good. I’ve never been to fort wane but it looks like theirs some cool stuff there.

   But Rap music and thug culture, bad attitudes, and violence are as intertwined as country music is with hunting, farming, and beer drinking. It is impossible separate the two in any meaningful way.

   Ghetto culture needs to die if the intercity wants to thrive.
5. Jeff Gillenwater says:

   July 25, 2012 at 2:40 pm

   As a Hoosier, I’ll just say “more, please”.
6. Carl Wohlt says:

   July 25, 2012 at 8:45 pm

   “But Rap music and thug culture, bad attitudes, and violence are as intertwined as country music is with hunting, farming, and beer drinking. It is impossible separate the two in any meaningful way.”

   Cobo, when I was growing up, Rock and Roll was associated with sex, drugs and the imminent demise of civilization. And yet now there’s Christian rock. So, that dog don’t hunt.

   I liked the video, one of the best I’ve seen from a city of any size. I liked the lyrics and, especially, the cinematography. Very direct, authentic and sincere, not an endless string of Chamber of Commerce post card shots.

   My hat’s off to the talent that put this together. Very, very impressive.
7. IndyJrob says:

   July 26, 2012 at 7:32 am

   I spent my High School years in Fort Wayne and I never got a sense of much civic pride. I’ve heard that good things are happening there, but haven’t been back to see for myself. That said, I loved this video.

   I’m not a huge hip-hop guy, but this really felt like a group of kids/men coming together because they wanted to share sentiment about where they live. Kudos to them. Also, the rapping was quite good. Who knew this scene existed in the Fort? Not me.

   This wasn’t a Chamber of Commerce or CVB video, full of beauty shots and staged activity. If it was, it fooled me. This felt genuine and believable.

   And to those barking about thug life, wake up. This type of music exists. It’s just not played on your choice of radio stations.
8. Aaron M. Renn says:

   July 26, 2012 at 7:52 am

   @indyjrob, Carl knows it isn’t a chamber type video. He’s merely contrasting its effectiveness next to typical vapid official type video.
9. Adam says:

   July 26, 2012 at 3:14 pm

   Born and raised in Fort Wayne and think the video is great. The city isn’t anything fantastic from an urban perspective, but it does seem to be focusing quite a bit on downtown, especially in recent years. New mixed use buildings, new condos in old unused commercial buildings, renovated library and convention center, new downtown ball park that’s honestly one of the best in the country, and a fantastic, expanded trail system.

   It’s still sprawling like crazy in in the SW and northern parts of the city, but that’s not exactly unique. It’s not a bad small(ish) town.
10. CrossedWres says:

    July 27, 2012 at 11:50 am

    Still waiting for Indianapolis’s viseo…….
11. MetroCard says:

    July 27, 2012 at 12:59 pm

    Lol…that’s my hometown for you.

    For a smaller city, Fort Wayne really does have a lot of “hidden” gems–obviously cannot compete with Indianapolis, BUT the message comes across in this video that the city takes a lot of pride in itself.
12. hall says:

    July 28, 2012 at 8:44 am

    Seriously! We all should take pride and ownership of our community like these young people. The video makes me ask myself what I have done to develop hometown pride and give back. The idea that you are critiquing the method of delivery instead of focusing on the positivity is an example of what stands in the way of communities coming together.
13. Craig says:

    August 3, 2012 at 3:24 pm

    Word.