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The Towns Outsmarting Airbnb

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The Towns Outsmarting Airbnb


Late last year, New York City made headlines when it all but banned Airbnbs and other short-term rentals within city limits. In August of 2023, Airbnb had more than 25,000 short-term rentals listed in New York City. Tenant groups across the city accused short-term rental platforms of hollowing out neighborhoods and causing already-high rents to grow even higher.

“You would see tourists on the streets in neighborhoods where there weren’t any hotels,” recalls New York-based artist and activist Murray Cox. The sound of rolling suitcases could be heard at all hours. Once tight-knit communities began to feel lifeless. When Cox ran the numbers on his own neighborhood — Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn — he found about 1,000 listings. Cox also heard horror stories from other parts of the city. “People would move into a building and then find that the building was full of tourists day in and day out,” he says. “In some cases, they would be so uncomfortable they’d feel forced to leave.”  

Brownstones in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
New York City’s crackdown on Airbnbs is part of a growing trend. Credit: Matthew Rutledge / Flickr

So, in September of 2023, New York City decided to do something about it. A series of bold requirements capped the total number of short-term rentals (STRs) and limited guests to just two at a time. They required STR operators to be primary homeowners — and to be present in the home while hosting. The city also promised to enforce those requirements, a move that would wipe out nearly 90 percent of active listings at the time.

Though it may sound revolutionary, New York’s crackdown isn’t the first of its kind. In fact, it’s part of a growing trend — one largely spearheaded by much smaller towns. Over the last decade, communities from Irvine, California, to Durango, Colorado, have implemented clever regulations, taxes and zoning policies to hobble the STR market — or, in some cases, eliminate it altogether. As the success stories pile up, a growing body of research points to the dramatic positive impacts of policies like these, including lower rents, more equitable housing markets and the promise of a sustainable tourism economy. 

When Airbnb was founded more than a decade ago, it was heralded as the harbinger of a new sharing economy. In theory, home-sharing platforms — including Airbnb, Couchsurfing, VRBO, FlipKey and Homestay — would put underutilized bedrooms to use, matching budget-conscious travelers with locals in need of a little extra cash. The system would funnel tourism dollars into small towns in a more equitable way. It seemed like a win-win. But within a few years, one clear loser emerged: communities. 

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“It didn’t take very long for people to realize the sharing economy was basically a scam,” explains Cox, who later went on to found data-sharing platform Inside Airbnb. “People weren’t using that car that was sitting in the driveway to drive Uber. And people weren’t just renting out a sofa or a spare bedroom.” Instead, people saw an economic opportunity they could invest in. And they started buying whole homes to rent out on Airbnb. 

In many cases, speculators and investment companies were buying multiple homes expressly for short-term rental use. According to an analysis Cox performed in 2022, about two-thirds of Airbnb rentals in the US are in a property portfolio, which means the host owns and rents more than one property. At the time, he found nearly 23 percent of Airbnb hosts had two or more entire homes or apartments listed on the site. That made up 607,085 listings — or 63 percent of entire-home listings. And the top one percent of operators have more than 300,000 Airbnb listings among them — a stat that points to huge conglomerates gobbling up the market.  

A hand holds a phone viewing New York Airbnb listings.A hand holds a phone viewing New York Airbnb listings.
In September of 2023, New York City enacted bold requirements that capped the total number of short-term rentals and limited guests to just two at a time. Credit: RightFramePhotoVideo / Shutterstock

These days, Airbnb isn’t just a way to share underutilized bedrooms; it’s big business.

Right now, about 90 percent of Airbnbs in Bozeman, Montana, and Nashville, Tennessee — both popular vacation spots — are whole homes. Both Bozeman and Nashville are also relatively small towns with exploding local populations and limited housing stock. That means that every home set aside for a year-round STR listing is a home unavailable to local residents struggling to find — and afford — housing. In extreme cases, the STR explosion has been a contributing factor in forcing longtime locals to move away. The so-called “Airbnb Effect” can hollow out once-vibrant communities. 

This effect is most visible in popular vacation hot spots. In Hawaii, for example, out-of-towners have bought up so many homes that few are left for Native Hawaiians.  

“On Maui alone, 52 percent of homes are sold to nonresidents, and 60 percent of condos and apartments have gone to investors and second homeowners,” writes Stanford researcher Noah Jordan Magbual in a recent report. “The once indigenous population of the Hawaiian archipelago are now outcasts in their own home.” 

The Airbnb Effect also impacts bigger urban areas. In 2015, one study found that STRs had sucked at least 10 percent of New York’s available housing off the market. Another New York study showed that this reduction in supply led to rent increases of up to hundreds of dollars per year. In Barcelona, the effect is even more severe, with rents rising by seven percent and housing costs rising by up to 17 percent in popular neighborhoods. 

For some cities, the proliferation of STRs has become more than just an economic issue; it’s existential. That’s especially true in New Orleans, the longtime home of Jeffrey Goodman, an urban planner and consultant who specializes in STRs. 



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Indianapolis, IN

Pike Township leaders plan to address issues with N Zone bar after weekend shootout

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Pike Township leaders plan to address issues with N Zone bar after weekend shootout


INDIANAPOLIS — A shootout at a troubled bar near 86th Street and Michigan Road sent two people to nearby St. Vincent Hospital early Sunday morning and has now prompted a review by IMPD’s Nuisance and Abatement Unit. 

Police were dispatched to N Zone Bar and Grill shortly before 2 a.m. after a security guard called 911 and reported the shootout between a man at the bar and a person in a car in the parking lot. 

Photo of the N Zone Bar and Grill in Indianapolis captured by a FOX59/CBS4 crew on April 13, 2026.

Later that morning, two different people walked into St. Vincent Hospital on the north side of Indianapolis with gunshot wounds. The victims who checked into the hospital Sunday morning are believed to have been involved in the shooting.

“No one is immune, things are going to jump off in different areas,” Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson said. “But I would say (I’m) concern(ed).”

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That concern from Johnson stems from the fact that the bar has been the subject of several complaints from people who live in the area, including homeowners associations. Those people have been reporting a host of issues at the establishment. 

“Late-night fights, break-outs,” Johnson said. “To the left of that area, you have apartments that have been there in this community forever, and then you have a housing addition directly across the street.”

A neighboring business told FOX59/CBS4 they were not surprised to hear another incident had occurred given the bar’s past. 

Just recently, video circulated on social media of a large brawl between several women in the parking lot of the bar. Reports made by IMPD show numerous calls to the location in recent years for things like gun crimes and fights. 

In May 2022, a man was shot and critically wounded outside the bar. The establishment was shut down following that incident after officials discovered it did not have the proper permits. 

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Johnson said the fire department has been called to the bar at least 20 times since it opened, which she believes is a lot for a business like that. 

“If you have too many complaints, you know what happens with those types of situations where residents will complain,” Johnson said. “Zoning and making reports on that that go downtown, and sometimes, you’re served papers that you may not be a business anymore.”

Johnson said she doesn’t want to see that happen and hopes to intervene so things don’t reach that level with N Zone. She said her next step will be reaching out for a conversation with the bar’s owners to try and give some best practices for them moving forward. 

The facility appeared to be closed Sunday and Monday. 

Police have not publicly announced if they identified or detained any suspects or persons of interest during their investigation of Sunday morning’s shooting.

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IMPD said its nuisance and abatement team is aware of the location and working to determine if any enforcement action should be taken. 



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Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis Colts Under Fire Following Daniel Jones Decision

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Indianapolis Colts Under Fire Following Daniel Jones Decision



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Daniel Jones #17 of the Indianapolis Colts in action against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

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The Indianapolis Colts entered the 2026 NFL offseason needing to make a decision about the future of quarterback Daniel Jones.

After signing Jones last offseason to a one-year deal in free agency, the Colts liked what they saw from him in 2025. Unfortunately, his season came to an end early after he went down with a torn Achilles.

Before suffering that injury, Jones played in 13 games. He completed 68 percent of his pass attempts for 3,101 yards, 19 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while also running for 164 yards and five more touchdowns.

Jones was a free agent entering the offseason. Indianapolis moved quickly to lock him in. The Colts signed the veteran quarterback to a massive two-year, $88 million contract.

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Whether or not the move will pay off remains to be seen. It’s a big risk for Indianapolis, but Jones showed the potential of being a legitimate franchise quarterback before the injury occurred.


Colts Under Fire After Huge Daniel Jones Contract Decision

Chris Ballard and the Colts may be confident in Jones’ ability to be their starter moving forward. Not everyone agrees with the contract the team gave him.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport has named the move as one of the worst of the NFL offseason.

“Maybe Jones will be ready for Week 1 despite the severity of the injury. Maybe he can repeat last year’s success despite his struggles in New York. Maybe he’s the next Sam Darnold,” Davenport wrote.

“Or maybe the Colts should have let Jones play out the 2026 season on the transition tag while they saw how all those ‘maybes’ played out.”

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Last season, Jones faced a lot of doubt as well. After his rocky tenure with the New York Giants, no one could be blamed for having reservations about the quarterback. However, after the way he played in 2025, Indianapolis feels good about its decision.


Indianapolis Has Had a Wild NFL Offseason So Far

Outside of the Jones move, the Colts have been very busy this offseason.

Along with re-signing Jones, the team also brought back wide receiver Alec Pierce. In order to make that move happen, they had to pay out a four-year deal worth $114 million.

Plenty of other moves have been made as well. Indianapolis traded star linebacker Zaire Franklin to the Green Bay Packers and added pieces like defensive end Arden Key, defensive end Micheal Clemons, defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi, and cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, among others.

Most recently, the Colts have been hit with a trade request from cornerback Kenny Moore.

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Only time will tell how the team’s offseason moves pan out. Indianapolis has taken some risk this offseason and still has holes to fill. However, the Colts looked like one of the best teams in the NFL during the first half of the 2025 season and may not be far off from Super Bowl contention.

Evan Massey Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst located in Indianapolis, Indiana who covers the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, and college sports. He has been featured on many publications, including Newsweek, Athlon Sports, ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, Sporting News, and many others. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son. More about Evan Massey





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Police: Argument over Pokémon cards sparks shooting at Indiana Kroger

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Police: Argument over Pokémon cards sparks shooting at Indiana Kroger


INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) — Police are investigating after one person was injured in a shooting at an Indianapolis Kroger store, per WTHR.

Crews were called to the store at 680 Twin Aire Drive on the east side of the city around 7 p.m. Saturday. When they arrived, they found one man suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital, where he underwent surgery and is now in stable condition.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s preliminary investigation determined the shooting was targeted and started over an argument about Pokémon cards.

A person of interest was detained at the scene, but police say they are still working to confirm if they had any involvement in the shooting.

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