BRVA Member Spotlight: Mercedes Plant
A Neighborhood Worth Calling Home
When Mercedes Plant and her husband began planning for retirement, they weren’t looking for a quieter life. They were looking for a neighborhood they could truly live in.
Nine years later, Mercedes still believes they found exactly the right place.
“We moved here as we were planning our retirement,” she says. “Those nine years have been great, mainly because of the wonderful neighbors.”
For Mercedes, Broad Ripple offered something increasingly rare: the freedom to leave the car behind.
“I can walk to the supermarket. I can walk to the pharmacy. I can walk to my dentist,” she says. “Everything I read about aging said it was very important to be able to walk everywhere, and that was one of the critical reasons we chose Broad Ripple.”
But walkability was only part of the equation. Before moving to the neighborhood, Mercedes and her husband lived on a horse farm. As retirement approached, maintaining the property became more work than joy — but neither of them wanted to give up the connection to nature they had loved for so many years.
Broad Ripple offered a different kind of luxury.
“The Monon Trail was very important to us,” she says. “And then all the parks around here, the river… I still love to see the trees. I still love to have room to play. I love seeing the birds, the heron, or all of the things you see by looking at the river. That whole area around the Art Center — that is luxury. That is a privilege that we have by living in Broad Ripple.”
It didn’t take long before neighbors became friends.
Mercedes joined the BRVA Beautification Committee because she believes everyone has a role in making the neighborhood better. She helped start neighborhood gatherings where everyone brings something to share, children play together, dogs make new friends, and neighbors have the chance to simply enjoy one another’s company.
“We have a lovely book club,” she says. “I think of our neighbors as our friends.”
Even in retirement, Mercedes wasn’t ready to slow down completely. Once a week you’ll find her at Marigold, where she helps customers discover clothing that makes them feel confident.
“It’s one of my greatest joys,” she says. “When a woman comes into Marigold, and I help her walk away feeling proud and happy about herself, it gives me great joy.”
Her enthusiasm extends well beyond one shop. Ask Mercedes about Broad Ripple and you’ll quickly receive a list of favorite local businesses — from boutiques like Marigold, Pitaya, Bungalow, and Artifacts to the restaurants and cafés that have become part of her weekly routine.
“I encourage everybody to support local,” she says. “It’s really important.”
That same philosophy shapes why she’s a BRVA member. For Mercedes, membership isn’t simply another annual expense — it’s part of being a good neighbor.
“To me, it’s an obligation and a responsibility,” she says. “It’s a small price to pay for all the great things that BRVA does, whether it’s the new lights, the cleaning once a month, or new plants along the canal… We enjoy the walks. We enjoy the trees. We enjoy the Monon. Let’s all become members and contribute — not just with the membership fee that we pay, but by participating in events and volunteering if we have the time.”
In many ways, Mercedes’ story captures what makes Broad Ripple special. It’s a place where you can walk to dinner, meet friends on the trail, spend an afternoon browsing local shops, watch a great blue heron along the White River, and know the people who live on your block.
It’s not just a place to live.
It’s a place to belong.
Join Mercedes and hundreds of your neighbors in supporting the Broad Ripple Village Association. Together, we’re helping keep Broad Ripple the kind of neighborhood people choose — not just to visit but to call home.
