not a word about Vonnegut...what kind of Hoosier are you anyway?
1
Just the title made me laugh. It sounded like a punch line like "Take my wife. Please."
I was born there. To riff off John Green paraphrasing a car rental guy surely paraphrasing someone else . . . Ya gotta be born somewhere.
Another site worth mentioning is the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. Nestled in the beautiful Old Northside neighborhood, this beautiful Italianate home was that of our 23rd president who championed African American voting rights,
national forest conversation, fair wages for workers , and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Definitely worth your time!
2
Just watch out for drunken Indiana judges looking for a fight
Much safer in Chicago
2
My husband is from Indy and has never taken me anywhere there when we go visit his family. He says there’s nothing to do. Clearly, he’s wrong. Austin, thanks for sharing your city with us.
And, for the record, I agree with the comments about the airport - shortest lines ever.
4
Enticing story. Suggests one might need more than 36 hours to discover Indianapolis.
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@Linda 64 Fairly affordable direct flights between BOS-IND. Come visit.
You know, Indianapolis is a pretty good place. This article lists some of the attractions, but not all - there's only so much you can do in 36 hours.
We have a number of museums and attractions that didn't make the 36 hour tour, including several nice memorial museums with free admission downtown, and a historical center.
Excellent music and theater. Not as much as NYC of course, but the cost of a single ticket to Hamilton in NYC will get you several years of weekly concerts and theater in Indy.
As others have mentioned, we have the nation's (and perhaps the world's) largest children's museum, suitable for children of all ages. A very nice outdoor historical museum village, Conner Prairie, is a short drive from downtown
For those that choose to make Indy their home, there are many walkable neighborhoods. Lots of readily accessible health care.
Good professional sports, if that's what excites you, and an auto race.
Our airport is a first-rate mid sized facility, that's very easy to use, and which would trounce LaG, JFK, and EWR in user-friendliness, though of course we don't have as many non-stop destinations.
The list goes on. I suppose calling a city "affordable" is like calling a home "charming" in a real estate ad, but the truth is Indianapolis is a fine place to live.
I think the take home is: there are many mid sized cities that are wonderful places to live in this country, including Indianapolis. And the label "affordable" is both true and a virtue.
17
Having been a resident here in Indianapolis since 1987, I've seen the incredible "growing up" of this city. I've helped open two theatres and now run my own theatre company.
Without discrediting the article, I wish it could have mentioned our thriving theatre community. From Children's theatre to pushing the envelope social commentary, Indy is home to great talent.
Just last year I launched Indianapolis's only LGBTQ+ company. We were embraced by the city and given full support of the City Council and the Mayor.
11
I too grew up in Indianapolis and was happy to see that someone else remembers those endearing terms for the city:
Naptown, India-No-Place. (At one point, may be in the mid '60s, there was a station "Radio Free Naptown.")
The term "Indy" didn't come until much later.
1
Fascinating. The article is about how Indy has been able to stay true to its roots, yet it skipped pretty much anything to substantiate that and instead picked mostly hipster spots to visit. I don’t know how you could leave out a visit to IMS or Long’s, for example, or not mention Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. But I suppose someone who doesn’t think you can eat a tenderloin with your hands or didn’t bother to check that at press time, the Kurt Vonnegut museum had, in fact, already reopened, is not a good source of information.
I understand that these articles are, in effect, opinion pieces, but surely there should be more of an effort to be more wide-ranging in the path taken. Record stores and vintage shops aren’t what make Indy Indy – those can be found everywhere. A desire to preserve and restore the old, meshed with desire for modern flair – take the Old Northside and Herron Morton areas for example, which in NYC would have been torn down and replaced with new in a heartbeat. IMS, a shrine for racing, continues to honor tradition while at the same time continues to innovate both in open-wheel racing and what it brings to the track. There are the storied Indiana State Fairgrounds that still use antique display cases for Culinary Art exhibits each August just yards from where a Monster Truck race is being held. And that doesn’t account for packed weekends of all kinds of events and trade shows throughout the year. Indy is more than its hipster neighborhoods.
9
What a pleasant surprise to see my hometown highlighted! While I haven't lived in Indy for almost 10 years, I have a soft spot for the town that raised me (shoutout to Indy's westside) and come back at least 4 times a year (Indy 500 weekend included) to visit the nostalgic places of my youth & also explore new things Indy has to offer!
I would add a few additional items to go beyond the expected Fountain Square, Mass Ave, Broad Ripple neighborhoods: Mug-N-Bun vintage drive-in for fantastic homemade root beer & good ol' corndogs/tenderloins; Carniceria Guanajuato off 38th for the best Mexican market in the city; Shapiro's Deli for a great pastrami on rye and desserts as big as your face; Burrito Joint for mexican torta sandwiches; Midland Arts & Antiques Market for a chill morning stroll; Yats (the one on College Ave) for solid Cajun food; Traders Point Creamery for a fancy dinner that's an OG farm-to-table restaurant; Mama Corolla's for hearty Italian food; Liter House for an amazing German gastropub experience; Delicia for upscale cocktails & Latin American food (the tamal corn cakes are bomb); Ukiyo for nostalgic Japanese food that my Japanese friend said reminded her of home; and the Jazz Kitchen for solid evening entertainment. Happy eating/exploring!
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I went to St. Elmo Steak House many years ago...my memory is that the steak was good, but is this the place where you can't get sour cream for a baked potato?
Like seemingly every other city in the world, Indianapolis is getting more "Brooklynized." While this is probably a good thing, I'm astounded that any tour of the city could neglect The Slippery Noodle: the oldest bar in the state (yes, state) and a place that has been purveying blues music seven nights a week for decades.
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@Michael Ross
The Knickerbocker Saloon in Lafayette, Indiana, was the first bar in the state to receive a liquor license. It has been a bar since 1835.
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@Michael Ross
With all due respect, I think you have it backwards. It Is actually Brooklyn that has been Mid-westernized. One can only imagine if there was a large scale exodus of Ohioans, Kansans, Indianians and others from Brooklyn. Needless to say, it would become like New York again instead of a sea of knit sock caps, flannel shirts and skinny black jeans. I apologize if I misidentified how the natives of those states are referred to.
4
Wonderful to hear oft-maligned Indianapolis, Indiana deservedly praised! I was born and raised there in the city of Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard and J.J. Johnson. In the state of immortals Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael...and countless wonderful less-known others in many fields including just trying to get by in life. I remember the Red Key with it's lonely red neon sign looking mysterious there on College Avenue at night...
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@ Sparrow Roberts Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Forgive my asking, but who are "Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard and J.J. Johnson. In the state of immortals Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael...". I did though hear of Cole Porter, the musician.
I can't say that largeness is anything for a city to brag about, but note that it is 69 miles around Indianapolis via I-465, and many parts of the urban area extend beyond the bypass highway.
I remember delivering newspapers where I rode my bicycle past the area which is now a freeway interchange at U.S. 40, the National Road. One of those newspapers showed views of where I-465 was going to run. When the highway was almost ready, I rode my bicycle on the finished pavement from Washington St. up to 21st St. One interesting aspect of East Washington St., the National Road, was that one hour after the 500-mile race was completed there would be large crowds of cars arriving and eager to buy newspapers at high prices.
As someone who born and raised in Indianapolis and moved to Los Angeles after graduating from IU - Bloomington, I never thought I would return to Indianapolis. However, life changes and after 18 years in City of Angels, my Los Angeles born husband and I relocated to Indianapolis. While I tell people that I "grew up in Indianapolis", I really grew up in Los Angeles. While I miss the diversity of people, thought, ethnic restaurant choices that Los Angeles offers, I like the quality of life we have here in Indianapolis without the hassle factor. If you want sports, theatre, music, museums and art galleries we have it. As the article mentions - we have also have an abundance of great restaurants - not mentioned was one of our favorites - Greek Islands, a wonderful family owned restaurant just south of Shapiros. Will Indianapolis ever be a Chicago, Los Angeles or New York City? Absolutely not and that is fine. I can drive to Chicago in 3 hours, fly to NYC in less than two hours.
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@Tracy Your key comment was that we have a "quality of life". Everything Austin was was looking for was food and entertainment.
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@Tracy I think one of our old tourism slogans used to be something like "so easy to do so much." Still true now even with more options available. The quality of life ROI here is very high.
1
What about the Slippery Noodle. Indy’s oldest bar (1830’s) and live blues every night!
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Looking at the pictures and reading about the activities are so different from what I saw there during the early 1960s. It is where the Army sent me to learn about those big main frame computers by IBM. My training was at Ft. Benjamin Harrison on the outskirts of Indianapolis.
While in Indianapolis I went to the 500 races, the Indiana state fair where they presented the singer Ray Charles. It was a memorable experience at an early age.
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I am a transplant from Ohio, and I cannot imagine living anyplace else. Indy is a big city with a small town vibe.
My faves:
The vision and drive of such leaders as Richard Lugar and William Hudnut, who saw Indy as more than a wide spot in the road on the way to St. Louis and Chicago
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Jack Everly
Indiana Repertory Theatre
Market Street’s bricks, leading to Monument Circle
Spring/summer runs along the Canal and White River State Park, or just relaxing on the canal
Running events downtown, in general
The excitement when big time sports tournaments come to town
The breathtaking view of the skyline as you approach downtown on I-70
I guess back in the day, Indianapolis was (fondly?) called “Indiana-no-place”. Partially true, for me — there is certainly “no-place” like home.
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@MDB I liked it better when it was "no place". There were fewer restaurants and museums, but anyone could have a good job. Indy made things. Now, it has become nothing more than a government center with a drug company.
I love seeing my city in the paper, though this is only a small part of what can be seen in Indianapolis. We are not New York, and never will be that large, but there are dozens of other activities and things to do in the city. There is the Children's museum, and many memorable restaurants that weren't mentioned. We have our yearly Gen Con which brings in people from all over the country. If you ever do find yourself in Indy give it a chance. It will surprise you.
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Excellent recommendations, but all pretty safe and dare I say, white middle class in orientation. While not the most diverse of major cities, you can easily have a less mainstream experience here in 36 hours than what this guide would suggest.
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@JBC so......any suggestions?????
Difficult to believe Considine missed Shapiro's Jewish Deli, on South Meridian at McCarty since 1903.
It is routinely ranked best Jewish Deli in the midwest.
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My nephew got it mostly right when it comes to my hometown Indianapolis. Being a transplanted Hoosier now working for the NY Times I thought he might give a shout out to Shapiro's Delicatessen in downtown Indy. Established in 1905 their piled high Kosher Corn Beef Sandwiches on their home made Rye is an Indianapolis tradition like none other.
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Shapiro’s is nothing to write home about, and they certainly aren’t kosher (for starters, they serve mac and cheese and cheesecake with their meats – one of the most basic rules of a kosher kitchen is you cannot mix meat and dairy). Not worthy of the name “deli” by any standard, even the most basic standard of proper sour pickles and matzah ball soup (which has a broth so yellow you wonder if it is solely composed of food coloring).
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@Rebecca F nobody said "kosher". their corned beef, chicken liver, and latkes qualify them as a proper, top-rate deli by midwest standards. I've brought people from many parts of the country/world, and all have left impressed, full and happy.
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The Cake Bake Shop in Broad Ripple is a charming girly little restaurant set in a quaint house. The cake slices are expensive but oh so worth it! Reservations recommended.
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@Paula Beware just walking in and asking for a table. You'll be met with a front person who acts like you'd committed some kind of sin or crime for not knowing you were supposed to have a reservation.
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You haven't really had fun bowling into you play the 5-pin game north of the (Canadian) border. But you have inspired me to spend a day or so in Indy so thanks for that.
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$17 grilled cheese? $40 for an hour of bowling? I was expecting lower prices when the subhed was "very affordable."
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The $40 is for the lane and you can have as many people as you want. Usually it’s 4, so $10 a person isn’t too shabby.
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@NYer Affordability refers to the overall cost/quality of life here. Like any major city, even affordable ones, expensive options exist as well.
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Steer clear of The Aristocrat: Love Handle, The Mug, and Strangebird all have a better tenderloins and don't feel like an Applebee's.
The best burgers are at Turchetti's and Workingman's Friend.
If you need a drink, pick up a tall boy from a liquor store and go for a stroll around monument circle.
If you're still bored, get on I-70 and leave.
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@Tugg while I agree with your mention of Workingman’s Friend, your comments about The Aristocrat are not accurate. Just had a couple drinks and dinner there tonight as a matter of fact. Great as usual. Like the Red Key, a fantastic neighborhood establishment with good food, drinks, staff, and companions.
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@IndyDave Thanks for the input, Dave. Glad we both agree on Workingman's Friend.
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For my two cents, if you're in the Broad Ripple neighborhood, I would skip the pork tenderloin and head to the Cake Bake Shop for awesome cake!
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I bet Austin Considine no longer lives in Indianapolis..., which says more about the city than his account...
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@Dick Grayson
Doesn't really say much about Austin's views of Indianapolis just because he no longer lives there. I grew up in Austin, TX and have lived in Indianapolis for the last few years. I like Indianapolis a lot, very underrated city, but that doesn't mean I still don't love Austin. I go back regularly and never left because I didn't like it, people move and live in different places for various reasons, sometimes just to experience living somewhere new.
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@Michael Relax, I was just making a joke, at the Author’s expense, otherwise it wouldn’t be funny...
Glad You like the City, I was there on business and actually liked the People best, very much so, no joke.
I used to live in Indianapolis in the 70's. Worked for Judge Kholmeyer in the Public Defender's Office.(municipal court for stuff like shoplifting and hookers) Back then this town was like the wild west in Court. But sadly, the culture back then was one of intolerance towards anyone not of the Bible Belt. Since I am from NYC and not fond of tornadoes, I came back east. I do miss the State Fair though...serious business for a year's worth of work of people's entries in agriculture.
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As an Indy resident, I thought NYT did a good job highlighting what's going on in Indy. There is a reason Indy was one of the finalists for Amazon's HQ2.
Not mentioned - the Indianapolis airport is the first one built after 9/11 and is routinely awarded with top airport honors by both those in the industry and by passengers. It is a wonderful for visitors landing for the first time, super convenient and *no lines* - especially for those who have to endure LGA, Newark, JFK.
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@Gordon
Try LGA on Saturdays: no lines at all!
@Gordon It is a beautiful terminal, but the number of flights have decreased while Indy is saddled with another BILLION dollars of debt on top of the stadium (revenue to Jimmy Irsay), Red Line (still free but not full), and the ever shrinking mall downtown that still has at least another 10 years left on the bonds the city is supporting with property taxes.
That Turrell installation blew my mind and almost made living there in high school palatable. Almost.
You forgot to mention Hotel Broad Ripple as a cozy place to stay!! A touch of Europe in Indys backyard!!
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You forgot to mention Shapiro’s Deli!
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@WindyLass Sorry but some of the absolute worst pastrami and rye bread I've ever eaten. Tough and dried out meat and the bread you can crush in your hand to make putty. If you like this stuff, you'be just never had the real thing.
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I grew up in French Lick. IN which is 90 miles south of Naptown. The big event in Naptown was the Indy 500, ran at a local track. What is really interesting is that it was owned by Tony Hullman, who made his millions selling Clabber Girl baking powder. People attending the race used it as an excuse to have a wild time to the delight of viewers.
Larry Bird grew up in FL, IN and he had a rough upbringing. His father was an alcoholic and later committed suicide. Larry played basketball for Indiana State, because the first class he attended at IU had more students than lived in FL. He hitchiked home and my dad gave him a job of loading the town trash truck.
With the money Larry made while playing for the Boston Celtics, Larry bought a run down hotel in Indy and fixed it up and later bought the local pro team.
Indy was typical in that high unemployment and drugs made life very precarious for those living in the ghetto.
The burbs of Indy were great. Had a friend who lived in Fishers, IN who was at PU and while rushing a fraternity, he was asked what his father did. Just a farmer huh, Chuck replied, U ought to know, your father is a tenant farmer for my father. Chuck's family owned several thousand acres and Naptown grew up around their huge farm. Show dogs they were not, they drove the cheapest Chevys made and Chuck borrowed my one suit to graduate from PU wearing.
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I would suggest reading the Vice article "Community Food Box Pops Up in Front of 'Gentrifying' Restaurant in Indianapolis" before patronizing Milktooth or any other restaurant where Jonathan Brooks is a chef. His boorish behavior, misogynistic statements, and disdain for his fellow community members is appalling.
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The Cemetary with Lights. Never was so happy as when I moved to Bloomington.
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I just moved from the Indy area to New Orleans in June - I don't miss the snow, but this little article has me missing other parts of home a bit. It's small, yes, but there are so many good parts of the city to explore and love. Other wonderful parts: the Circle, especially in the holiday time; the Indiana Historical Society has interactive exhibits; Children's Museum; there's a theatre scene
and there are beautiful parks within a short drive of anywhere for hiking and walking. Thanks for making a nice little write-up, I hope folks stop by and enjoy that Indy has to offer.
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No mention of the Speedway (though not my thing) or Shapiro’s Deli? Indy is really a pleasant place to wander, and these days nearly 900,000 people, though I suspect by annexation. They also still have a downtown shopping mall, when I was last there two years ago it was still doing pretty well. The symphony there is quite good too.
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Although I'm from New England, I went to college at IU in Bloomington and was often in Indianapolis. Yes, it's a nice, unpretentious city. The art museum is surprisingly good (especially the Asian collections) and, yes, there are gobs of new restaurants. But it's still Indianapolis.
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I left Indy - Broad Ripple to be specific - twenty years ago and still miss the hole in the wall restaurants, the surprising (I was a trailing spouse from Boston) local theater, and nice airport. But one treacherous icy street day I came home and my husband asked me how I felt about living in Orlando. I simply said when do I pack?
3
We have family in Indy and visit a few times each year. Plenty of fun things to do in Indy. The Monon trail is amazing, with brewery, coffee shops and restaurant stops along the way. It's a great up and coming city and it's doing plenty of things right. It's affordable, diverse and benefits from sports venues, philanthropic citizens and its higher education and medical centers. It's worth a look. The museums are first class. The Red Bar needs some cleaning, especially the acoustic ceiling tiles, but serves up some fun throw back vibes.
3
Well, most people don't come to Indy to do New York City things. Most of the restaurants would fit into NYC but we have plenty of local restaurants serving great food at great prices all over the city. Other places to visit in which to spend a few hours or more are the Indiana State Museum which has several outstanding exhibits, the Children's Museum, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum where you can actually ride a trolley around the track and get out and kiss the bricks. Must not forget Conner Prairie which is the best historical outdoor park in USA (10 times better then historic Williamsburg). You can also see some professional sports in wonderful sporting arenas--some of the best in the USA. For the classical music lover-the Indianapolis Symphony is top notch. Traverse a bit further north to Carmel and you will find an arts and design downtown worth wandering which includes many wonderful restaurants and bars. Best of all, people in Indiana are friendly and like to chat and learn about you and your world.
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@Gail
We were at Connor Prairie a couple of months ago, and were impressed also (it will probably not replace Williamsburg though). But it is a real historical setting with some of the original structures dating back to the 1820's, and the story of the founding family was arresting. William Conner married the daughter of a Delaware Indian chief, and they lived there until the Indian removal separated them. It is a sad but representative story that gives an indication of life back then.
A number of interesting people passed through that area also, since it was one of the few settlements around. That is the way you learn real history by the way, by going places, not through the textbooks.
2
When I lived in Indy over 15 years ago, I called it "Chicago Lite." The architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries reminds me of Chicago's buildings of that era.
5
No mention of the Indy 500? And the Speedway museum is actually pretty interesting for motorsport enthusiasts.
2
Indianapolis has the best children's museum in America.
Along with a world class zoo.
There is also a very vibrant black African American cultural art, music food side to Indianapolis.
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@Blackmamba And it has the honor of being one of the most exploitive employers having salaries in the mid teen's, no benefits and makes every employee work every Christmas Eve. They care about everybody else's family values while throwing those of their workers under the bus. Great institution, huh?
3
The home of President Benjamin Harrison, a Victorian poised on Delaware Street, offers a nice slice of American history even if he wasn't one of our great presidents.
3
The article does a good job to remove the fear about Indy if you were stuck there for what ever reason but beyond that it is not an argument to visit or relocate. It is just another American city
As a few others have mentioned, congratulations on listing most of the city's unique/good/memorable food options. As a native Hoosier and former Indy resident, I still contend that Indianapolis is perhaps the most soulless and boring city in the entire country. Sure, it's cheap, fairly easy to get around and (mostly) clean. But there are 75 chain restaurants for every good local one. Despite being surrounded by farmland, there's still a shocking lack of local farm products. I fully believe that Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, etc are far more interesting and memorable cities. It's amazing that a city of so many immigrants manages to be so bland. While the article extols Indy's virtues as a "midwestern", the overall ethos is mostly southern - the good and the bad. But the city is an absolute delight compared to the surrounding suburbs.
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@AC Chicago I've lived here 25 years and the city's overall ethos most definitely is not southern. other parts of the state? Absolutely. But the city proper. Not a chance.
9
I grew up in Indy and go back regularly to see family. There are great spots to eat and places to see everywhere, and lots of gentrification downtown. Medical care is first rate. But it is still always what it has been, largely a sleepy conservative small town with small town politics on a big city scale. It is definitely affordable, and I am still astonished at how low housing costs are.
No one has yet mentioned Shapiro’s Deli downtown. It’s a fusion of Jewish deli and the quintessential midwestern cafeteria. Not to be missed, ever.
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@M. Gerard The city is definitely not conservative. Much of the surrounding areas are, but not Indy.
2
This Indianapolis native is aghast that the world's largest and best children's museum was omitted...and no, it's not just for kids. And since you are heavy on our food scene, the Cake Bake shop in Broad Ripple is a destination spot for Oprah and anyone else who has experienced it.
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As someone who eats a plant-based diet, I'm not sure there's a single thing I could eat in Indianapolis.
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@Eric, Check out Indy VegFest's restaurant map
1
@Eric Lots of options: Public Greens, 3 Sisters Cafe, SoBro Cafe come to mind.
@Eric There is a lovely vegen restaurant on Fountain Square called Three Carrots. Great food and prices, and every thing is delicious. And many other restaurants on the square have a few vegan options to choose from.
4
I am a former resident of Indiana, all through my middle- and high school years, and a proud graduate of Indiana University / Bloomington.
When my mother passed in 2003, my brothers and I wound up in Indy after the funeral. One brother had a book he wanted us all to read, so the four of us decided to go to a bookstore. Local independent, B&N, Borders, whatever—we just wanted to buy the book.
This will forever stand out in my mind: we could not find one single retail bookstore. Anywhere. We drove all over town and never spied one.
To say the least, the four of us were completely stunned. But now, seeing the swing to the red side of the aisle my home state has taken, it’s absolutely no surprise to me.
Any “city“ that can exist without a bookstore—MULTIPLE bookstores—is fertile ground for challenging, and potentially uninformed, points of view.
I am giving Indy the benefit of the doubt, and assuming that this challenge has been fixed. But the damage is already done.
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no, it hasn't changed. I wrote a more pointed critique and although notified it was approved, don't see it here. nodoubt those here who don't take any criticism flagged it. typical of the only trumpets abundant and limiting the city's future. thanks for validating my perception.
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@Pat I am sorry to hear that. As a librarian I believe that bookstores and libraries are some key components to a healthy community. If you came back now I can vouch for the fact that there are now some lovely locally owned bookstores in the city.
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There are tons of bookstores in Indy. They just tend to be in shopping malls, which are typically located outside the downtown area. I would say there a surprising number of bookstores considering this “internet shopping” era we live in coupled with the fact that over the last nearly two decades since your visit, bookstores all over the country have been closing in larger and larger numbers.
I will not argue with your comment regarding the lack of diverse and educated viewpoints. You can have all the bookstores in the world, but that doesn’t change the fact that you can’t make someone check out a different bookshelf each time he enters the store.
I will also say that Indianapolis has a fair-sized public library system, and there are many branches in the more underserved communities in which residents wouldn’t be able to afford a luxury like purchasing books. And I think that is much more important – having libraries – than any bookstore you might find.
2
Always encouraging to hear that people are trying to improve what's on offer in places like Indianapolis. The folks who open bars and cafes aren't trying to turn their towns into Brooklyn, they're just trying to make a living and create spaces for people to eat, drink, talk, read, write, and listen to music. I lived in Indianapolis for 5 years while going to Butler and frequented the Art Museum, saw lots of plays, heard great music at Clowe's Hall on Butler's campus, could find jazz downtown, and I too loved the Red Key Tavern. I had no money, so I guess it was affordable. TRUMP country it is, but that garbage is everywhere. Thanks for the article.
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@JJ , may I point out that Hillary Clinton carried Indianapolis.
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How can anyone talk about Indy and not mention Yats? I’ll drive the 600 miles just to eat there, and maybe chat with the Joe.
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@John Robertson I feel the same way about Shapiro's!
@John Robertson — Had jambalaya at the Broad Ripple Yats just last night! Truly a treat. Loved the atmosphere. The Mass Ave location is great, too.
It’s clean and has a nice airport.
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@CA Meyer , things that might be welcome by a visitor from New Jersey.
1
As someone who once lived in Indianapolis I must say Congrats, you did literally everything in the entire city in one weekend!
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@Tom Far from it. There is so much more to do here - taking in a pro football (Colts) or basketball (Pacers) game, catching a concert or Broadway play, zipping through the trees at Eagle Creek Lake Park, watching the nightly light and sound show on Monument Circle, or visiting all the memorials honoring the sacrifices of our armed forces (only Washington DC has more). We regularly host friends from the East coast who marvel at everything Indianapolis has to marvel, and find that a three day weekend is far too short to experience even most of it.
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@Brent I'd also add eating at Yat's, hitting up the Cake Bake Shop, and a trip to Goose the Market as well to the list of items left out by the article.
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From another Indianapolis native —
How could you leave out The Children’s Museum? At half a million square feet it is the world’ largest children’s museum and a wonderful museum for adults, too. Oh, but you could spend the whole 36 hours just there....
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@J I agree! I love taking my children there, and one day I’m going to go by myself!
3
@J Also The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields is another place to get lost in for hours - the gardens are especially wonderful in the fall/winter holidays and summer.
3
@J When our youngest child was four or five (he is 31 now) we spent a long weekend in Indy and the high spots were staying in train cars at the Holiday Inn and the Children’s Museum. It was wonderful and all three of us loved it.
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So, the headline should be: if you happen to find yourself in Indy, don’t panic, there are decent food options. Nothing in this article motivated me to book a flight. I was in Indy for NCAA BBall Tournament 15 or so years ago and really enjoyed the city. It’s clean, small, very livable and the food was good. St. Elmo had a dessert special, only $8 for a cannoli, one cannoli. Suffice it to say, this New Yorker passed on it. The meal was excellent.
13
Thank you so much for the article. There are a couple other great spots for vegans in town that would never have succeeded here 10 years ago. The 10th St. Diner is an amazing little restaurant and an old gas station on the east side. It has brick walls and beautiful old architecture and fantastic food. Three Carrots in Fountain Square also has crave-worthy vegetarian and vegan food. And if you go north just a little bit this is Cicero coffee company is something straight out of a bohemian niche cafe from Greenwich Village. It also has regular food and great vegan food too. If you are ever back in town, check those spots out. You don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to love these restaurants. We take our carnivorous friends all the time and now they’re going back on their own.
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@Kim Gray, All great suggestions! My personal faves are Duos and Tlaolli. Also, Indy Veg Fest has an exhaustive restaurant map.
2
The Eitljorg Museum is indeed incredible, and Milktooth and Bluebeard delicious, but any Indianapolis guide that leaves out the Slippery Noodle (one of the country’s oldest and best blues clubs, located Downtown), is simply not a credible guide to Indy!
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I once spent a few days in Indianapolis when I was invited for an interview at Butler University. Everywhere I went around the city everyone was very friendly and laid back, as midwesterners usually are. I didn't get the job but I'll always remember this city as a cool place (with a building where I wanted to rent a loft) and amiable residents.
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My wife is from Indiana so I've visited Indy yearly the last 8. The quality and diversity of its dining options have improved at lot in that time.
Honorable mentions: The Inferno Room - one of the best Tiki/Rum Bars in the Midwest. The Garden Table for brunch - great farm to table menu, decent drinks. Thunderbird - a sports bar with really good food.
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@Sheldon Thanks for the love, but you might be confused about Thunderbird—a sports bar it is not. Zero TVs, zero sports.
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