Dear Steph - Indianapolis Edition

I got an email from my friend, Katie, the other day. Katie's the best! And hilarious. She lives and works in Texas, but is one of my best girls from college.

She wrote:

I am working on pulling together a "Welcome to Indianapolis" wedding present for my friends who are moving there. Gift certificates for cool things to do. I'm thinking restaurants, theaters, outdoorsy stuff.

Do you have any suggestions on your or Ben's knowledge of the city? 

I sent a response (of course, weeks later), but in writing all of this, I thought it'd be fun to share with all of you. After all, what's there to do in Indianapolis?

My reply:

Yeah! Plenty! And then I realized that we're pretty lame.

Here's my list (because Ben came up one only one thing, haha). ENJOY!!!!!

FOOD

• St. Elmo's Steakhouse -- known for their cocktail sauce and its spicyness. Apparently some amazingly good steaks. Zagat agrees. They also have good happy hour appetizer/drinks specials for the hotshot young professionals who like to go out after work. It's located downtown.  High end. High class. Web: http://www.stelmos.com/
• Bazbeaux Pizza - known all over Indianapolis for their pizza, and I've never had it before. But it's in a cool neighborhood (Mass. Ave - Massachusetts Avenue) with a cultural trail, one-of-a-kind shops, and other restaurants/bars. I used to live a few blocks away when I lived downtown! There's also one in Carmel (read below). Web: http://www.bazbeaux.com/
• Bub's Burgers* - must!! It's North of the city (30 min from downtown) in a fancy-pants neighborhood called Carmel, and there's a location in Bloomington we frequent quite often, too. I would eat there every day if I could - they have a big burger challenge! If you eat the whole thing you get your picture on the wall. Sweet potato waffle fries are the best. AND THEIR ICE CREAM - omg. Get a milkshake. Die happy. Web: http://www.bubsburgersandicecream.com/
• Trader's Point Creamery* - A local gem! They source and serve local, slow food like eggs, dairy, and meats. We chased chickens on the farm here once. Ice cream, yogurt, farm breakfasts... yum. Sunday brunch - the best. Web: http://www.tpforganics.com/the-loft-restaurant/
• Rick's Boatyard - a great anniversary or birthday dinner type place. It's on the water of Eagle Creek (see below) so you feel like you're eating on a cruise ship or waterside in the Keys. Great great great food and romantical atmosphere. :) We went here after we got married. Live music on weekend nights. Web: http://www.rickscafeboatyard.com/

STUFF TO DO

• SkyZone - an indoor trampoline park. I've never been but I heard it's wicked fun!  Web: http://www.skyzone.com/Fishers
• Duck pin bowling - mini bowling! Super cute date night type thing. Web: http://www.fountainsquareindy.com/bowling/
• Latitude 39 - like a Dave & Buster's, except the games are way more fun... some games I've never seen anywhere but at Latitude 39. Bowling alley too with midnight bowl. Web: http://latitude39indy.com/
• The Rathskeller - live music plus an outdoor beer garden... awesome summertime activity to hang out with friends. They have amazing German food (and beverage). It's near downtown, on Mass Ave, and it's in a beautiful historical building. If you're really into the downtown living scene, this is the place. Web: http://www.rathskeller.com/
• Canal stuff - you can rent a paddleboat, bike, or a Segway (tours!) on the canal that goes through downtown and IUPUI (college). Technically, it's a part of the White River State Park.... a downtown state park! Link: http://www.discovercanal.com/userctl.cfm?PageContentTypeID=1&PageContentID=8
• Eagle Creek Park* - aside from Central Park NYC, it's supposedly the largest city park. It's really quiet, almost traffic-deserted, and great for biking (roads are always deserted), hiking on trails, or running (roads or trails). They hold lots of events, a nature center, plenty of picnic shelters, etc. It costs $5 to get in each time, but you can buy an annual pass for $85 (?) and get unlimited entries. There's a lake, a "beach" (yes, I've swam here), and a boat launch. Also a golf course and a shooting/archery range. Lots of picnic shelters and a great place to spend the day with friends.
• The Murat-  also on Mass Ave., this is a big old theater where they hold live shows and events. I've never been, but it's a gorgeous historical building with a name that's unfortunately been commercialized recently by a big-money sponsor. And hey look! Bill Cosby's coming in September! ;)  Web: http://www.ticketmaster.com/Murat-Theatre-at-Old-National-Centre-tickets-Indianapolis/venue/41109  About the venue (photos): http://oldnationalcentre.com/venue-information
• Klipsch Music Center* - Formerly the Verizon Music Center where we saw Coldplay! Big. Outdoor. Concerts. Summer. Fun. Web: http://www.livenation.com/venues/14412/klipsch-music-center 
• Carmel Arts & Design District* - Carmel is like the Upper Arlington of Cbus... except with more $$$$. They have an "old town" arts and entertainment district with cute shops, antique shops, boutiques, coffee & ice cream places, restaurants, bars, etc. and do gallery walks and fun stuff. It's also located right off of the Monon Trail, a converted railroad line turned multi-purpose path that goes all the way into downtown (it goes 12 miles south, but note: don't go south of the streets in the 50s). This is a fun date night activity too, just bumming around or taking the dog for a walk. Very cool area, and lots of young professionals live here. It'd be fun to grab a coffee or burger (from Bub's - see above), find an outdoor seating area off the trail, and people-watch. Web: http://www.carmelartsanddesign.com/ 
• Broad Ripple* - Best drinking spot. It's annoying to get to, and some of the bars have sticky floors or creepers stalking around, but this is where the just-out-of-college crowd goes to get sloppy. It's still a cool area, when it's not party central, during the day - lots of artists, galleries, and unique shops/restaurants exist in this neighborhood. Great place to walk around and explore... also off of the Monon Trail, south of Carmel about 5 miles. Web: http://www.discoverbroadripplevillage.com/
• Bloomington!* - I'm not even saying this in a biased way. It's a cool college town, and there are lots of hipsters and fun things to do, local people make it a weekend or a day trip (it's ~1 hour drive). The campus is beautiful. Saturday morning farmer's market is amazing (get Tamales at Feast!!), and there are always events going on, gallery hops, arts festivals, concerts, and tons of ridiculously good food. Btown is hugely liberal and eco-friendly, so you'd fit in if you drive a Prius (or Subaru) sporting a = bumper sticker. If you like the "shop-local" vibe, this is the place. Oh, and I hear the running stores in town are pretty solid. ;) Boulder of the Midwest??

*Not downtown, or within walking distance of downtown. Must drive!

GOOD PLACES & NO-FLY ZONES

Whenever I hit up a new city, I usually want to know where NOT to go just as much as where to go. (Big city rule of thumb: if you can't see a Starbucks, you're in the wrong neighborhood)

Just like any city, Indy has some pockets & areas that may not be the safest at night... or during the day. My work takes me to some pretty rough areas sometimes, and often I learn this the scary way!

So here is my list of places to stay out of after dark/daytime:

1. Anywhere on the East side near 465... or anywhere on the east side in general. Shadeland. Around Post Rd. This is where seriously bad things can happen.
2. Southeast side, along 465. I kid! Honestly- It's not unsafe here, but many call it the "Dirty South." There's a pretty good mall in Greenwood though, so I can't hate on it that much. You'll just see a lot of unnecessarily large and loud trucks and confederate-flag license plates or vinyl stickers. Oh wait, that shouldn't be too different from Texas.
3. 38th Street +/- 2 miles North/South on the West side. Not a place to hang out at night. Or by yourself. Lock your doors. Ben tells me the mall over there, Lafayette Square, is commonly referred to as "Lafayette Scare," and we see it on the news frequently enough. I don't question.

And here is my list of places you (probably) won't get mugged, car-jacked, stabbed, robbed, or worse:

1. Carmel. SUVs, soccer moms, McMansions.
2. Mass Ave. But stay on Mass Ave, otherwise you'll accidentally wander into a homeless shelter (which I can tell you from experience).
3. Downtown. Again, stay in the downtown areas (and yeah, you'll probably get accosted by a panhandler on the street). Downtown's been redone for the Superbowl a few years ago, so plenty of downtown lofts and bars, restaurants, and a downtown mall (a la City Center of Cbus in its heyday).

Monon Trail

PLACES TO RUN IN INDIANAPOLIS

Worst part of being in a city you don't know -- running through areas you don't know. 

Best safe staple places to run:

1. Monon Trail. Definitely stay on the path north of streets in the 50s (i.e., 56th street or north), and preferably north of 86th Street. I'd recommend starting in Carmel anywhere near 116th Street or 146th (Parking limited, but plenty of neighborhoods and shopping centers nearby) and working your way South for an out-and-back. Surface is paved and allows bikes and pedestrians. Up to 25 miles of trail.
2. Canal Downtown. It's a big loop, but you could get about 3 miles in before you have to repeat. Best for short quick runs. Concrete pavement.
   
   
3. Eagle Creek. My favorite place! Northwest Indy. Trails, roads... either or. There's virtually no traffic and you can't get too lost on trails. If you enter from the 71st Street entrance there's a Fitness Trail that's about 1 mile long. Otherwise, the park has labeled 5k, 6k, and 10k route signs inside the park on roads. Note: You need to pay to get in or have a park pass. (DNR passes do not apply - this isn't a state park). Web: Link
4. Fort Ben. Fort Harrison, whatever you want to call it. It's a state park. I still haven't run here before but this is a go-to running place for North/East siders and they hold running events, like the Indianapolis Marathon, with routes inside the park. Web: Link

So that's your quick and dirty guide to Indianapolis. Any other cool or fun things I forgot to add? Comment!