Indianapolis City Guide
I've been living in Indianapolis for 4 years and I LOVE it here. As much as I love to visit new cities, this feels like home to me. And I will say, there's more here than what people think! As they say, "There's more than corn in Indiana!" HA
I went ahead and rounded up a few of my favorite spots and wanted to share them with you in case you ever wanted to make a trip to Indy! (I'd suggest coming sometime besides the winter...haha!)
If you look at Indianapolis on a map, it looks like a big square, which is nice because the main highway (465) makes it super easy to navigate around! Of course there's millions of things to do in downtown Indy, but there's plenty to do in the suburbs, too. Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, Noblesville, Zionsville, Broad Ripple--they all have their little treasure places. I'll drop some of my favorite places in the suburbs, but I'm mainly going to focus on downtown Indy!
Where to stay:
The Alexander
Indy has some really good AirBnb options--the most affordable option would be to stay in Broad Ripple, which is north of downtown about 20 minutes. BUT if you save your pennies and want to stay somewhere special, I'd highly recommend The Alexander hotel downtown. It's got all the boutique, AirBnb feels-- but in a clean hotel form.
Eat here:
Blue Beard
Blue Beard- a dreamy patio and delicious farm-to-table food.
Patachou Inc.--so many good restaurants by Patachou--here are a few!
Cafe Patachou
Cafe Patachou- perfect brunch spot that has a few locations all around Indy
Public Greens (I'm wearing the Oh My Gosh tee)
Public Greens- a farm-market inspired restaurant, perfect for lunch. I'm standing right in front of their garden across from the restaurant where they get their produce!
Napolese Pizzeria
Napolese Pizzeria- my favorite pizza in Indy! And my husband and I's favorite date night spot. If you're gluten free, they have the BEST gluten free pizza!
Coffee shops and the like:
Provider
Provider- Come for coffee, food or cocktails!
Indie Coffee Roasters
Indie Coffee Roasters- located on the north side of Indy in Carmel, but worth the drive!
Things to do and places to see:
The Monon Trail
The Monon Trail- The moon is a great FREE way to be outdoors (bike or walk!) and get around town to see all the things. It stretches more than 20 miles (with more on the way) to connect you to the area’s greatest destinations.
Nicey Treat (my sister is wearing the It's Gonna Be Great tee)
Nicey Treat- located in Broad Ripple-- so many fun homemade popsicle choices to choose from--and lots of dairy free options, too! You can grab one and walk along the monon!
ONATAH
ONATAH- located in Fountain Square, this shop is a favorite. The perfect gift shop with curated goods and lots of plants.
Honorable Mentions:
Kindred Boheme- located in Carmel, another adorable shop with vintage goods, plants, home decor and also a hair salon!
The Flower Boys- I'm a little impartial to these guys--cause they're my friends, but they started this cute little flower shop in City Market (also a place to check out that has shops and food spots!) and you can stop by and get fresh blooms!
Grounded Floral Co- The cutest plant store located in downtown Indy.
Locally Grown Gardens- Part farmers market, part restaurant.
Newfields (Indianapolis Museum of Art)- $18 for adults, stroll through the beautiful gardens or walk through the eras of art inside.
Massachusetts Ave- SO many restaurants, bars, shops--one of the main strips in Indianapolis.