IndyFilter

March 29, 2006 11:22 PM

IndyFilter: I am going to be in Indianapolis for an interview towards the end of next week. I will be in town for two evenings, and I am looking for things to do. Do you have any suggestions for places to visit, pubs to drink at, and restaurants that serve great Japanese, burritos, or pizza? I am 21 years old so I'm looking for places that draw a younger crowd, ideally young professionals. I've loved my time in college, but I am about ready to leave the college crowd behind. I am not a huge fan of clubbing, so if you can steer away from any of those in your recommendation, that would be appreciated.

Also, I am interested in checking out places to live. If you have any suggestions for neighborhoods like Lincoln Park in Chicago, that would be fantastic. So... in short, help me find the Lincoln Park of Indianapolis!

posted by jab to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

I was born and raised in Indianapolis but moved to Chicago 7 years ago.

There is nothing like Lincoln Park in Indy. Broad Ripple would come closest but it's maybe 4-5 blocks tops. Where are you staying in the city?
posted by gsh at 4:39 AM on March 30, 2006

Broad Ripple Brew Pub is the grand-dad of micro brew pubs in Indy. A good place to start (it's a true microbrew pub...not a chain)
If, by Japanese, you mean sushi...there's a ton of sushi bars in Indy. I'd highly suggest Sakura on north Keystone Ave.
Pizza is dependent on what your style is. Frankly, there aren't any really good deep-dish joints (other than the Pizzeria Uno chain) but for excellent thin-crust I'd highly recommend Bazbeaux. They have places downtown and in Broad Ripple.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:54 AM on March 30, 2006

Yeah, I was born and raised in Indy too, and have since lived in Boston and Cleveland. You're not going to be satisified if you look for "like Lincoln Park". My near-hip friends who still live in Indy are pretty spread out, some live sorta south of Broad Ripple, some live on the south side (which is no-man's-land to me), one lives in Speedway... None of these neighborhoods are 'hip', though.

As for consumption, almost every time I go back I make it a point to go to the Broad Ripple Brew Pub and order a house brew and (this is key) the beer cheese crock.

If you happen to be north of the city, there's a great little Chinese restaurant called (something like) Sichuan in Carmel at (I think) 116th and Westfield.

I think the place young professionals from Indy congregate is called "Chicago".

Best of luck on the interview!
posted by sohcahtoa at 4:57 AM on March 30, 2006

Further food recommendations, Bazbeaux to be sure, and since I moved there's started to be really good cheap mexican options. We like La Hacienda, which, someone correct me if I'm wrong, I think is on Washington St on the east side in a very cool former-diner.

There's a neighborhood called Fountain Square that is always on the edge of being hip. You might want to look there. I remember (10 years ago) it being pretty sketchy though.

There's also three streets that run south of 10th street on the near East side called Woodruff Place. For some reason these streets are much much nicer than those adjoining (I lived one street further on Tecumseh) and priced accordingly. A cute neighborhood but nothing commercial in the area other than a very scary Kroger.

But I haven't lived in Indy since 97 and am the wrong person to be giving this advice.
posted by sohcahtoa at 5:03 AM on March 30, 2006

Frankly, I would recommend an out-of-towner avoid Fountain Square like the plague. While there are a tiny handful of trendy joints there, the whole area is pretty dicey.
On the south edge of downtown, you will find the Slippery Noodle. It's Indy's lone blues bar. It's loud, crowded, and smokey.
The sad fact of Indy is that it really doesn't have an interesting nightlife. It has, mostly, bars, bars, and more bars. Downtown features a lot of trendy "see how nice I dress" bars and clubs that specialize in the martini-of-the-month.
Broad Ripple keeps cropping up. And, while there are a few good finds, it's main street is nothing but cookie-cutter bars.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:38 AM on March 30, 2006

There are a few really good sushi places on the north side: Ocean World at 86th and Ditch, Kona Jack's on Meridian just north of 86th, and (my personal favorite) Sansui in Carmel at Rangeline and Carmel drive. There is a fun Irish pub called the Claddagh on 96th east of Keystone, and another called the Aristocrat on College at about 46th.

I second the opinion that Indy is not a place for the young. What little nightlife there once was has been consumed entirely by cookie cutter bars, chains, and meat markets. Broadripple used to be a fairly open artistic community but it has become a vast wasteland for the ironic hip. The soul of Broadripple is long dead and anyone who tells you differently is selling something. Young people go there because there isn't anywhere else to go, not because it is really any better than anywhere else in the city. I don't mean to say that it is entirely without merit-- there are still a few nice spots but by and large it is overrun by corporate interest and youthful apathy.

If you can get out during the day, go to the Indianapolis Art museum at 38th and Michigan. It isn't free anymore, but it still has a pretty good collection of medievals, classics and moderns. If seeing a 2.5 mile concrete oval excites you, drive by the race track. There is an IMAX theater downtown if you get desperate. I wouldn't plan on wandering around downtown too much at night. The whole city is pedestrian-hostile, the bus system is worse than non-existent, the flow of traffic is deeply confusing, the streets are in a constant state of construction, and if you go two blocks in the wrong direction you will probably regret it. There aren't many major attractions downtown. The Slippery Noodle is pretty cool. Circle Center is a big mall inside a bunch of old buildings; there are a couple of little brewpubs lurking around that area. If you do spend some time downtown I highly recommend a meal at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

Good luck with your interview. I've heard it said that Indy is a good place to live, but you wouldn't want to visit there. I think that's pretty accurate, but if you're looking for great nightlife you'll probably be pretty disappointed there.
posted by leapfrog at 8:25 AM on March 30, 2006

And it's conservative as all fuck. Really. Be sure to bring a gross of yellow ribbon magnets.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:59 PM on March 30, 2006

Rent a car and drive to Bloomington.
posted by sled at 1:15 PM on March 31, 2006