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Traveling to Indianapolis - Brag to me about your favorite places!
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DH and I choose a new city to celebrate our anniversary each year and this year we are planning on Indianapolis! Our son will stay with Grandma, so I would love to hear your recommendations for romantic or fun for adults restaurants or venues for some dates/datenights with DH (museums, comedy clubs).
Can't wait to explore the city!
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Re: Traveling to Indianapolis - Brag to me about your favorite places!
Aw, congrats! I think you'll enjoy Indy, actually. I've lived here for just shy of four years and really love it.
You definitely have to check out the canal walk and White River State Park (it's beautiful down there and a good romantic/date spot...actually, it's where my husband and I had our first date, and where he proposed, too!). When will you be here? Depending on the time of year, they often do free concerts along the canal, and movie nights, too, actually (I think they've been doing those at the Historical Society on the canal). (I like to use www.aroundindy.com to check for free events coming up.)
The Indianapolis Museum of Art is awesome, if y'all are into museums...and it's free admission; you just pay $5 parking. Also, there's the Children's Museum...granted, you won't have your son with you, but I'd go to the CM with or without kiddos...it's truly amazing. : )
Mmm...what else...? It's always fun just to stroll downtown, especially near Monument Circle. There's a South Bend Chocolate Co. store there on the circle, if you want chocolates or ice cream. : ) And the Circle Center mall is right there, too. Restaurant-wise, you should try Palomino (downtown). Yum.
Outside of downtown, the Monon Trail is really neat, if the two of you like walking/being outdoors. And Main Street in Carmel is fun, too--very pretty, neat little restaurants and shops. Trader's Point Creamery in Zionsville is fun for brunch.
Those are my faves, I think. : ) Excited for you!
Oh, that sounds fun! There's three cultural districts here (Mass Ave, Broad Ripple and Fountain Square) that are full of amazing restaurants. We tend to prefer ethnic cuisine and there is plenty to choose from. Some of our favorites:
Santorini (Greek), Bosphorus Cafe (Turkish), Brugge Brasserie (Belgian), Mama Irma (Peruvian), Bazbeaux (pizza) and Flatwater Grill (American).
For drinks we like The Ball & Biscuit on Mass Ave, which is conveniently located next to Bazbeaux where you can get really good pizza. Then you should head down the street and have dessert at the Flying Cupcake or The Best Chocolate in Town. There's also a comedy club on the same street called ComedySportz - it's mostly improv.
Museums...so many to choose from! My favorites are Conner Prairie (living history) and the Eiteljorg (Native American & western art).
Hope this helps!
You two are so sweet! You are making me feel welcome and excited for our 8th anniversary !
You've received a lot of good recommendations so far. I'd definitely head to the circle and the canal in the evenings. We live downtown and love Mass Ave for restaurants/shops. Broad Ripple is a younger crowd but has many good restaurants and shops too. Fountain Square is a quaint, unique area. If you're into sports consider the NCAA Hall of Champions museum or an Indians (baseball)game. Carmel Town Center if you want to get to the burbs. Easley Winery or Sun King Brewery (both downtown) may have something fun going on depending on when you come.
Some of our favorite restaurants:
Breakfast: Cafe Patachou (a couple of locations), Zest or Taste (both near Broad Ripple)
Lunch: Creation Cafe (if weather is nice - can sit outside and people watch on canal), Old Pointe Tavern/MacNivens/Catham Tap (all on Mass Ave), ditto all the places already mentioned in Broad Ripple
Dinner: ditto Ball & Biscuit for cocktails, Palomino, Oceanaire ($$), Chef Josephs, Barcelona Tapas, Mesh, St. Elmos, Harry & Izzys
Have fun and feel free to ask more questions!
The iconic steakhouse downtown is St. Elmo's - I think there's even a new cozier lounge upstairs - I haven't been so correct me if that part isn't actually open yet. If you're at all into something just sort of goofy to do, there's also the Rhythm Discovery Center - it's sort of for kids, but also sort of for anybody who likes to make noise. It's right by the Circle Center Mall. Downtown, I also have to recommend Mesh on Mass Ave. - the food is really excellent. Mass Ave in the other direction also has Bru Burger, which is a little less dressy, but also really good.
Another kind of weird/quirky/off the beaten path spot is Fountain Square - you can actually go duckpin bowling which honestly is SO FUN for someone like me who actually sucks at bowling - it's more like skeeball. It's really retro/vintage, if you're into that sort of thing, and there are a ton of good restaurants around there, too. Santorini's Greek Kitchen that someone else mentioned (is really good) is kind of near there, but there's also a great Thai place called Siam Square. That food is gooooood.
Someone else mentioned the canal, which is really pretty and nice and walkable, and they also rent paddleboats for the water, and you can even rent those bike-car things for the sidewalks - we've never done it but always wanted to.
Near that area too is the Indianapolis Zoo - again, I don't know what you guys enjoy, but my husband and I love doing things like that, and they have an awesome dolphin exhibit now where you actually walk under the water and you're surrounded by glass. Hm, reading over my post, I guess I like doing kiddy stuff now that we're about to have one...!