Indianapolis is known around the globe for the world’s largest single-day sporting event, the Indy 500. And both the Colts and the Pacers have captured the national spotlight over the years.
But this Midwestern metropolis is more than just a sports town. Indianapolis is re-creating itself as a haven for artists, chefs and entrepreneurs — even creating a $955 million technology incubator that will open this year. With all of these new residents comes the potential for something else great: new visitors.
In the last four years alone, the city has invested more than $3 billion in tourism. This includes the $63 million Indianapolis Cultural Trail, financed almost equally by federal funding and private donations. Connecting downtown’s five main districts, the 8-mile bike- and pedestrian-friendly path will eventually converge with the nearby Monon Trail and encompass Broad Ripple Village, a neighborhood north of downtown.
And the Cultural Trail is also one of the best ways to explore downtown Indy.
Wholesale District
Start your tour in downtown Indianapolis’ swankiest neighborhood, where tuxedo-wearing doormen and shining marquees line the streets. Check into the new Alexander, nicknamed “the Art Hotel” (from $179; thealexander.com). The menu at the hotel’s cocktail-concentric watering hole Plat 99 is a walk through boozing history, starting in 1850 with an absinthe-based recipe. Work up an appetite by browsing the hotel’s 40-plus artworks, then settle in for dinner at its casual-cool restaurant, Cerulean. Here, a farm-fresh menu comes to life in the form of rhubarb-cinnamon crumble and beef short ribs with spaetzle and shallot mascarpone. In the mood for a nightcap? Cross the street to Slippery Noodle Inn (slipperynoodle.com) for some booze and blues. Slippery Noodle, which opened in 1850 as the Tremont House, is Indiana’s oldest bar and once served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The next morning, hop on one of the free bikes and nurse your hangover with a giant broken-yolk sandwich at nearby Café Patachou (cafepatachou.com) before hitting the trail.
Fountain Square
Indy’s hipster hangout is a neighborhood notable for its vintage shops and funky activities like duckpin bowling at the Theatre Building. When you’re done window-shopping, bond with the locals over sub sandwiches and a game of bocce at B’s Po Boys (bpoboy.com) before crossing the street to New Day Meadery (newdaymeadery.com), a family-owned operation known for its honey wine. Stop by Fountain Square Brewery (fountainsquarebrewery.com) for a taste of Indy-made beer and make a mental note to cruise back later for dinner at Bluebeard (bluebeardindy.com) — the James Beard Award semifinalist slings Italian-inspired food made with mostly local meat and produce.
Massachusetts Avenue
“Mass Ave” packs what seems like endless restaurants, art galleries and boutiques into a five-block area. Silver in the City (silverinthecity.com), a quirky-cool gift shop, sells jewelry, housewares and stylish T-shirts printed with the 317 area code for showcasing your Indy pride; White Dog (facebook.com/whitedogmassave) is where you can realize your vintage-starlet dreams through a curated collection of timeworn goods. Snatch up all the classic trinkets your bike basket can hold and then pause for a midday break at the neighborhood’s German biergarten, Rathskeller (rathskeller.com), or Chatterbox (chatterboxjazz.com), a jazz club where the Rolling Stones once held an impromptu concert.
Indiana Avenue
This was the commercial and social hub of Indianapolis’ African-American community in the 1920s and ’30s. At the height of the jazz era, Indiana Avenue was lit up with clubs and bistros that drew some of the country’s greatest musicians — Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington among them. Today the district pays homage to its history and a few of Indianapolis’ most celebrated African-American leaders, including Madam C.J. Walker, who rose from poverty to become America’s first self-made female millionaire. Take some time to appreciate Indiana Avenue’s public art, including the nearby Glick Peace Walk (indyculturaltrail.org/glick-peace-walk.html), which is dedicated to Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Jr. and other luminaries.
White River State Park
On your last stop before returning to the Alexander, trade in your pedals for paddles and take a kayak float down White River State Park’s canal. You’ll breeze by some of the district’s top attractions, including the Indianapolis Zoo and its White River Gardens (indyzoo.com), which warrants its own visit for the 3.3 acres of flowered pathways. In August, the park throws one of Indiana’s best outdoor parties — Dig IN (digindiana.org), a summer food festival honoring the state’s best chefs, brewers and winemakers. Last year’s inaugural event celebrated farm to fork with food stands dishing out everything from sun-ripened Indiana tomatoes to sweet corn grown in Hoosier soil.
For more info, go to visitindy.com and indyculturaltrail.org.