Kevin's Watch

I'll be going down to Indiana for a long weekend soon. I have explored nearly everything in the smaller city where my son is going to university, and thought I might spend an afternoon in Indy, since it is only about an hour from Muncie.

I have heard that the art museum and zoo are both pretty nice down there.

If anyone here spends time in Indy which would you recommend for a spring afternoon in the company of a 14 year old boy?

Or is there someplace even better then the art museum or the zoo?

And is there a particularly good place to eat lunch or dinner?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

~duchy

Hi Duchess,

The Children's Museum is great fun, but a 14yo would maybe find it a bit juvenile.

The Indy Zoo is a good one, especially the dolphin aquarium, where you can walk under and see them swimming overhead.

The Indiana State Museum is nice, and has an Imax theatre inside.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art is OK - not as good as Cincinnati, but more than you would expect from sleepy-town, as we call it here.

Shopping-wise, there is Circle Centre downtown, with lots of specialty shops and chain food.

Restaurant-wise, we are the town with one of the highest concentrations of chain restaurants. You name, it we got it.

Aside from chains, we have several good locals:
Bazbeaux Pizza (with DwnTwn/MassAve + Broadripple locations) for thin crust heaven. $$
Scholar's Inn (also DwnTwn/MassAve + Broadripple locations) for high end food. $$$
The Rathskeller (DwnTwn/MassAve) for good quality German food, and a massive array of import beer. $$$
The Slippery Noodle (DwnTwn), for ambient jazz/blues (not sure about the food)
St. Elmo's Steakhouse (DwnTwn) for world class steak, and the best (spicy) shrimp cocktail you will ever taste. $$$$
Cinema Grill (86th and Ditch), for a unique Dinner and a Movie experience, all at once.
Cafe Nora (86th St @ Nora Plaza) for a little bit of French, a little bit of Italian. Great food, but $$$.
Mug-n-Bun (West Washington St), for old school burgers, footlongs, and root beer, served lke it should be -- car-side. $
Union Jack (Broadripple and Speedway locations) for an array of American favorites, + really, really good deep dish pizza. $$
Thai House (NW Side @ 86th & Michigan Rd) - the best Thai food Indy has to offer, but little ambience. $
El Rodeo (multiple locations) - good Mexican food. $
Squealers (NW side, 86th & Moller Rd) - award-winning barbeque. Try the spicy barbeque nachos. Trust me. $$

I could go on, but this is making me hungry.

DW

Thanks Duhkka! You are making me hungry, too!

My younger son would probably love one of the local pizza places, and if my hub and I can sneak away, leaving the little brother with the big brother for a few hours, the jazz/blues club sounds like a nice place to go in the evening.

I will print this out and take it with me. Hopefully we will get our free afternoon so we can head down to Indy from Muncie.

We are going down there to help my older son pack up the stuff in his dorm room and move home for the summer. As I told my husband, the problem is not with my son and his stuff, as much as it is with the room mate and his stuff. I might have to take down a snow shovel and a pitch fork to get the room mate's dirty laundry out of the way.

Indy's better now than it used to be when I was in college and the name was sometimes pronounced, "India-no-place".

Duchess, you might also consider the Eiteljorg (pronounced Idle-George) Museum. They have a pretty good collection of Western and Native American art. It's walking distance from Circle Centre and right near the canal-walk thingie, where you can rent a paddleboat (or at least, you used to be able to rent paddleboats there -- my intelligence on Indy is about 10 years old...).

My vote for chain restaurants in Indy:
*Steak 'n' Shake, for Cincinnati chili. (I think they call it chili mac on the menu. Idiots. )
*Noble Roman's Pizza. But don't get their pan pizza unless they've stopped putting the sauce on top of the cheese.

Thanks for the suggestions.

It actually sounds like there is quite a bit to do and see in Indy, going by what both of you said.

And I hope everything does work out so that I can get an afternoon to explore.

We actually have a Steak & Shake a few miles up the road, but since I'm not into fast food, I have never gone there. I did not know they had chili, or I might have stopped there - I thought they were burgers, etc.

Trying to think of NE side attractions (in case you are short on time coming into Indy from BSU):

Chalkies (NE side, E 82nd across from Castleton Square Mall) -- It's just a pool hall, really, but they have decent short order, a great beer selection, but best of all, they are a totally no-smoking establishment. This is one of the places you can spot Colts players when they are off duty. $$

The Melting Pot (NE side behind Castleton Square Mall) --A fondue restaurant. You want the strawberries and poundcake dipped in molten dark chocolate... $$$

The Ale Emporium (NE side behind Castleton Square Mall) -- This is a bar, but they happen to make great deepdish pizza, if you are willing to wait and can stand the smoke (which also means no one under 21). $$

The Cheesecake Factory (E 82nd Street, The Fashion Mall aka Keystone at the Crossing) -- yeah, it's a chain restaurant, but they have dozens of really tasty cheesecakes for you to pick from. It's always busy, so I suggest you get dessert to go so you don't waste your time waiting for a table. $$

Also at Keystone at the Crossing is the Keystone Arts Theatre, which has several screens and shows harder-to-find arthouse and independent films.

Shanghai Lil's (E 82nd St across from Keystone at the Crossing) -- This is a combo Japanese/Chinese Restaurant. They have a decent sushi bar, and some pretty unique menu items (look for the Bento Box). $$$

dw

DukkhaWaynhim wrote: Chalkies (NE side, E 82nd across from Castleton Square Mall) -- It's just a pool hall, really, but they have decent short order, a great beer selection, but best of all, they are a totally no-smoking establishment. This is one of the places you can spot Colts players when they are off duty. $$

I will have to remember that one. Since starting school down there, my older son has begun to hate the Colts due to all of the worship and hype. It has become something of a family joke. When I found out about a month ago that I have a distant cousin who plays for the Colts, I called my son up and told him that he has to become a Colts fan now. He asked "Why?" in a very suspicious voice. I told him about our distant cousin playing for the team, and that he has to be a Colts fan now because they are family.

Thanks again for the advise. We are about to head out the door, and it looks like we might try the Indy Zoo tomorrow (provided my crappy knee is up to it). The dolphins sound very cool!