People arrive in Indianapolis expecting a city that’s fine. They leave surprised. The food scene is genuinely good. The craft beer is excellent. The Monon Trail is one of the best urban multi-use paths in the Midwest. And the whole thing costs about half what it would in Nashville.
Our two Indianapolis homes sit in Broad Ripple and SoBro — the two neighborhoods most worth staying in if you’re going to actually enjoy the city rather than just pass through it.
Broad Ripple
Broad Ripple Avenue is the main drag: restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and live music venues clustered within a few walkable blocks. The Canal Walk connects south toward downtown. Petite Chou is the right call for brunch — a French bistro that does a proper croque madame and always has a line worth waiting in. Bier Brewery and Tin Roof are both solid for evenings. The White Rabbit Cabaret does live shows on weekends if your group is into that.
The Monon Trail
The Monon is a 27-mile paved rail trail that runs north from downtown through Broad Ripple, Carmel, and beyond. Both of our Indy properties are close to it. You can run it, bike it, walk it with kids in a stroller, or just follow it south toward the Cultural Trail and downtown without dealing with traffic. Rent bikes from B&O Trail Rentals or use the Pacers BikeShare stations scattered along the route.
SoBro (South Broad Ripple)
SoBro is quieter than Broad Ripple proper — more residential, more local, less tourist traffic. Our art-filled Whimsey Hideaway sits right in it. The 65th Street corridor has good independent restaurants: Ukiyo for ramen, Ezra’s Enlightened Café for a plant-forward brunch, Three Carrots for something similar. It’s the kind of neighborhood where you find a coffee shop you’d actually go back to.
Getting Around
Indianapolis is a car city, but the Monon eliminates the need to drive for most of what you’ll want to do in our neighborhoods. For downtown — the Indiana State Museum, Lucas Oil Stadium, Gainbridge Fieldhouse — it’s a 15-minute drive or a longer but pleasant Monon walk. Uber is reliable and cheap by city standards.
What Else Is Worth Your Time
Newfields (the art museum and grounds) is a genuine afternoon. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum doesn’t require you to care about racing to be interesting. Farnsworth House is a little drive but worth it if architecture is your thing. In May, the city transforms around the Indy 500 — if you’re visiting that weekend, book early and expect everything to be booked or priced accordingly.
Both our Indianapolis homes have hot tubs, arcade games, and enough space to decompress after a day out. Browse availability and reach out — Bill and Heather know this city and will give you the honest answer on where to go.
