A mural in Indianapolis by Pamela Bliss is called “My Affair with Kurt Vonnegut.” The late writer was an Indianapolis native.“Can’t go west, can’t go east
I’m stuck in Indianapolis with a fuel pump that’s deceasedTen days on the road now I’m four hours from my home townIs this hell or Indianapolis with no way to get around.”— “Indianapolis” by the Bottle Rockets
So, Indianapolis, are you an old Rust Belt city or are you the next Brooklyn?
Maybe a little of both – though locals bristled at a recent article in Bon Appetit magazine that compared Indy’s dining scene to Brooklyn’s hipster vibe.
The fact is, Indianapolis has its own identity, thank you very much, and shouldn’t be defined by what counts as cool elsewhere. Sure, there’s old-school Indianapolis: massive stone monuments that swallow blocks of downtown, divine corned beef sandwiches at Shapiro’s and shrimp cocktail with the world’s hottest horseradish at St. Elmo’s. The Indy 500 celebrates its 100th race this year.
But don’t let the abandoned Coca-Cola bottling plant on Massachusetts Avenue fool you into thinking the city’s best days are behind it. Not only is “Mass Ave” hopping with small shops and creative eateries, but other corners of the city are bubbling with energy too. You can see it along the Canal Walk, lined with artwork and popular with joggers, and even in the HGTV show “Good Bones,” where rundown houses in rebounding Indy neighborhoods are renovated by a mother-daughter team.