Editor Shea here. I may not have been born in Indy, but after several years working, playing, and building a family here, I’m happy to call the Circle City my home.
As we kick off 2026, I’d love to share my 26 favorite things about Indy — in no particular order. And there are dozens more where this came from.
26. The spotted pig pizza from Futuro. Once you have ricotta and hot honey on a pizza, you never look back.
25. Walking the trail around the lake at the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park | This route is usually very quiet, just the right length to work up a light sweat, and has some beautiful serene views.
24. Getting a lash lift at Half Moon Brow Studio | This is the only way I regularly pamper myself, and the people who work here are true artists.
23. The chili cheese tots at The Mousetrap | Single-handedly healed me after a bad breakup. Could not recommend more.
22. Jingle Rails at the Eiteljorg | I love visiting this museum year-round, but its holiday train exhibit has me jaw-dropped and asking “how did they make that?!” every time.
21. The bar at Baby’s | If I was one of the Louvre robbers, this sparkly, swirly, sorbet-colored bar would be the next thing on my list. Baby’s, please take that as a compliment.
20. Thaitanium | This lowkey restaurant will always hold a special spot in my heart, as the site of my first date with my husband.
19. North Mass Boulder | This was the very first place I made friends when I moved to Indy, and I still love bouldering, going to yoga and HIIT classes, and decompressing in the sauna here.
18. Shopping at Viet Hua | I love cooking attempting to cook food from Asian cultures, and this is my favorite place to buy curry mix, kewpie mayo, and ramen ingredients.
17. Catching a show at The Vogue | From “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to Emo Nite to drag extravaganzas, every event I’ve attended here has been one to remember.
16. Taking a walk down Broad Ripple Flower Alley | Nothing cheers my soul more than touring the bright, beautiful murals adorning dozens of homes.
15. The Garage | Because sometimes, a girl just doesn’t know what she wants for dinner.
14. The guap fries at World Famous Hotboys | My desert island meal, hands down.
13. Simple Goodness soaps | This small family-owned company has a storefront way up in Elwood, but I buy my bars from Mercantile 37 or online. It’s the only soap I’ve used for the last three years.
12. The State Fair | I love the fair so much that, in 2021, I conducted a multiweek survey of every mac and cheese menu item on the grounds — in the name of science.
11. Metro | I’ve never had a bad night dancing here and I hope I never will.
10. The Children’s Museum | Dinosaurs, astronauts, carousels, superheroes, sports — I cannot imagine anything more fun than being locked in here for a weekend.
9. Gwendolyn’s Famous Earl’s Court Chocolate Cake from The Cake Bake Shop | I know I never stop yapping about my love for this over-the-top Indy mainstay but the first time I tasted this particular cake, I’m pretty sure my soul left my body.
8. Watching the sun set from the Fountain Square Rooftop Garden | One of the most lowkey bar experiences in the whole city — in the best way. Who needs fancy, overpriced drinks when you have a view like that?
7. Taking a walk along the Canal | During a warm summer evening stroll shortly after moving to Indy, this was the first place after 15+ years that I saw fireflies.
6. The chicken pad Thai at BODHI | As a certified noodle connoisseur, I can confidently say that this is the best pad Thai I have ever had.
5. Brazilian jiu jitsu classes at Fishers Elite Martial Arts | Technically this is in Fishers — but this gym has helped me learn self defense skills alongside amazing women and families who have become my close friends.
4. The Irvington Halloween Festival | As a self-proclaimed Hallowqueen, this is hands down my favorite event of the year in Indy — plus the best outing for fellow people-watchers.
3. Going to an Indy Eleven game | Listen, I’m really not a sports girly — but on a breezy spring evening, watching a high-energy soccer match with some local food truck grub in hand, I could almost be convinced.
2. Woodruff Place | I will detour through this neighborhood 10 times out of 10 to marvel at the gorgeous homes, majestic trees, and storybook worthy fountains and statues — especially in the fall.
1. Taking a walk on the Monon Trail | When I lived right off the trail in Mapleton-Fall Creek, hopping on the trail was a near-daily ritual for me — listening to meditations, taking pictures of the flora, and attempting to romance stray cats as I went.
What else should be on my list of favorites? Let me in on yours.
