Indianapolis: Exploring the home of speed, sport and sass

Irish Examiner

3 days ago

Back when I lived in New York, a friend of mine would introduce herself as being from Indynoplace — a cheeky, eye-roll nickname for Indianapolis, the kind of city that barely prompted a reaction.
You could file Indiana's capital under 'fine' — all flat vowels, flat land and, according to the haters, flat vibes.
So what's Aer Lingus doing launching a slick new direct flight there four times a week on a single-aisle A321neo? Here's a clue: Indianapolis also goes by the 'Crossroads of America.'
It's laced into a criss-cross of interstates, within easy reach of cities such as Cincinnati, Columbus, St Louis, Chicago, and Louisville.
It's the kind of place that makes sense on a map, a strategic stop where your road trip playlist barely gets going before you've arrived somewhere else.
But there's more to it than logistics.
This is the first direct connection between Indy and Europe, and with more than 50 Indiana-based companies linked to Ireland, the economic logic is sound.
For Aer Lingus, it's a chance to boost Dublin's role as a gateway to the American Mid-West. For Hoosiers, it's a shortcut to the other side of the Atlantic.
Still, Indy isn't just playing middleman. The city's quietly upping its game, with eye-catching murals, small-batch breweries, boundary-pushing kitchens and a homegrown creative streak that's giving it a new edge. Maybe Indynoplace is due a bit more attention after all.
The surest way to get the measure of a city is on foot — or better still, on two wheels. Indy's eight-mile Cultural Trail snakes through six downtown districts, threading Mass Ave, White River State Park and Fountain Square into one seamless loop.
Expect bursts of public art at every turn (Ann Dancing, Julian Opie's LED stick-figure in the Mass Ave district is a highlight) and a stop-you-in-your-tracks landmark in the Madam Walker Legacy Center, a 1927 Art Deco theatre honouring America's first black female millionaire.
Tucked just off Indiana Avenue, the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library is part gallery, part shrine, part gentle rebellion — a fitting tribute to Indy's most subversive literary son.
Founder Julia Whitehead champions the museum's unapologetic stance on free speech, arguing that its independence from federal funding gives it the freedom to speak louder — and braver — than many larger institutions.
Vonnegut, no fan of censorship, would no doubt be cheering from the rafters. His words on the subject are on display here, more urgent now than ever.
At 10th and Lewis Streets, the Cultural Trail plugs into the 26-mile Monon Trail, a reclaimed rail corridor that shoots north through hip Broad Ripple — student nightlife on tap — before rolling past elegant Carmel's manicured lawns and all the way to Sheridan in central Indiana.
Breweries spill onto the path here too, whether you're chasing small-batch sours in Fountain Square or a post-pedal pint on Mass Ave.
Race day at the Speedway, Indianapolis
THE INDY 500
All of Indianapolis's low-key cool gets left in the dust once you hit the northwest side of town. Indy's other persona is 'The Racing Capital of the World'.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway plays host to a full calendar of high-octane events, but it all builds to one roaring crescendo: The Indy 500.
Held every Memorial Day weekend, it draws a jaw-dropping 340,000 fans, packing out the biggest sports venue on the planet. It's loud, it's legendary, and it's pure, unfiltered adrenaline.
If you're not in town for race day, don't worry — the newly revamped museum does a solid job of capturing the buzz, with exhibits that bring the drama and speed to life.
Fionn Davenport on the podium at Indianapolis Speedway
Guided tours take you behind the scenes of one of America's most-watched sporting events, all the way onto the legendary track, where you can channel your inner champion and plant a kiss on the famous Yard of Bricks, the iconic start-finish line and the last visible stretch of the original 4km brick-paved surface that earned the Speedway its nickname, 'the Brickyard'.
On the way to the track, I made the obligatory pilgrimage to Long's Bakery because apparently, no Speedway trip is legit without it. From the outside, it's all no-frills charm: A plain facade straight out of 1955.
They specialise in donuts that don't need fanfare. Just glossy glaze, pillowy dough, and maybe a hit of jelly or custard if you're feeling fancy.
The coffee is jet black and no nonsense (I heard someone ask for a cappuccino and they were almost laughed out of the place). They're proudly cash-only, a pleasing anachronism in a world of tap-and-go. It's all part of the magic.
The Bottleworks district
Not that Indianapolis can't do sophisticated. Step off Mass Ave and you'll hit one of Indy's freshest playgrounds, located around what was once the world's largest Coca-Cola bottling plant.
The Art Deco sprawl still covers multiple blocks, but now its old garage thrums as a food hall where more than 20 vendors dish up globe-trotting comfort.
Picture Greek pitas from Mama Fofo, chimichurri-soaked Brazilian steak sandwiches, and Mid-West crowd-pleasers — smoky ribs from Pig Pen and nostalgia-laden burgers at Clancy's, still flipped to Carl Fogelsong's 1965 recipe.
Directly opposite, the plant's main building has re-emerged as the Bottleworks Hotel, all soaring ceilings, terrazzo floors, and graceful curves. The Art Deco bones remain intact, but tech-smart touches bring the whole place neatly into the now.
One place that has remained more or less unchanged is St Elmo, a carnivore haven that is one of the city's last true independent steakhouses.
This 120-year-old spot racks up awards for service, romance, and white-tablecloth flair, but the main reason to come is to sink your teeth into prime, perfectly charred beef, and challenge yourself to its signature shrimp cocktail — a fire-breathing starter made with lots and lots of horseradish that lights up your sinuses.
St Elmo's Steakhouse
ST ELMO'S FIRE
The walls of St Elmo's are lined with portraits of famous patrons and sports stars, including plenty of local heroes.
The Colts — among the NFL's oldest franchises — made the move from Baltimore in 1983, and now call Lucas Oil Stadium home. You can even take a tour if you're into gridiron cathedrals.
But if football's a passion, basketball is religion. Hoosier Hysteria runs deep in the state.
Gainbridge Fieldhouse, smack in the middle of downtown (and also worth a tour), hosts the Indiana Pacers (at the time of writing playing in their first NBA finals since 2000) and the Indiana Fever — now packing in crowds thanks to Caitlin Clark, the phenom redefining women's basketball in real time.
Victory Field is home to the minor league Indianapolis Indians and serves up pure Americana: Summer nights, cheap bleacher seats, hot dogs in hand and a beer under the lights. It's as close as you'll get to Field of Dreams without stumbling into a cornfield.
I only had three days on the ground, but Indy made its case fast. The new Aer Lingus hop is more than a convenient doorway to the Mid-West — it's an invitation to linger.
Give the city a couple of days and you'll see why it earns a place on the itinerary, and not just the map.
THREE PLACES TO EAT
The Garage Food Hall: 20+ vendors selling all kinds of cuisine, from burgers to bao buns. You can eat well here for around $20
St Elmo's Indianapolis' most famous restaurant is an old-school steakhouse, but its signature dish is its super-hot shrimp cocktail starter.
Milktooth: For the trendiest breakfast in town, this tchotchke-filled spot tacks hard between tasty and artsy.
OUTLAW SPIRIT
Indy's bar scene is stacked, yet the Slippery Noodle Inn still steals the spotlight.
Open since 1850, the place has worn many hats – brothel, slaughterhouse, speakeasy – and counted hometown outlaw John Dillinger among its regulars (look for the bullet holes in one of the walls).
During the Civil War its basement sheltered freedom- seekers on the Underground Railroad, a slice of history you can still step into.
These days it's straight-up bar meets live-music haven – no frills but plenty of tall tales between pitchers of local brew.
A room at Bottleworks Hotel
ESCAPE NOTES
Aer Lingus flies four times weekly with fares from €250 each way, aerlingus.com
Bottleworks Hotel rooms from $179, bottleworkshotel.com
Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library admission $12, vonnegutlibrary.org
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum admission $25; track tours $15-55, imsmuseum.org
Lucas Oil Stadium tour $20, lucasoilstadium.com
Gainbridge Fieldhouse tour from $10 per person, gainbridgefieldhouse.com
Victory Field (Indianapolis Indians), tickets from $15, mlb.tickets.com