Indianapolis - June & July, 2025
I blacked out much of the drive from Seattle to Indianapolis, but I have a few clear memories.
The "It's a lake, Michael!" inside joke was born when, in response to my desperate need to pee, Elliott turned off the highway down a country lane where there was absolutely no reason to expect a bathroom.
We drove through the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen. I sent a video to my stepbrother Kelsey, who is familiar with the area - he is a real life cowboy - and he immediately knew what stretch of road we were on. In my usual way, I started loosely planning to put down roots, aided by the purchase of a ranch and several horses. We could offer western-themed vacations! We could host teambuilding events for acapella groups! We could host the cast of Yellowstone for some filming! I could start a dog rescue!
Literally nothing else. What a slog.
The beautiful stretch of highway just east of Bozeman, Montana
By the time we got to Indianapolis, we were SO HAPPY to be done with driving for a while. Looking back, this was actually the start of over eight months of respite from long drives, and by the time we embarked on another cross-country trip, the sense of dread was gone. But when we arrived in Indy in July, I was really ready to be stationary.
Chatham Arch
Once we settled in, I started to notice how special our temporary Indianapolis neighborhood felt. Because we aren't typically familiar with the places we select, we don't always make informed choices about where to stay, but we often get lucky. Such was the case in Indy. We loved the Chatham Arch neighborhood, which sits in the Northeast quadrant of downtown Indy. The popular "Mass Ave" runs from the city center northeast to the Bottleworks District and forms the southern boundary of Chatham Arch. It's a neighborhood of mixed housing marked by well-maintained, smaller single-family homes, duplexes, and small apartment buildings. It has some of the cleanest, well-maintained alleys I've ever seen, and they are punctuated by little treasures, including a tucked away but thriving community garden and unexpected mini art installations.
Follow the yellow brick road
The yellow brick road to Emerald City was tucked away in an alley in the Chatham Arch neighborhood of Indy.
The witch is dead!
Can you see the tiny stockinged legs sticking out from under the house?
While almost entirely residential, it's a quick walk out of Chatham Arch to grocery stores, shops, restaurants, and entertainment. It was easy to rent a scooter and take a ride to Gainbridge Fieldhouse or White River Amphitheater. Even though traffic and parking options were straightforward, we took advantage of proximity and weather and walked everywhere we could, including to the local movie theater, the nearby Fresh Market and Whole Foods, an Indy Fever game, morning bagel walks to Sidedoor Bagel (hello Eastern time!), the dentist, a baseball game, and many other destinations. We weren’t expecting to love it so much. It doesn't feel right to say that Indy just has potential. Indy is actively realizing its potential, and I'm not sure people - even its own residents - have quite noticed. If you haven't visited lately, I think downtown Indy will surprise you!
Bottleworks District
The Bottleworks district, adjacent to Chatham Arch, is a great example of this upward trend. The complex is centered on the refurbished Coca-Cola Bottling Company, and the developer has thoughtfully maintained much of the Art Deco-style architecture. When the bottling plant was originally built in the early 1930s, its architect believed that adding beauty and artistry to industrial buildings would make workers happy and increase their productivity. What an uplifting win-win concept! While the theory didn't exactly stand the test of time, the building itself did, demonstrating how thoughtful, beautiful craftsmanship can lead to durable value and reusability. In too many places, the opposite occurs: cheap, non-descript factories are built, either to save money or time. When the industrial winds inevitably change direction, they are left as empty, rickety eyesores that give their surrounding communities an air of neglected decrepitude. I'm specifically thinking of an old Whirlpool plant, which is the cornerstone of this aesthetic on a stretch of highway in my hometown.
But back to Bottleworks, which is truly lovely. Among other things, the complex contains a little movie theater, small business offices, shops, restaurants, including those in a thriving food hall, and an elegant boutique hotel. From Bottleworks, it's possible to walk to many downtown attractions, but it's far away enough to have a totally different feel than the area surrounding Circle Center. If I were visiting Indianapolis for a long weekend or a downtown event, this is where I would stay.
Living Room Theater @ Bottleworks
The Living Room Theater is cozy and fits the Bottleworks District vibe. Along with mainstream releases, it screens classics and art-house flicks.
Broad Ripple
My brother and sister-in-law live in the Broad Ripple neighborhood a few miles north of downtown, and they insist it's the best neighborhood in Indianapolis. Broad Ripple developed as a separate town before it was incorporated into Indianapolis in the 1920s. It consists of a small commercial center surrounded by mixed housing and dotted with gems like the Indy Art Center, a stretch of the Monon trail, and Broad Ripple Park. It's probably Indiana's best example of neighborhood walkability that isn't dependent on high-density housing.
It's also closer to the fancy suburbs just north of Indianapolis, allowing access to the upscale amenities in places like Carmel and Fishers. These smaller towns often rate in the top 10 on lists with titles like "Best Suburbs in America" and "Wealthiest Small Towns". Behind the 'Top Ten' clickbait is Indiana's history of racism and white flight, which really got going in the 1970s. Gross, Indiana! But this is where many of the larger, traditional family homes are, and this area continues to be one of the fastest growing home markets. Additionally, good public schools, healthcare facilities, activities for children, and outdoor public spaces - plus proximity to major employers - often make cities like Carmel and Fishers a good choice for families. It’s also great for people that want to be close to Indianapolis but prefer a suburban feel. A few of my favorite people live there, including my cousin Katie. She doesn't know it yet, but I am planning to force her into close friendship if we move to Indy. She can't say no because we're related.
Katie, Maggie, and me at Will and Hanna’s wedding @ Indy Arts Center
My incredible cousin/future best friend Katie and her sweet daughter at my brother’s wedding. All my cousins in Indianapolis are pretty great, actually. I think the Kattmann/Griffin family is one of the most loving, talented, supportive families ever. I feel pretty lucky to know them all.
I asked my brother to write a little bit about what makes Broad Ripple so great. He was a couple-ten beers in, and admittedly "saucy", so I got an unfiltered submission:
"Best place I've ever lived by far. . . [Spring] is the second best time of the year. Fall is the best. It's the little stuff I wish I could accurately express. [I can] ride my bike wherever I need. Grocery is a 3-minute ride. Favorite bar (Plumps) is 8 minutes. Favorite restaurants are 3 minutes (Jazz Kitchen, Dan's and Marrakesh) away. Fernando's is a Brazilian place and it's a 9.5 out of 10. There are multiple workout places here. Hanna works out at an all-girls gym where they hold each other accountable, and I will climb a new gym near the Monon Trail. [I can] walk literally anywhere and get a snack and look at wildly unique houses. Between 46th and 62nd, there are truly unique houses - real gems if you pay attention. A house of the street we live just went up for sale and it's a 2-bed, 2-bath - perfect for Hanna and me."
Will Walls and his stunning, kind, brilliant wife Hanna
If our travels have taught me anything, it's that 1) it is an underrated luxury to love the place you live, and 2) loving the place you live has much more to do with you than anything else.
Will and Hanna have built a wonderful community around themselves. They are surrounded and supported by friends and family, and they've built strong ties to their community through their work and hobbies. Does it help that Indianapolis is affordable and reasonable diverting? Of course! But there is no magical set of characteristics that makes a place perfect. I'm really proud of them, and when we settle down somewhere, we'll follow their example.