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Published: November 22, 2008 07:18 pm
Just an hour away, Indy offers options for the girls: Shopping, nightlife, and ways to relax
By Jen Thomas
Special to the Tribune-Star
INDIANAPOLIS —
You need to do some holiday shopping, right? And, of course, you also need some quality time with your best girlfriends. Why not combine the two with a weekend away in Indianapolis? You’ll pick up perfect gifts and, at the same time, get in some serious female bonding time.
If you and your friends can’t agree on what to do, no problem: Just pack up and head to Indianapolis. The Circle City offers such an array of shops, eateries and entertainment that you’ll be able to find something to delight even your pickiest gal pal.
Northern exposure: Shopper’s delight
Start your trip with a visit to the city’s north side, where you’ll find the newest thing on Indy’s shopping circuit: a second Nordstrom. A complement to the beloved downtown store, the new version opened at the Fashion Mall at Keystone at the Crossing in September. Like the downtown store, it features the famous shoe department and all the best brands, but it also offers a few things you won’t see downtown, including a false-eyelash bar, a sunglass boutique, a new concept restaurant and new brands.
When you’ve finished at Nordstrom, wander through the rest of the Fashion Mall. With shops ranging from Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel to Saks Fifth Avenue and Brooks Brothers, you’ll find something for everyone.
Ready for a break already? No problem. Grab a drink or nibble at the Cheesecake Factory, or settle in for a chick flick at the Keystone Art Cinema & Indie Lounge, one of the city’s newest — and plushest — theaters.
Ready to add a little funk to your fashion?
Take a 5-minute ride south, where you’ll find one of the city’s six cultural districts, Broad Ripple.
A great stretch for independent shops in Broad Ripple is Westfield Boulevard. Start at Big Hat Books, where clerks can help you find the right book for that well-read relative. A few doors down, Gingko offers stylish home furnishings and free gift wrap, Frankey’s sells clothes with high design, and Chelsea’s features unusual picture frames, jewelry, cards, gift wrap and more.
Hungry? The hippest ladies-who-lunch stop at Petit Chou just down Westfield. While the crepes and homemade granola are awesome for breakfast, the Chicken Salad Patachou and the tomato artichoke soup can’t be beat for lunch.
Fully refueled, head around the corner and stop at Artifacts, a store for the artsy folks on your list. It features functional and simply beautiful art, including jewelry, pottery, novelties and more.
Takin’ it downtown
Appearances can be deceiving: Some of those historic facades you see around downtown Indianapolis actually front one of the freshest malls around. With more than 100 shopping, dining and entertainment options, Circle Centre is always a hub of activity. Gap, H&M, Ann Taylor and Nordstrom are just a few of the favorite shops.
Want to give the gift of culture? Museum gift stores can be treasure troves for one-of-a-kind gifts. Several are located within walking distance of Circle Centre in the Canal & White River State Park cultural district. You can start at the Indiana State Museum and walk along the canal to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art and the Indiana History Center.
The Indiana State Museum store has just the thing for the chocolate fiend on your list: a basket filled with treats from South Bend Chocolate Company, Endangered Species Chocolate products and fudge from Amish Acres.
The Eiteljorg store offers unique and authentic Native American and Western treasures. Pick up a metal cowboy lunchbox or a men’s tie with Native American designs. While you’re there, grab at bite at the museum’s Sky City Café. Cinnamon Buffalo Chili with cornbread and the Cactus Cobb are just two of the Southwestern and Native American-inspired selections on the menu. The Basile History Market at the Indiana History Center features CDs by Hoosier musicians such as the Hampton Sisters and Cole Porter and an eclectic mix of books, including cookbooks, coffee table books, biographies and more.
On the other side of downtown you’ll find Mass. Ave., the place to go for gifts that are urbane and off-beat. Mark off some of the folks on your list by making a beeline to Home in the City for funky magnets, Silver in the City for awesome baubles, Mass. Ave. Toys for old-fashioned and sophisticated toys for kids and adults alike, and The Best Chocolate in Town for, well, chocolate.
Love the nightlife
Of course, even a shopping trip can’t be all about shopping. A girl’s got to let her hair down, right?
In the Mass Ave area, you can sip some of the city’s best martinis at Scholars Inn (or “S.I.,” as the locals call it). A few blocks away, the cozy Chatterbox features some of the best jazz in town with local and regional bands seven nights a week. Arrive early to get a seat since the tiny joint fills up quickly. On the other end of the street — and the spectrum — is the new fashionably spacious FortyFive. A sushi bar, restaurant and cocktail lounge at the point of Mass. Ave. and College Avenue, FortyFive is a hotspot for trendy over-21s who dress up for a night out.
The decidedly retro feel of the Fountain Square cultural district makes it a favorite with the younger set. In the Fountain Square Theatre Building, the street-level Fountain Diner takes you back with its original pink, green and blue mosaic tile. Once the luncheonette of the F.W. Woolworth store, the soda fountain still serves hand-dipped, made-to-order shakes, malts and sundaes.
The fourth floor houses Action Duckpin Bowl, a vintage eight-lane duckpin bowling alley, with a 1930s atmosphere and a 1918 pool table. In the lower level you’ll find Atomic Bowl Duckpin with 1950s décor complete with pool table, jukeboxes and a vintage arcade game.
Two doors down from the Fountain Theatre, Radio Radio is a non-smoking concert venue with a full bar and retro lounge ambiance. A few steps farther away, Santorini Greek Kitchen offers belly dancers and flaming entrees along with a casual ambience and some of the city’s best Greek food.
Rest and relaxation
All that’s too much for one day, so you better plan to stay over. Several downtown hotels feature shopping packages that include Simon gift cards and coupon books, valet parking and breakfast in addition to overnight accommodations. Stay at one of the hotels connected to Circle Centre, and you can easily drop off overstuffed shopping bags before heading out for the night. Seven hotels, including the Marriott, Conrad and Omni Severin are connected to the mall via skywalks. They also offer a centralized location just a stone’s throw from restaurants and night spots.
Want to get in a little spa time, too? Check out The Villa Inn and Spa. An Italianate structure on a historic street five minutes from the center of the city, it offers a comfortably refined dining room and gorgeous sleeping rooms, but the spa is what will really excite the girlfriends. Ask about the package that includes an express manicure, facial and massage, all for $120 — it’ll give you that relaxed feeling without cutting into that all-important shopping time.
family-friendly events
Indy’s holiday calendar is chock full of exciting and entertaining special events, activities and performances — perfect for readers who want to escape to Indianapolis for an affordable, family-friendly getaway this season.
• Nearly 5,000 lights and more than 50 garland strands transform the 284-foot Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument into “the world’s largest Christmas tree” during Circle of Lights. Larger-than-life toy soldiers and sailors, and thousands of twinkle lights sparkling in the trees add to the holiday merriment through the start of the New Year.
• Visit the world’s largest children’s museum for favorites like the Yule Slide, and visits with Santa during Jolly Days at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Try ice fishing in the fishing shack or stop by the cookie café for creative cookie fun. This winter wonderland is a family favorite for the young and the young-at-heart.
• Nearly a million twinkle lights make the Indianapolis Zoo shine during Christmas at the Zoo. Holiday activities include a seasonal dolphin show, carolers performing your favorite requests and a festive train ride. Be transported to a far away land to meet Santa, see a real reindeer up close, write a holiday letter and decorate cookies in Santa’s Village.
• It wouldn’t be the holidays in Indy without the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s perennial holiday favorite Yuletide Celebration, a showcase of traditional holiday carols set to lively and energetic dance numbers. This year’s hostess is Tony-Award nominee Ann Hampton Callaway, best known for her in the hit Broadway musical “Swing.”
• Take a fanciful trip through the imaginary town of Celebration Crossing aboard the “Santa Claus Express” train at the Indiana State Museum. The kiddies can visit with Santa in his cozy home for a photo or drop by his workshop to participate in daily activities. Stop in the auditorium for a festive holiday performance courtesy of Peewinkle’s Puppet Studio.
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