I know what you are thinking. We live in Indiana, amongst the corn fields and the steaming cow pies, and the beach is far from reachable on a weekly basis. Fear not, your weekly dose of Sand Volleyball is actually within reach, even on a school night at Pinheads.
Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company makes good on it’s promises that extend much further than just a great cup of coffee.
CFCC, located on Virginia Avenue in Historic Fletcher Place, is a not-for-profit coffee company whose mission is “building a community through loving and welcoming every person that walks through the door, and through providing the best product, service and friendship that we possibly can.” CFCC really holds themselves to a higher standard. All profits made by the coffee company are donated to local groups and nonprofits, their goal is to donate $5,000. They also plan to give time by engaging in services projects right in Fletcher Place. They aren’t just giving you a to go cup of coffee, they are building a community of good people.
I have cool friends doing cool things. One of those things involves the planning of the Indy Film Fest. And one of the perks of having those cool friends is tagging along to opening night of said film fest.
The theme of the 2015 festival is “Fearless Stories” and they are living up to that with a line-up of films that is anything but mediocre. Opening night featured “Sleeping With Other People” and did not disappoint. Never have I seen a film that so successfully combined witty banter, charming dialogue, heartfelt moments, and just the right amount of raunchy humor. Continue reading
Photo Courtesy of http://www.louieswinedive.com/indianapolis/
Mass Ave’s official tagline is “45 Degrees from Ordinary!”, but I’d also call it a diagonal river of booze. You can get margaritas at Bakersfield, beers at MacNivens, cocktails at The Libertine, and now, as of last month, Mass Ave rounded out its equal opportunity alcohol options with the addition of Louie’s Wine Dive. The term “dive” might be a stretch. The space is beautifully decorated with exposed brick walls, floor to ceiling shelves of wine, and large windows at the front of the place to watch all the activity of Mass Ave. When I went with a small group of friends, the restaurant was busy, but still cozy- a perfect date location, but also inclusive of some larger tables for groups. Our group was waited on promptly by a knowledgeable and attentive waitress. We learned that Louie’s is not exactly local- the wine restaurant hails from Kansas City, and the Indy location is the sixth in the nation, but I wouldn’t call it a chain.
I am an Indianapolis transplant. Though I attended college in Indiana, my first big city was Chicago. The only problem is that Chicago has a tendency to eat up young millennials like myself. High taxes and even higher rent drove me to the center of the Hoosier state and all of its fiscal benefits. But, like any decision such as this, there’s a sacrifice to be made.
In my case, that sacrifice was Chicago-style pizza. All other pizza is inferior. I’ve been ruined for all other pizzerias.
As I wandered around historic Irvington, I stumbled upon Coal Yard Coffee. You could say I was Recreational Walking down a gravel path on Bonna Ave. Coal Yard Coffee is modest, unassuming building with a small sign leaning against the entrance. Just walking by I wasn’t completely sure what it was and I almost didn’t go in. But, boy, am I glad I did.
In our millennial age, perhaps no other activity has captured the weekend imagination of young adults more so than the “bar crawl.” Hardly a month goes by without one’s calendar getting pummeled with invites to various holiday binge-drinking events, where one may be expected to dress as anything from Santa Claus to an Irish stereotype, all the while walking from bar to bar in one of the city’s many nightlife districts. It’s all fun, but lately I’ve grown tired of the obnoxious, drunken shenanigans, the over-priced drinks, and their subsequent hangovers. But not wanting to rid my life of the practice entirely, I’ve begun looking for other applications of the “crawl.” So this past weekend I woke up early and began the city’s first inaugural Midtown Coffee Crawl. What followed was a morning of manic energy, fleeting mental clarity, and existential dread. I should at this point warn everyone to never do this. I mean bar crawls are dangerous and all, but at least you can sleep off a day of over-drinking.
Jon McLaughlin returns to tug at all the hopeless romantic’s heart strings with his latest piano-pop ballad “Before You.” It’s been almost two years since Hoosier singer-songwriter Jon McLaughlin partnered with PledgeMusic and allowed fans to help select the tracks for his fourth album, Holding My Breath. And last November McLaughlin released his widely successful holiday EP that went on to top the iTunes holiday music charts. And just recently, McLaughlin announced, via his website, plans to release his fifth full length album and upcoming Like Us tour this fall.
The bright green building on Washington Street will catch your eye, but then pull you in further when you realize its Irvington’s emerging delicatessen. Your Local Deli & Market is just that – yours. It’s familiar enough to make you feel like a regular upon your first visit.
The daily grind can be just that- an uninterrupted day of the same people, the same tasks, the same place for lunch, and the same computer screen. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra wants you to mix it up.
Trndy Indy 