I just realized that most of us ignored the OP’s second question, regarding restaurants.
It all depends on the mood I’m in. We’ve got some pretty decent Mexican places around us (Los Rancheros, Cozumel/Cancun [same place, different names]). There’s a gread Chinese place at 65th and Keystone - used to be Forbidden City, but now they’ve changed the name (Imperial City, maybe?). Personally, I’m a sucker for BW3 wings and potato wedges with cheese. Three Sisters Cafe in Broad Ripple is a fabulous vegetarian place in an old house - the “dining rooms” are just the rooms of the house with an eclectic mix of tables and chairs set up. Shalimar is a good Indiana restaurant in Broad Ripple. I’ve heard wonderful things about Enrico’s on Hillside (BR area) - locally-owned Italian place. There’s a fondue place in Castleton (The Melting Pot). We’ve also got Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese (with and without flying shrimp), Greek, Russian, and French restaurants, just to name a few.
I haven’t been to The Abbey downtown (on Massachusettes Avenue) in a looooong time, but it was always my favorite place for coffee (chai, actually) and dessert.
We have quite a few theaters around - Phoenix, Theater on the Square, Indiana Repertory Theater, Civic Theater, Beef & Boards (for dinner & a show) - plus big productions come into town at Cloew’s Hall (I think that’s how it’s spelled) and the Murat Shrine Center.
There’s a newer movie theater at Glendale Mall (adjacent to the Broad Ripple area) that’s got great stadium seating and liftable armrests. It’s a 12-screen, I think. If they’re in to artsy movies, there’s the Castleton Arts Cinema/Theater and another one on the south side that I’m not familiar with.
In short, they should be happy for a couple of months.
Oh, and they MUST go to Yat’s at 54th and College - cajun/creole for $6 a plate! Plus, they let you taste before you order, and always have vegetarian items on the menu.
Doesn’t look like anyone mentioned the zoo - did anyone mention the zoo? We’ve only been there in the summer, but really it’s fantastic & not-depressing. Something else to consider. And the Eiteljorg (sp?) museum of Native American art and artifacts is nearby - definitely worth a stop.
if i had the money i’d most definitely move downtown. right now i’m on the near east side and it’s okay, and houses are cheap. it’s a little shady, but hey, it’s indianapolis, which is a pretty damn safe city. i lived in louisville, and man, that place had some scary areas.
fountain square is supposedly the up and coming area. my friend bought a double down there for like 20 grand. sure, it was one step up from abandoned, and he had to gut the thing and spend 4 years rebuilding it, but it cost less than my car. it’s close to the insterstate as well.
i think broadripple is a little overrated. it’s expensive, and it feels like a college hangout to me. there are some great bars, like the alley cat, broadripple brew pub (great beer) and some nice music venues, but the number of frat bars bugs me. maybe i;m just getting old…
Good point, fessie. We do have a wide variety of museums and the like. The Zoo is wonderful, as is the Eiteljorg museum (Native American / Western art). We also have the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the State Museum, Indiana Historical Society, The Indy 500 Museum for racing enthusiasts, some sort of medical artifacts museum on the grounds of a closed mental hospital (Central State), and the Childrens’ Museum - which is great fun for all ages. I’m not sure how interesting the zoo will be in the winter, so you might want to check their website.
Hell - just send 'em a link to www.indy.org - it’s the official tourism website. It lists maps, events, things to do, restaurants, etc.
Don’t forget http://www.indyarts.org/, which should have a semi-complete database of all things artsy (thanks to yours truly), from major museums and theater companies to streetside murals and sculptures. I find it highly doubtful that they’ve actually utilized it, though.
Thanks to everyone who helped us out. I’ve sent a link to this thread to my friends who are following it. Maybe we’ll make dopers out of them when they see that dopers know everything!