I have lived in Indy for almost two years now, but I still feel I see something new every time I leave my apartment. IUPUI is located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis. Yet the city felt so far away, and I never managed to leave the IUPUI bubble until a couple of months ago. As I have begun this journey of venturing outside my invisible bubble, I’ve discovered places everyone needs to know about.

The Famous Tomato

I actually found this place by accident last year when I made a wrong turn down 10^th Street. I believe I was looking for the interstate, which if you drive down 10^th Street long enough you will eventually find. Anyway, I came upon The Famous Tomato and I had to stop.

Spoiler Alert they sell tomatoes. The store has a cute vintage décor and the friendliest staff. I go for the root beer. Walls are lined different bottles of America’s favorite soda. As I am currently attempting to try every kind, I have yet to try one I didn’t like. If root beer isn’t your thing, that’s okay too. There are plenty of other soda flavors. As if tomatoes and root beer weren’t enough, they have a salad bar, fresh fruits and vegetables, a whole wall of salsa, pickled everything, hot sauce…and did I mention candy?

Indy Reads Books

Summer is the perfect time to read! Finals have finally finished, and I find myself quite honestly bored to death. My free time has resulted in a spotless apartment, nothing left unwatched on Netflix, and a whole lot of napping. I decided it was time to buy a book. So I travelled to the very end of Mass Ave.

Indy Reads Books is an amazing and adorable used bookstore. I personally like my books with their fair share of wear and tear. That’s how I know it’s a good book. I also like to eat while I read, bend my pages, and accidentally leave my books out in the rain, so pretty much it’s pointless to buy brand spanking new books that I’ll destroy. However, if you prefer brand new books, they sell some of those as well. They can even special order almost any book you name.

Indy Reads Books is also a non-profit. The bookstore is a source of revenue for the organization Indy Reads. Indy Reads is an organization in central Indiana that sets out to improve literacy in adults who read at or below a sixth grade level.

“The more you read, the more we help.”

La Parada

Last, but certainly not least. La Parada is hands down my favorite restaurant in Indy. I’m currently on the verge of taking everyone I know there. Thanks to my roommate who took me for the first time last fall, I haven’t been able to stop going. I went jean shopping the other day, and turns out it shows.

I attempt to try something new every time I visit and have yet to have a mean I didn’t love.

Also, get the queso! Always get the queso.

Indy is an amazing city I have only begun to explore.