Street Savvy: East 10th Steet
1. Sightsee
East 10th Street has an eclectic (if unsung) mix of historic commercial and residential architecture. Find a colorful, free walking-tour map at Tin Comet Coffee as well as Little Green Bean Boutique, Tick Tock Lounge, Pogue’s Run Grocer, and Audrey’s Place.
2. Sip
Regulars at scrappy little Tin Comet Coffee leave their favorite mugs—dated vessels touting IHOP, Florida travel, The Far Side, and so on—hanging on a wall for use on return visits. There’s also a BYO-music tradition for playing records on the hi-fi console. Try a “John Wayne” coffee shot, with layered espresso, cream, and your choice of flavoring (hazelnut recommended). 2119 E. 10th St., 317-420-1025, tincomet.com
3. Spin
Most of the players for sale at The Turntable Shoppe are secondhand. They’re also good as new, thanks to engineer-turned-shopkeeper Roy Griffith. Some of the units—like a mod British-made Garrard 210 spied recently—look handsome enough to accent a room. Audiophiles who shop here believe that analog just sounds better, too. 2121 E. 10th St., 317-441-6528, theturntableshoppe.com
4 Belly Up
Perhaps no business symbolizes 10th Street’s revival better than the Tick Tock Lounge (pictured above right), a once-dingy dive rendered clean and cozy by a recent overhaul. Critics are buzzing about the show-stopping
Bloody Mary (garnished with a cocktail spear of bacon and tater tots), while workmanlike sandwiches, freshly fried house-cut potato chips, and a respectable beer list have quickly made the place a beloved neighborhood hangout. 2602 E. 10th St., 317-634-8625, facebook.com/ticktocklounge
5. Shop
You might stay in Little Green Bean Boutique for a while before you realize many of the cute baby clothes you’re browsing are gently used. The sunny corner shop also carries locally crafted kids’ stuff like Lillies & Jasmine lunch bags and Netty Monsters sock monkeys. 2809 E. 10th St., 317-426-4232, littlegreenbeanboutique.com
6. Splurge
Designer Truen Jaimes operates his House of 5th accessories line out of a stylish “atelier” and has buyers as far away as London and Beijing. Most clients custom-order, but the shop keeps a small inventory of studded bad-girl bracelets, chic totes, and edgy tablet cases. Jaimes hand-dyes his leather, which helps explain why prices can top $1,000. 2807 E. 10th St., 317-410-7786, houseof5th.com
7. Eat
Pogue’s Run Grocer, Indy’s only co-op market, has all the bulk grains and locally grown produce you’d expect at a natural- and health-foods store. But the deli keeps loyalists returning between shopping trips for its loaded salad bar, soups of the day, and thick-stacked sandwiches. 2828 E. 10th St., 317-426-4963, poguesrungrocer.org
8. Scavenge
If you ever got lost amid the rubble of the old Tim & Billy’s Salvage Store on Fort Wayne Avenue or Tim & Avi’s on Central, you might recognize some of the exquisite architectural junk stacked in Tim and Julie’s Another Fine Mess. Noted salvager Tim Harmon and his partner, Julie Crow, have found this new parking spot for their inventory of French doors with peeling paint, porcelain washbasins, and crystal chandeliers. 2901 E. 10th St., 317-627-0498
“Several folks have told me it helps to act like you belong here. More than that, crime tends to befall those engaging in criminal activity themselves. If you’re still worried, come during the day.”
—Robert King, Indianapolis Star reporter (pictured, right)
9. Hunt
Audrey’s Place Thrift Store remains unbounded by the fashionable “curated” tag, and that’s why seasoned pickers like it. It’s a hodgepodge of rummage: Vegas crooners on vinyl, cast-iron cook-ware, vintage games, and just about everything else. Audrey’s deserves even more love for its architectural salvage. The back room holds what appears to be the nearly complete contents of a 1920s barbershop. 3228 E. 10th St., 317-266-1644, audreysplacefurniture.com
10. Grub
Burt’s Peppy Grill might be the best Peppy Grill you’ve never heard of. Although a similarly named Fountain Square greasy spoon gets more publicity, east-siders have come to this tidy diner seeking hot-from-the-griddle breakfasts and fried-egg–topped burgers for decades. 3401 E. 10th St., 317-637-5950
Take it Home:
Leather “Opia Sidekick” iPad Mini case, $225 at House of 5th
Salvaged theater seats, $150 at Tim & Julie’s Another Fine Mess
“Eastside Pride” T-shirt by Indie Loves Indy, $24 at Little Green Bean Boutique
This article appeared in the March 2014 issue.
