Windsor Park, Indy’s Booming New Neighborhood
EAT
For three decades, legendary soul-food restaurant Kountry Kitchen has been serving (arguably) the best fried chicken wings in Indy. Since a fire damaged the original College Avenue location in 2020, the owners have been offering
carryout inside the Ruckus building. The menu still has all the favorites, catfish sandwiches and fried okra included.
1417 Commerce Ave., 317-635-6000, kountrykitchenindy.com
VISIT
Without knowing it, you might have eaten off Rebecca Graves’s work. She’s known for her tablewares and collaborations with local chefs and national cookbook authors. At Gravesco Pottery, Graves and her team handcraft cocktail cups, stoneware plates, and pasta bowls that are smooth, earthy, and deliberate. The newest mugs feature Graves’s signature pinched handle; your fingers rest where hers do. (It’s like holding hands!) Scout the goods online and order for pickup.
1417 Commerce Ave., gravescopottery.com
CLIMB
Before North Mass Boulder, the only thing you could climb downtown was a flight of stairs. Opening this month, the facility has 12- to 17-foot rock walls and colorful, abstract murals honoring the Circle City Industrial Complex’s artist community. There’s also workout equipment, family lounge spots, and craft beer. The lawyers say:
You can’t drink then climb.
1411 Roosevelt Ave., northmassboulder.com
DECORATE
If you have $1,000 to overhaul your dining or living room, take it to Revibed, where you’ll find criminally affordable furniture, rugs, lamps, candles, and decor. While there are new items, Revibed focuses on refinishing and rebuilding vintage furniture.
1402 N. Sheldon St., 463-207-7037, shoprevibed.com
DRINK
Anchoring the southern end of the Circle City Industrial Complex, Centerpoint Brewing Company beers are made without pretense and include an 8.2 percent ABV stout, a Mexican-style lager infused with key lime, and a blackberry kettle sour. The pet-friendly hangout has outdoor seating and encourages you to BYO camping chair.
1125 E. Brookside Ave., 317-602-8386, centerpointbrewing.com
INDULGE
The small-batch chocolate at SoChatti is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and halal because owner Matt Rubin only uses three ingredients to make it—cacao nibs, cacao butter, and sugar. Visit the tasting room for a complimentary flight of chocolate, then purchase pocket-size pouches of your favorite flavor.
1125 E. Brookside Ave., 317-600-3776, sochatti.com
IMBIBE
At first, brothers Mason and Matt Lamping wanted to start a brewery. They opened 8th Day Distillery instead. Try some of their rye whiskey, bourbon, aged rum, or what they call navy-strength gin. Keep an eye on the seasonal cocktail menus, too, and give the ready-to-go canned gin and tonic a sip.
1125 E. Brookside Ave., 317-600-3791, 8thdaydistillery.com
PLAY
Fowling, which rhymes with “bowling,” was born in the Speedway’s infield, and now it’s here permanently at Fowling Warehouse Indy. The game resembles cornhole and involves throwing a football at bowling pins. Unlimited open play is $10, and two bars serve more than 150 kinds of beer. If you’re not quarterback material, you can still play defense on the opponent’s throws.
1125 E. Brookside Ave., 317-406-0326, fowlingwarehouse.com
SNAP
The colorful acrylic triangle Sundial-Flatland by Andrew Severns references Windsor Park’s three-sided footprint and makes a pretty photo backdrop.
1429 E. Brookside Ave.
SHOP
Near-eastside resident Martha Latta is known in the maker community by her brand, Sunday Afternoon Housewife, and as the founder of the Handmade Promenade holiday pop-up market. She is also a master gardener and butterfly expert. It’s no surprise, then, that her new shop, Stomping Ground, specializes in nature-themed gifts such as seed packets and gardening gloves. You can pick up fresh flowers, too, or one of the Housewife’s social justice T-shirts.
1625 Nowland Ave., stompinggroundindy.com
SKATE
Ryan Graves opened Solace Skateshop in April with sizable goals: “I want kids to know they can be who they want on a board,” he says. Graves carries Muncie-based Life skateboards, quad skates, clothing, and accessories.
1633 Nowland Ave., 317-418-5856, instagram.com/solace.skate.shop
RELAX
It’s rumored that John Dillinger played baseball in Spades Park when he was a boy. Maybe it’s true—Spades is more than 100 years old. Here are the facts: Pogue’s Run cleaves the 31-acre park, chipmunks skitter through protected prairie space, and mature trees shade coveted picnic spots. It’s also a designated bird sanctuary, so bring the binoculars.
1800 Nowland Ave., 317-327-7179