Street Savvy: Hanna Ave.

GATHER

Grab a board game and a cold craft beer named for a famous novel and pull up to a communal table at Books & Brews South Indy (3808 Shelby St., 317-438-5151). Readers beware: The vast selection of used books is in no particular order.

EXPLORE

Strolling the compact University of Indianapolis (1400 E. Hanna Ave., 317-788-3368) campus won’t take all day, so you can easily hit the high points. Sit in one of UIndy’s famous egg chairs at Krannert Memorial Library, or visit the Au Ho-nien Museum under the Schwitzer Student Center, showcasing artworks and poetry by the leading contemporary Chinese painter. Outside, wander to find the 24 artworks of the Sculpture Walk scattered across campus.

UNPLUG

Hullabaloo PressTony Valainis

Gen Z kids are digging a little deeper, ditching techy roots for dirty hands. The UIndy art department has embraced the quirky traditions of historic letterpress printing and found a growing niche with Hullabaloo Press (1400 E. Hanna Ave., 317-788-3368). Students are encouraged to use the studio for client work, and the wait list is growing fast. Try it out yourself during the Hullabaloo 2020 exhibit and open house in January.

DRINK

Channel your inner misfit at Jailbird (4022 S. Shelby St., 317-602-2001), which has late-night hours under the ownership of Thunderbird’s Josh Gonzales. Unwind with a Southside Fizz gin mojito and modern takes on 1980s lunch fare, like fried bologna and sloppy joes. Jailbird sometimes goes big—adding melty mozzarella sticks to a grilled cheese, bacon to a PB&J, or its spicy Southside Sauce ranch to onion rings—but there’s no crime in that. 

SHOP

Campus Closet (4033 Weaver Ave., 317-383-1672), a vintage-and-resale shop in a tiny house at the end of a neighborhood street, supports UIndy student makers and creators by providing them a place to display their original art and wares.