Best of Indy

Arie Luyendyk Jr. is in the driver’s seat, and he calls the shots for us as to where one should take a date and what to do there.

It’s not exactly a bar, not really a business incubator. But the Speak Easy, a members-only work lounge in SoBro, combines the best aspects of both into a 9-to-5 hotspot for the tech sector. On any given day, creative minds are hard at work at the reclaimed-wood desks developing websites, apps, and related services, craft beer from the self-serve taps in hand.

True story: In the post-paper Kindle age, an independent used-book shop opened with enough bright-eyed enthusiasm to triumph over dark capitalist forces. Even if you adore your e-reader, you’ll love hanging out here just as much, thanks to a cast of winsome characteristics.

The parking-lot Indie Arts & Vintage Marketplace moved indoors to the Fountains Conference Center for the season, meaning lovers of the retro look can keep clearing space for bargains like these, found in October. Next sale: January 26.

Even adults jump for joy here once they get out there and bounce up a sweat. Don’t fear the face-plant—grab a pair of issued sneakers and hop to it!

Untold chapters of local art history come to light through a series of enchanting design publications.

One thing you can say about Colts punter Pat McAfee: He’s never at a loss for words. He had plenty to say when he sat down recently for his IM profile—so much so, in fact, that we couldn’t get it all into the article. Here are a few of the tastier morsels we were able to forage from the editor’s cutting-room floor.

Pick up the December issue of Indianapolis Monthly for the complete list of this year’s Best of Indy winners.

Your voices are heard in this companion piece to our December 2012 cover feature of 109 great Indy gets, finds, tastes, and experiences.

“I think people who decorate 4 Christmas be4 Thanksgiving hate America.”

1 >> What draws 2,000 people each weekend to Reynolds Farm Equipment (12501 Reynolds Dr., Fishers, 849-0810), home of the area’s most elaborate holiday lights display? Chugging among the angels, the manger, and the ark are John Deeres, in all their yellow-and-green splendor, their tires festooned with flashing lights that make them appear to spin.

Same name, same brands, yet somehow an exciting, fresh vibe—just one more reason to love Uber, an independent decor-and-clothing shop that opened a Carmel location this fall. The polished, gallery-like arrangement of Danish furniture, Jonathan Adler objects, and cool-again leather fanny packs is pioneering the emerging shopping scene at City Center and setting the bar stylishly high. 31 W. City Center Dr., Carmel, 564-5638

Book a treatment at the Evan Todd Spa & Salon at the Conrad, and you’re in for a VIP experience, starting with free valet parking. Even those who book just a chair massage at $2 per minute are welcome to stay and pamper themselves for hours. The posh sixth-floor retreat has an indoor pool and a Jacuzzi—bring a book and camp out on a thickly cushioned chaise—and a sun-drenched fitness room where the machines are always prepped with a bottle of water rolled up in a towel. 50 W. Washington St., 524-2575

Fancy box seats at the Hilbert Circle Theatre can cost up to $75, and they usually sell out. But during Happy Hour at the Symphony shows (next one: January 19), all seats are general admission, and you can sit there for just $25—if you arrive when the doors open and beeline for a box. 45 Monument Circle, 639-4300

Beyond lining up the logistics, Kate Berglund of KB Design has made a name for herself by branding social and corporate events with an identity- (even a logo) that carries through from invitations to goodie bags. For one client’s birthday, a girls’ getaway, guests received a beach bag and flip-flops printed with the party’s emblem. Berglund has been tapped for several Super Bowl events, including the Owners’ Party. 523-6362, kbdesignllc.com