12 Ways To Tell You Are From Indianapolis

There are just some things about being from Indianapolis that no one else will understand. Here are 12 ways to tell you are from Indianoplis.

1. You have a special fondness for the number 18.

Oh, if only Peyton Manning were still here. Quarterback Peyton did so much good for Indianapolis, including building a children’s hospital. We miss him.

2. You know why it is called Circle City

It’s lovely to walk the downtown cobblestone street that circles the monument–a monument that houses a Civil War museum. Monument Circle, a.k.a. the Circle, is the center of Indy all year, but it’s especially important at Christmastime when lights are strung to create the world’s tallest trees during the Circle of Lights celebration.

3. You know that Newfields is not a vegetarian restaurant.

No, it’s the new name for the Indianapolis Museum of Art, a museum that houses a wonderful collection of Impressionist art as well as Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture.

4. You call it the Indy 5–and you have been there!!

I went the year Danica Patrick raced for the first time, making history for all women drivers.

5. You drive by a dinosaur on your way to work.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane–no, it’s The Children’s Museum–with a huge dinosaur attached to the building that you can’t miss.

6. You have read all the Kurt Vonnegut novels.

Our famous novelist was from Indianapolis. He said:

“I am from a family of artists. Here I am, making a living in the arts. It has not been a rebellion. It’s as though I had taken over the family Esso station”. –Kurt Vonnegut

7. You have a favorite spot to eat a pork tenderloin.

There is even a week dedicated to all the pork tenderloin eateries in the city. And the tenderloin is required to be twice the size of the bun.

8. There are only 4 colleges and sports teams that matter.

Choose your team–is it the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Purdue Boilermakers, the Butler Bulldogs or the Indiana University Hoosiers? If it is not one of them, you had better be quiet!

9. You get to Devour Downtown.

In the doldrums of winter, Devour Downtown gives the people of Indy a reason to venture away from their homes. For about two weeks, you get to sample Indianapolis’s best eats for a major discount. This is a great opportunity to try the famous St. Elmo’s Steakhouse.

10. You drink craft beer.

There are over 135 breweries in Indiana, and they generate somewhere around $1 billion. Sun King is the largest and most well-known craft brewery, but make sure and check out small gems like Black Acre and Scarlet Lane.

11. You say CARmel, not CarMEL.

This isn’t California, you know. CARmel is a fancy northern “suburb” of Naptown.

12. You admire sunsets and fall foliage–two things that nature and Indianapolis do so well.

Sunsets in Indy are quite beautiful with an intense blue I have not seen elsewhere. And fall foliage cannot be beaten. When the October weather turns chilly, it’s time to get out among the trees and admire the kazillion colors of the leaves.