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So, two years in a row now the army has prevented me from attending GenCon. But this coming year, I am not going to let it happen agian. But there is something I am wondering about. Going to GenCon is not going to just be a gaming weekend for me, it is going to be a long overdue vacation. I want to game yes, but I also want to party, let loose and have fun away from the gaming tables. What I want to know is how does Indianapolis stack up for someone looking for this amount of varied entertainments. I assume that a lot of the posters on this board have been to GenCon, so at least a few of you should be very qualified to fill me in on Indy. I assume there are clubs, but which ones are the best? What restaurants are both memorable and worth eating at? Which of the many Hotels surrounding the convention center would afford me the opportunity to meet similar fun focused individuals? Thanks ahead of time for your replies.
Tam
So, two years in a row now the army has prevented me from attending GenCon. But this coming year, I am not going to let it happen agian. But there is something I am wondering about. Going to GenCon is not going to just be a gaming weekend for me, it is going to be a long overdue vacation. I want to game yes, but I also want to party, let loose and have fun away from the gaming tables. What I want to know is how does Indianapolis stack up for someone looking for this amount of varied entertainments. I assume that a lot of the posters on this board have been to GenCon, so at least a few of you should be very qualified to fill me in on Indy. I assume there are clubs, but which ones are the best? What restaurants are both memorable and worth eating at? Which of the many Hotels surrounding the convention center would afford me the opportunity to meet similar fun focused individuals? Thanks ahead of time for your replies.
Tam
Well Tam, I can tell you from when I was in Indi for Star Wars Celebration II that it is a SERIOUSLY quiet town. Nice town, friendly people, very very clean but pretty dull. The town shuts down at about 9:00, haha. It's crazy to see for a metropolitan area but damn if that wasn't the case. I'm from the Northeast Corridor so the midwest always feels slow to me. My advise to you is, stick to gaming!
Indianapolis maintains a very clean, very low-key downtown. The space is well designed, and getting in and out is extremely easy. . . which is one of the reason that we (um, I mean they) attract so many big conventions to begin with.
If you want to club downtown, there are plenty of "mirrorball" places on Pennsylvania Ave that are open and serving until 3am. Plus, we have a big college bar scene in Broad Ripple (10 min. cab ride north on Meridian). If you are looking for quiet drinks and conversation, there are alot of great places on Massachusettes Ave (a good fiften minute walk from the convention center) or Fountain Square near Virginia Ave (5 minute cab ride). Both are low-key. If you just want to get absolutely &^%$-faced on some excellent beer, go to the Rathskeller (100 year oold building designed by Kurt Vonnegut's dad. . . how cool is THAT?) or go to the Broad Ripple BrewPub (I miss you brewpub! *sniff*).
As far as food goes. . . well, I was so ashamed after reading Erik Mona's editoral in issue #128, where he mentioned Bertolini's at the mall. It definitely deserves the label "italian" in quotation marks. If only he knew about Agio, Mama Corolla's, or Bazbeaux Pizza (best pizza and salads EVAR!). I recommend them highly, and they aren't that far away.
There are plenty of other places too, depending on what you want, from vegetarian indian food at the India Garden . . .to haggis and a pint of Belhaven at McNiven's Scottish Pub. Honestly, the easiest thing to do is grab a native Indy resident and ask them. If you're lucky, they won't tell you Indianapolis is boring, and then recommend places to eat and drink like Rock Bottom, Champs, R.A.M., Alcatraz Brewery, P.F. Chang's, and (dum dum DUM!!) Bertolini's.
I missed GenCon this year because I moved from Indianapolis to Texas that very weekend. However, I am going to fly in for a visit this year. . . I didn't realize the city itself was so poorly represented as a fun place to live. Maybe I'll set up some tours or soemthing. . . :)
Can't wait to make it to gencon this year, never been before. I was too young to make a road trip of it before, and for the past year I've been stuck in Iraq (me and Tam are both in the same company and will be makin a road trip up to gencon). Can't wait to get there and meet tons of gamers.
A bit from my Hoarde