Best Services

Music Lessons
Arthur’s Music Store provides personalized instruction on nearly every stringed affair, plus the harmonica, bagpipes, and more. What’s better? You can pay as you go ($20 gets you 30 minutes of instruction). 931 Shelby St., 638-3524, arthursmusicstore.com.

New-school Barbershop
Everyday Joe’s Barber & Style is the place to go for a greasy pompadour, a fifties flat-top, or any other mid-century-inspired updo. The old-school barbershop, with its 1950s barber chairs and hair-washing stations, caters to any retro-respecting crowd, and the prices hearken back to days of old, too. Men’s haircuts are $15; women’s start at $19. 1430 N. Green St., Brownsburg, 852-5639, everydayjoestyle.com.

Car Parts
Punch in the make and model of your car on the computer at Pull-A-Part, and it will tell you every available model the scrap yard has in stock. Print your list, get a map of the lot, and proceed to the entrance, where $1 will buy you unlimited access to row after row of donor cars. 2505 Producers Lane, 542-7750, pullapart.com.

Auto Detailer
Jimmy Buff-It’s may not accept coupons or offer special discounts, but the auto detailer took one of our staffer’s cars, which had years of grime, soda spills, and coffee stains, and—eight hours and $135 later—returned the vehicle looking factory fresh. Services include stain and odor removal, leather/vinyl repair, paint touch-ups, and more. 4265 W. 96th St., 514-2659.

Watch Repair
Bill Rostiser has been interested in “things mechanical” ever since he landed a typewriter-repair job in his youth. Now a partner at Windsor Jewelry Co., the engineering grad works his voodoo on a good portion of the broken tickers that come through the door, including a diamond-bridged skeleton Audemars Piguet and a Patek Philippe from the 1850s. 16 N. Meridian St., 634-6736, windsorjewelry.com.

Tattoo Artist
When you’re in the skin-and-ink trade in Indianapolis, with a four-month waiting list and a $150 hourly rate, it is safe to say you have big talent. Having seen the beautiful colors, clean outlines, and painterly realism of tattoo artist Monte Agee at the westside Artistic Skin Designs location, we’re convinced that this former advertising/marketing art director is the best this city has to offer. 4955 W. Washington St., 244-8282, montetattoo.com.

Waxing Spa
We won’t lie to you: It still hurts. But the staff at The Naked Monkey does its best to ease the pain of having your body hair ripped out. The five estheticians here have about 20 different waxes to choose from based on your skin and hair type, and they’re loaded with knowledge on how to care for your newly naked hide. Their friendly chatter helps distract you from the, umm, task at hand, and it’s over before you can scream “Kelly Clarkson!” 270 W. Carmel Dr., Carmel, 566-2929, thenakedmonkeyspa.com.

Tree Service
Some of the city’s most treasured trees—like the ginkgos at the James Whitcomb Riley House and an Old Northside red oak planted by President Benjamin Harrison—are entrusted to the care of Vine & Branch Inc. Company President Judson Scott, a registered consulting arborist, has 25 employees whose standing bet with their boss is a testament to his arborist knowledge: Bring him a leaf or piece of bark, and if he can’t identify the tree, he’ll hand over $1. 4721 E. 146th St., Carmel, 846-3778, vineandbranch.net.

Eyebrow Threading
Ten years ago, Eyes by India owner Roma Thadani opened a little salon specializing in the Middle Eastern threading technique wherein unibrows are removed by a piece of string quickly twisted and tugged. Now she has five Indy-area locations and a loyal clientele that covets not only the precision work, but also the low price ($8) and walk-in availability. Circle Centre, 631-5244; Greenwood Park Mall, 887-0982; Lafayette Square Mall, 216-9620; 5339 E. 82nd St., 576-9744; 1280 Greenwood Plaza, 859-8560; eyes-by-india.com.

Children’s Photographer
Stacy Wasmuth of Blue Candy Photography prefers to shoot children at home: barefoot in their back yards, jumping on their sofas, entranced by the family German shepherd, and generally looking chill. Her fly-on-the-wall method has garnered her sessions (which take about two hours and cost $275) with several Pacers and Colts progeny. 258-9670, bluecandyphotography.com.

Upholsterer
One look at a vintage vinyl chair with loose stitches, and Frost Upholstery owner Bessie Carter can tell you that it’s been damaged by too many years in a gas-heated home. After 53 years of stuffing, buffing, tacking, and tufting, the shop knows upholstery—and customer service. Frost has been known to pick up pieces of furniture one by one so that a family will never be left without somewhere to sit. 4024 E. Michigan St., 353-1217.

Updo
Masters of back-combing and bobby pinning, the three stylists at The Vault can slick your hair into a Hepburn-era crown-topper with funky pin curls, pull off a perfectly imperfect low-slung bun, or twist everything into a straight-up Sarah Palin whirl. And that’s just half the fun at this Beech Grove shop/salon. While you’re undergoing your red-carpet transformation, you can check out the shop’s line of vintage clothes and accessories, including purses made from old vinyl records. 700 Main St., Beech Grove, 784-4000.

House Cleaning
With their arsenal of homemade cleaners, non-toxic products, recycled-content paper towels, and USDA Natural Organic Programs-certified soaps, the small but meticulous crew from Green Clean Indy will do a number on your chrome faucets (with club soda), bathroom floor (with Dr. Bonner’s organic soap), and oven (with baking-soda paste)—without trashing the environment. Basic rates start at $25 per hour (most clients pay $62.50 per session), with additional a la carte chores, like cleaning ceiling fans, litter boxes, and refrigerator shelves, priced at $10 to $30. 522-1930.

Shoe Shine
At least once a week, you will find John Dorian polishing the mayor’s shoes. Which is nothing new. For 37 years, Cento Shoes has provided the city’s most prominent businessmen with a shine. For $5, Dorian (who grew up in Houston and buffed the shoes of Muhammad Ali and Hank Aaron in his dad’s shop) will restore the reflection in your wingtips and almost always leave you with a good story. 33 S. Meridian St., 632-5710.

Pet Cemetery
The bereaved families of the late Fluffy and dearly departed Rocky can attest: Forever Friends is the spot to memorialize the four-legged deceased. Though this section of Oaklawn Memorial Gardens has serviced only cats and dogs during its two years of operation, eventually even horses will be accommodated. The lot is accentuated by an Indiana limestone rock garden with benches for moments when guests wish to paws and reflect. 9700 Allisonville Rd., 849-3616, foreverfriendspetcemetery.com.