Skateboard Shop
Versed, a new skate shop in Fountain Square, is like a Thrasher-approved boutique for anyone in the market for a new deck cool enough to mount on the wall, some fresh Vans, or just a kick flip back in time to their gummy-wheeled youth. The owners even keep a vintage skate-wear side business, well-stocked with refurbished Nikes and Tommy Hilfiger zip-ups.
1006 Virginia Ave., 317-843-9980
Climbing Gear
Roam & Stow inside North Mass Boulder is Indy’s go-to for top-tier gear and apparel. Sellling hoodies, hats, stylish rubber-soled shoes, and deep-pocketed shorts from brands like Prana, Roark, Howler Bros, and Parks Project, it’s an inspirational spot to prep for your next climb—indoor or out.
1411 Roosevelt Ave., 317-953-6667
Analog Shop
A year after opening, Indy Type Shop is energizing Garfield Park with programs such as a First Friday poetry open mic and family-friendly Type-Ins. Every second Sunday of the month is Trade Day with neighbor Pen and Pink Vintage. The latest—but surely not the last—program is Cutting Words, a haiku club that combines writing with mindfulness and nature walks in Garfield Park.
2621 Shelby St., 317-296-3898
Outdoor Market
Lovers of vintage fashion and handmade goods know to mark their calendars for the seasonal pop-ups that take over the parking lot outside Carmel consignment shop Amanda’s Exchange. Scores of local vendors set up their wares during Amanda’s Market, offering everything from jewelry, to sustainable floral arrangements, to hand-poured candles. Even the food trucks and coffee slingers who provide sustenance during the marathon shopping spree are strictly Indiana-based.
715 E. Carmel Dr., Carmel, 317-573-4400
Museum Store
Step into the Eiteljorg’s Frank & Katrina Basile Museum Store to be met with stunning Native-made works, from Zapotec rugs, to baskets by Brownsburg weaver Susan Charlesworth, to heirloom wool blankets.
500 W. Washington St.
Trinkets
Temporarily tucked inside the Stutz Building as part of the St’Artup 317 retail accelerator program, Lapis Lily Market is filled with charming tiny things and nostalgic treasures also available in an online shop. Owner Amber Gyselinck-Snyder is a lifelong collector of stuff, a creative passion that she has also parlayed into Trinket Club Indy—a regularly scheduled meetup for fellow connoisseurs of teensy figurines, charms, googly eyes, Kewpie dolls, and other little pretties.
1060 N. Capitol Ave.
Vintage Team Apparel
Peyton-era Colts fans and Reggie-era Pacers fans will find plenty to cheer about amid the racks of The Vintage Vagabond. The snug, Black-owned shop on the east side is loaded with curated secondhand treasures, including Negro league baseball jerseys, colorful Indy 500–adjacent racing team jackets, Circle City Classic swag, retro college sweatshirts, and a selection of boldly colored Coogi sweaters sure to impress.
5049 E. 10th St., 463-202-6643
New Toy Shop
The former State Bank on Mass Ave is known as a spot John Dillinger once robbed. These days, Goodies & Giggles steals kids away from screens with toys and educational playthings. 811 Massachusetts Ave, 317-289-1226
Strip Mall Overhaul
Kite Realty Group’s six-year, $29 million modernization of the 65-year-old Nora Plaza transformed the northside center into a spiffy magnet for new shops like West Elm, Williams Sonoma, luxury beauty store Bluemercury, and The Lash Lounge. Fast casual chain restaurants Culinary Dropout and Flower Child planted their flags next to Whole Foods Market, while hometown favorite Bagel Fair received its own sleek upgrade.
It’sjust what we need to abandon our Amazon carts mid-purchase.
Hardware Store
“I can’t wait to go to the hardware store,” says no one ever—unless it’s Sullivan Hardware & Garden. What makes this home, yard, and gift general store and cafe special? The family-run institution leans into what big box stores don’t do well: plants, patio furniture and grills, high-end holiday decor, and personal service. Don’t miss events like Ladies Night, the Big Green Eggfest, and the Sullivan North Pole Express, when giddy littles frolic in festive PJs.
6955 N. Keystone Ave., 317-255-9230
Toy Store for Big Kids
With 13,000 square feet of toys, figures, and memorabilia, The Toy Pit—which relocated from Castleton to the corner of 38th Street and College Avenue this year—is a collector’s paradise. This massive superstore offers aisle after aisle, glass case after glass case of treasures, from vintage Star Wars sets to the latest anime releases. Throw in a vinyl record section, pinball machines, and a traffic-stopping exterior mural painted by local artist Kwazar Martin, and you have the makings of an epic adventure.
3827 N. College Ave., 317-703-8697
Stickers
The adhesive pieces of flair created by local Bolts and Stars transform a plain phone case or water bottle into a work of art. The adorable vinyl designs include a series of slaps celebrating Indianapolis neighborhoods, stick-on versions of downtown’s Soldiers & Sailors Monument, summer camp–style Indiana pennants, and the polysemous Midwestern expression “ope.”
Terrariums
Natural elements like moss, dried flowers, and tree bark meet luna moths, crystals, beetles, and animal skulls in spellbinding, glass-encased miniature wonderlands by Above and Below Oddities, available at local shops The Source Indy, Hampton & Co., BaZaar Oh! Vintage, as well as festivals, art fairs, and pop-up markets. Don’t miss the stunning selection of dreamy framed butterflies.
Banners
Whether the message you display in front of your house or business celebrates the holidays, promotes your favorite sports team or event (checkered flags abound), shows your Indy and Hoosier pride, or makes your political beliefs crystal clear to your neighbors, Flags for Good has a theme for every flagpole and garden hanger. Since 2021, the local manufacturer has produced eco-friendly banners available via online order and through its vibrant Fletcher Place brick-and-mortar shop.
646 Virginia Ave.
Sports Apparel
Started by IU graduate Connor Hitchcock and his wife, Christa, Homefield Apparel is a premium collegiate outfitter with more than 200 licenses for schools throughout the U.S. Combining each school’s history and the highest fabric quality, Homefield makes fashionable, comfortable retro gear and has also earned its place in your favorite athlete’s locker.
Downward Spiral
A red spiral slide inside the new Midtown Benge’s Ace Hardware delivers you to the lower level. Sure, there are stairs, but why take those when you can travel by the seat of your Carhartts?
3902 N. Illinois St., 317-644-3324
Permanent Jewelry
A visit to EverJoy stays with you, both in the form of a custom-fit bauble and a special memory. Owner Heather Moritz was inspired during a trip to Florida, where her group of friends got permanent bracelets. “I realized the best part was the experience of doing it all together.” She was right: Today, couples, friends, bridal parties, or families fill her in-home studio. EverJoy’s jewelry—clasp-free and 14-karat gold–filled or sterling silver—is welded on. The studio has a range of options, from minimalist chain bracelets to anklets, necklaces, hand chains, rings, and bangles. Most can be customized with birthstones, beads, initials, decorative links, or charms. You’ll need an appointment, especially during peak times like August (off-to-college season) and the week after Christmas, when out-of-town relatives join in the fun. Moritz also books private events.
10785 Heatherfield Dr., Fishers
Bandanas
Bike People, a shop adjacent to Natural State Provisions that caters to stylish cyclists, carries a colorful selection of artist-designed kerchiefs from Handker. They’re perfect for wiping brows, cleaning up picnic table spills, or simply looking cool as you head out on one of the shop’s community bike rides.
414 Dorman St., 317-650-6343
