Portraits
Polina Osherov first snapped our attention for her fashion photography, but her portraits of everyday people, which recall the high contrast of film noir, are no less dramatic. Sure, she’ll do the standard headshot—but as long as you’re paying upwards of $500 a session, why not let her frame something a little more narrative? 1045 N. Senate Ave., 752-1476
Hardware Store
Any hardware store will sell you a circular saw or duplicate a key. But Sullivan Hardware on Keystone has been the city’s deepest toolbox for more than 55 years. Homey touches—free popcorn and a staff of wholesome high-school kids—make us almost hope something around the house breaks. 6955 N. Keystone Ave., 255-9230
Brazilian Wax
If ever there was a woman you could trust with hot wax near your nether region, it’s Cindy Nagle at Urban Gypsy. Armed with a dozen wax formulas, magnifying mirror, tweezers, chilled hand towels, and a fan that clients can aim wherever they need a cool-down, Nagle is something of a wax whisperer. At the end of her 45-minute sessions, she sends clients on their way with a complimentary tub of aloe. 6407 Ferguson St., 259-1788
Handyman
Got an errant gutter? A hole in the fence? After 22 years spent tinkering around in the guts of houses—mostly in the Meridian-Kessler area, where the innards of the picturesque homes can be as, um, unique as the exteriors—handyman David Schulz has seen it all. Schulz is known for cleaning up after the job and alerting customers when a job is beyond the scope of a handyman. 255-1390
Convalescence
With a much deeper post-pratfall inventory than its franchise siblings, the Walgreens at the corner of Raymond Street and State Avenue is loaded with tricked-out wheelchairs (plus accessories), walkers, crutches, lift chairs, and stylish (not) medical legwear. On-site certified homecare specialists will help match the store’s supplies to your medical needs. 1650 E. Raymond St., 784-7979
House Stager
Linda Barnett launched her home-staging business, Home Matters, in 2004, when houses were practically selling themselves. “At the time, home staging wasn’t even an industry. Now we have conventions,” says Barnett, who keeps two warehouses full of furniture and accessories, just waiting to help your house feel like somebody else’s home. 209-9801
Delivery Service
In the early 1900s, when snow was coming, most Naptowners didn’t have to debate on whether to engage the mad rush for milk at the grocery store—they had theirs delivered to their door. A century later, Oberweis Dairy will still leave a cold glass bottle of milk in a cooler by your doorstep. In case of a true emergency, you can order a quart of Oberweis ice cream, too. 866-623-7934
Cooking Classes
Part gourmet-foods shop, part custom kitchen, part grilling superstore, Chef JJ’s Back Yard is tough to pin down. But the best way to get a feel for everything the shop has to offer is through its weekly grilling classes. Sure, the rotating lineup of classes is a shameless plug for Chef JJ’s core product—the Big Green Egg grill—but students walk away with tons of practical know-how. 1040 Broad Ripple Ave., 602-3828
Cheap Mani/Pedi
For a mere $35 (and about 45 minutes), BR Nails will tend to all 20 of your digits with an oil massage, hot stone massage, exfoliation, and polish. 1062 Broad Ripple Ave., 259-9099
New Bike Shop
The moment you walk into Joe’s Cycles (below) in Fountain Square, you feel like you’ve walked into the garage of owner Joe Cox. The staffers aren’t salespeople, but rather dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts, providing everything from tune-ups to full custom builds. 1060 Virginia Ave., 602-3911
