Our Top 10 Stories of 2013

Our most-viewed features, interviews, columns, and blog posts of the year, all in one place.

It’s all here: Indy’s most notorious scoundrels and scandals. A passionate response to those Hoosiers who are against gay marriage. The city’s No. 1 bar and top 25 eateries. And a dying woman’s strange final days.
 
Honorable Mention: A Brief Plunge into the Hidden Underworld of Indy’s Sewers — Author John Green wrote, “As I crept farther, panic finally set in. I was lost! The scurrying animals, which I could never quite see amid the ankle-deep muck of the tunnel, seemed to get more numerous.” [February]
 
 
10. Indy’s 10 Most Notorious Crimes of All Time — These are the shocking, headline-grabbing crimes from the 10 most notable killers, kidnappers, and thieves ever to prowl the underbelly of this city. [March]
 
 
9. 25 Best Bars: No. 1 — No tavern, nightclub, pub, lounge, or saloon currently represents Indy better than this bar, walled in brick and lit by dangling Edison bulbs, the perfect hideaway for anyone bent on a long, slow, booze-soaked evening. [January]
 
 
8. INcoming: Mike Pence — Craig Fehrman found how the governor-elect found his conservative voice and a strategy for winning the race: keep it quiet. [January]
 
 
7. The New Hoosier Farmer Is Kind of A Big Deal — Kip Tom farms 20,000 acres, hobnobs with cabinet members, and gives ag advice to hedge-fund managers. Not bad for a country boy who grew up driving a tractor, and Evan West had that story. [September]
 
 
Meg-Ryan-John-Mellencamp-at-IU-game-US-Presswire6. Spotted: Meg Ryan and John Mellencamp at IU Game — The actress perhaps best known for playing “Sally” to Billy Crystal’s “Harry” enjoyed another Hoosiers homestand with that born-in-a-small-town guy who warbled about pink houses and two creatures named Jack and Diane. [January]
 
 
5. The Long Con —Phil Ferguson pulled off one of the biggest frauds in Indiana history, duping clients out of millions of dollars and staying one step ahead of the law. Michael Rubino had the twist-laced tale. [June]
 
 
4. Back Home Again: Gay Rites— Columnist Phil Gulley catalyzed quite the reader response when he wrote, “When it comes to supporting same-gender marriage, I do. Let us call Indiana’s prohibition against gay marriage what it is: a spiteful effort to deny one group a blessing another group enjoys.” [September]
 
 
3. Ask Me Anything: Terry Porter — Discovered by the creators of Duck Dynasty, the often-shirtless star of Porter Ridge—set in Spencer, Indiana—bares his soul (and chest) on Discovery Channel. Here he is, in his own words. [September]
 
2. Susan Cox Is No Longer Here — Justin Heckert reported on one woman’s beautiful, strange, and troubling final days. [December]
 
 
1. 25 Best Restaurants — Indy’s dining scene has never been more vibrant, and we applauded the top places to eat. [May]
 
 
MORE:
Our Top 10 Dining Stories of 2013
Our Top 5 Photo Albums of 2013
Our Top 5 Magazine Events of 2013