Indianapolis, colloquially known as Indy, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. Located in Central Indiana, the city lies along the White River's West Fork near its confluence with Fall Creek. Here is our guide to Indianapolis, Indiana.

STAY

THE ALEXANDER A design-focused hotel with walls covered in art installations and a cocktail bar, Plat 99, that’s definitely worth a visit. 333 S Delaware St; thealexander.com

LE MÉRIDIEN A cozy hotel “library” for working and sipping. 123 S Illinois St; marriott.com

CONRAD A truly unique experience, check into the dreamy Surrealism Suite where above the bed a floating Dalí-esque cloudscape painting beckons slumber. 50 W Washington St; hilton.com

BOTTLEWORKS HOTEL Indy's newest boutique property, anchoring the new Bottleworks entertainment district on Massachusetts Avenue. The sprawling terracotta building was formerly the largest Coca-Cola bottling facility in the world and reopened as a 139-room hotel and spa in December. Original Art Deco details, including terrazzo tile floors, millwork, brass railings, and doorways have all been carefully restored to 1930s splendor. Don't forget to gaze up at the rotunda—its spiral staircase and soda bottle cap-inspired ceiling plaster make for an iconic new image that combines the city's past and present. 850 Massachusetts Ave Suite 100; bottleworkshotel.com

DINE | DRINK

MILKTOOTH Hip, modern diner with a patio for inventive breakfast & brunch items, plus espresso & cocktails. 534 Virginia Ave; milktoothindy.com

BLUEBEARD Author Kurt Vonnegut grew up in town, so stop for a visit at the aptly named Bluebeard, which serves can’t-miss baked-on-site bread, a warm kale salad, and salmon with red radish, shishito, peas, and cabbage in a brown butter sauce. 653 Virginia Ave; bluebeardindy.com

TINKER STREET

If you’re looking to dine alfresco, grab a seasonal veggie dish like squash noodles “pad Thai.” 402 E 16th St; tinkerstreetrestaurant.com

ST. ELMO STEAK HOUSE An Indy institution for martinis, jumbo shrimp cocktails, and yes, steaks. 127 S Illinois St; stelmos.com

VIDA Order a standout salad plucked from the restaurant’s leafy hydroponic wall. 601 E New York St; vida-restaurant.com

LEVIATHAN BAKEHOUSE Elevates the city's bread game with fresh baked loaves daily alongside sandwiches, cookies, cakes, and viennoiserie. 1101 N College Ave; leviathanbakehouse.com

GALLERY PASTRY Opened a second full-service location downtown last summer, serving savory fare, macarons, and entremets all day. Try the brûléed Trillium cheese with local honey on a buttery croissant garnished with gold-dusted raspberries. sobro.gallerypastry.com

LANDLOCKED BAKING COMPANY Renowned for its sourdough croissants, is the newest on the block, next to sister concepts Strange Bird Tiki Bar and Heartbreaker. 118 S Audubon Rd; landlockedbakingco.com

THE GARAGE FOOD HALL Indy's newest culinary attraction, with more than a dozen local chefs serving everything from Venezuelan arepas and Peruvian pasta to Hawaiian poke and Indian chapati. Save room for scoops of Lick Ice Cream topped off with a shot of peanut butter whiskey from Hard Truth Distilling next door. 906 Carrollton Ave; garageindy.com

LIVERY Great for a night out with its lively rooftop and delicious Latin American food. Start with yuca fries and sweet plantains to share. 720 N College Ave; livery-restaurant.com

LOCALLY GROWN GARDENS Order a slice of honey crisp apple pie. 5008 N Pennsylvania St

PUBLIC GREENS URBAN KITCHEN Contemporary cafeteria-style restaurant serving New American fare, with profits going to charity. 902 E 64th St; publicgreensurbankitchen.com

ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES

INDIANAPOLIS ART MUSEUM
For art, the wow moment happens at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, which offers an abundant selection of African art; contemporary design objects from Alessi, Michael Graves, and Philippe Starke; and two crown jewels: one of Rembrandt’s self-portraits, and the colossal Angel of the Resurrection, a magnificent Tiffany Studios window. Outside, stroll past Robert Indiana’s iconic Love sculpture and follow the path to 100 Acres—a nature park of, yes, 100 acres, that also includes a 35-acre lake and rotating contemporary pieces. 4000 N Michigan Rd; discovernewfields.org

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF ART A massive structure of interactive exhibits, a stunning Dale Chihuly sculpture dangling five stories, and an antique carousel.

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY Home to the famous annual Indy 500 Nascar race. You can also zip around the track at 180 mph with a professional race car driver or take the new basement tour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. It's worth it for a chance to see more than a hundred rare cars in storage, including Michael Schumacher’s Formula One debut car and the 1968 Rislone-Eagle driven by Paul Newman during the filming of "Winning." 4790 W 16th St; indianapolismotorspeedway.com

KAN-KAN CINEMA AND BRASSERIE An arthouse movie theatre serving French food. 1258 Windsor St; kankanindy.com

SHOP

8 FIFTEEN A fashion-forward designer boutique bringing fresh & unique clothing, shoes & accessories to our shoppers. 815 E 65th St #200; 8fifteen.com

VINTAGE 54 COLLECTIVE A mix of independent artists, crafters, and classic antique dealers. 5335 Winthrop Ave; vintage54collective.net

INDY READS BOOKS With well-stocked Vonnegut titles, which also hosts a stand-up mix of author events. 1066 Virginia Ave; indyreads.org