Indianapolis City Market

I went to city market for lunch and got food at a middle eastern restaurant and dessert at a cookie stand. The falafel wrap and fries I got from the middle eastern restaurant were amazing. The cookies were great too. City market had plenty of options and lots of seating. Some of the stands were empty, though. And the inside is just very dated in general. A lot of things just need a small update. You can tell you're in a building that's seen better days, that all it is.Not sure about parking. Extremely easy access from the cultural trail bike path and from the IndyGo Redline (transit center stop). It's downtown so walking there is easy if you're close by.This place has seen better days. However it's still got a lot of great options and it's still worth a visit for lunch!

I went here on a Saturday afternoon, expecting some hustle and bustle like you'd find at Pike Place in Seattle or the Milwaukee Public Market -- which are two of my favorite downtown markets in the States. But I was severely disappointed, there was next to nobody here. Most of the shops were closed -- on a SATURDAY? Basically a ghost town. I at least tried to support the two local businesses that were in operation there.

This place needs a facelift and an energizer of some sort. It was dead on a beautful sunny Saturday afternoon. It has a lot of potential. I hate when cities build up one area (Bottleworks) and neglect the now rundown but traditional spot that once had all the traffic. We need fresh produce and meat markets with small eateries in one big building again.

Since I started a new job in downtown Indy, I have been in search of my new go-to lunch spot and bam! I found it! For whatever reason I had never had a chance to come here but now I work very close to City Market, I'll be here at least a couple days a week for lunch. As a person who loves going to the Garage food hall and AMP, it is so easy for me to like this place. I love food courts that have local business instead of chain fast food restaurants. I love how there are plenty of seating upstairs and no matter what mood you are in you'd find something you like here. So far I have only tried two different stores but I'm confident I'll try everything in a month :) I'm so thankful for this fun place.

This is such a cute market with a ton of different vendors. Acai bowls, breakfast, pizza, coffee, cookies - you name it! I came here around 10 am on a Wednesday and it wasn't too busy. But later in the day around lunchtime there are definitely more people! I love the open seating upstairs - lots of tables. However, there is lots of construction around downtown so finding the entrance was kind of confusing.

Maybe I came at a bad day or time but the Indianapolis City Market was a bust. After researching online, this looked like the perfect spot to spend the afternoon walking around, shopping, eating, and drinking. To my dismay, when I walked in on Saturday around 2 PM (when the website said they close at 4 PM), there were only two places open. It was completely dead and looked like it had been for awhile. I proceeded to walk around the outdoor areas and bocce courts, and everything was equally dead. Don't waste your time; their website is very deceiving. However, if you do need a clean-ish bathroom, then building was good for that.

Ever been to the Reading Terminal Market in Philly? How about Quincy Market in Boston? If you've been to either, you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect at the Indianapolis City Market.Like we did, you'll find a cornucopia of foods here. There are over 40 booths selling most of the ethnic and specialty foods known to man.How about tamales, popcorn, pizza, ice cream, cheese steaks, soups, candy, deli, BBQ, Middle Eastern goodies, sandwiches, juices, French specialties, pretzels, donuts, cookies, cupcakes, beer, poke, and coffees?Get the picture? Pretty much whatever food craving you have can be satisfied here.We grabbed some iced coffees, and took a seat in the courtyard to enjoy the sights. We saw lots of people swarming out of their offices to grab some lunch, as well as a talented soloist who was performing Grateful Dead and Dylan tunes. I gave the guy a few bucks, requested US Blues, and he complied with a spirited version that had the crowd up on its feet clapping and singing along!

A fixture in my life since I was a child. The shops and the food and the ambiance is a place that I always looked forward to visiting. It made me sad during a recent visit when a place so lively had been hit so hard by the pandemic. Nonetheless, there are additions like Maxine's Chicken and Waffles and a new clothing boutique. I love City Market and will forever love the busting place it has always been. I am looking forward to continuing to visit with my family. As hoosiers, we have to do our part to keep it open.Continue to patronize the vendors and obviously visit the Y.

It's impossible to not admire the ways in which Indianapolis City Market has grown under the leadership of Stevi Stoesz. Originally opened 1886 and on the National Register of Historic Places, Indianapolis City Market has long been a downtown Indy spot weaving together commerce with simply being a very cool gathering place. At one point, it seemed like Indianapolis City Market was on the way out. Vendors were hit-and-miss, the facility itself was in more than a little bit of disrepair, and attendance was modest. It seems like over the past 10 years, and especially since 2012's Super Bowl, Indianapolis City Market has roared back with a vengeance and has again become one of the city's cooler places to visit with a nice weaving together of office spaces, commerce, and hosted events capitalizing on the Market's long history and fun features. Advertised as opened 7am-9pm M-F, 8am-9pm on Saturday, and closed Sunday, it's important to note that individual vendor hours vary and they vary greatly. After an event this past Saturday that started at Indianapolis City Market at 8am, I visited the market around 9:30am - 10am and was dismayed by the complete lack of available action. I mean, obvious breakfast options like Rebellion Doughnuts, Just Cookies, and Simply Divine Cupcakes were nowhere to be found - and worse, hours simply aren't posted compllcating any effort to perhaps wait until they arrive. Indianapolis City Market is divided into different sections:The First Floor Merchants area includes 30+ vendors with a variety of pastry options, ethnic food options, a florist or two, coffee shops, vegetarian/vegan options, a barbershop, and much more. It's, to me, the heart n' soul of City Market (though potentially the most frustrating giving the varying vendor hours). By the time I left around 10am on Saturday, well within posted open times, the barbershop was open, Three Carrots had just opened, Flower Boys was active, 3 Days in Paris was open, and I believe maybe 1-2 more. The vast majority were still not open with no signs of activity.There are four Mezzanine Merchants (where some amazing seating is also located) including Tomlinson Tap Room and Mile Square Coffee. The West Wing, also known as The Platform, is exclusively office space with Market administrative offices also here along with a Ball State program, Indy Food Council, Renew Indianapolis, and others. The East Wing includes three bicycle related programs along with a YMCA location. Unless you're living underneath a rock, you also know about The Catacombs, an area underneath City Market that is easily one of Indy's coolest yet difficult to access spots. It's definitely not wheelchair friendly (though I have been in it thanks to Yelp). They offer tours and if you're pretty physically able I recommend it. Parking is hit-and-miss in the area and pretty much exclusively metered. Being across from City Hall and two blocks away from Monument Circle, this area is heavily policed - you don't want to chance playing "beat the meter." You'll lose. There are accessible meters around. There's a ton of renovation going on - causing some disarray with curb cuts, but I was able to access everything needed with some planning. I'm removing a star for multiple reasons - 1) The varying vendor hours is frustrating and, in my eyes, not visitor/tourist friendly, 2) Of the two accessible entrances, one did not work (unacceptable - get it fixed), 3) Signage within the market should include accessibility information - people with mobility issues and elderly need to know the closest accessible entrances. While I'm fairly mobile, it's frustrating to get to a door and have steps to exit, and 4) The exterior is a bit frustrating in wheelchairs and basic external signage should clearly point out public entrances and accessible entrances. This can easily be done without hurting the ambience of the building. Huge pluses - the coolness factor is high, those who lead the organization are fantastic and truly love this city, the Catacombs, and City Market is an absolutely fantastic host for this event I attended - it has been held there multiple years and I'm always impressed with their organization, hospitality, and affordable rates for non-profits to use their building. A few years ago, City Market would have been a 3-Star for me as it simply needed help. It's a solid 4-star now and with a few tweaks could easily be a 5-star experience. I love this place and had I been alone I'd have probably visited multiple merchants on my own that actually were open. Stevi Stoesz is doing amazing things here and building community partnerships - I'm not quite willing to go the 5-star yet, but I see it happening in the future.

I love this spot for its electric atmosphere, random options and cheap yet filling and tasty food. This time we tried Circle City Soups which always has vegan options plus some of the best fries.There are so many great options though here that one could do a progressive lunch just for fun!