Need recommendations for services in Carmel (Indianapolis, Bloomington: real estate, apartment, home)

[A.Typical.Girl]

Hello, All...

I've been here 1-mo & am slowly finding my way around, but would like recommendations on locating a few things in Carmel or as nearby as possible. I can search Yelp or Google to find things, but I was looking for recommendations.

1. Dry cleaner? I've had problems with cleaners flat out ruining clothing, so do most at home with Dryel. But, I have 10 suits, mostly wool & rayon, which need to be pressed... they were packed away for months during relocation & are very wrinkled. I don't care if it's the cheapest, I just want the most reliable.

2. Indian restaurant & store? By store, I mean a place I can find Indian style clothing & statues.

3. Website or paper to find local events & goings on... ballet, theatre, festivals, fairs, flea markets, parades. I love ballet & plays, especially, so it doesn't need to be pro... I'd also attend ballets given by students or community theatre. I don't have kids, so am not looking for kids fairs, etc & am beyond clubbing age. So, if you have any favorite ballet/theatre companies, I'd love to know.

4. Where's the beef? Although, overall IN has a low COL, one surprise is how expense meat is here. By meat I mean animals, specifically beef & poultry. I don't eat any other kind of meat. I've been to virtually every large market here & find the same. Quality is good, prices are high, not much beef.

Are there any local butchers or markets which have less expensive beef & poultry? If not, that's fine, but which place would you recommend for best selection & quality?

Also, has anyone gone to Wilson Farmers Mkt for meat or produce? How is the quality? I'm assuming prices are higher, but since meat supposedly doesn't contain chemicals, it's a reasonable trade-off. It's only 20-mi RT, but before I take the ride, I thought I'd check if there were something similar closer to Carmel. I see there's also a Carmel Farmers Mkt, but what I often find here & the reason I'm looking for recommendations, is the website hasn't been updated since Oct 2017. It's happened a few times that I've driven to a bank or restaurant & it no longer exists... their website doesn't say it's closed & neither does my GPS.

5. Are there any places for wild meat? I've lived in a few places where you could order deer, elk meat & wild poultry, but they were always too far away... 100-mi or so. I'd like to give one a try, if there's anything I can reasonably reach.

6. Lap swimming? Is anyone here a swimmer at a pool that isn't overly crowded with lines waiting to enter the lane? I don't need fancy... just looking for lane access. I have a 24/7 fitness center at my complex, so don't want to spend a fortune on a membership, cuz I won't utilize other parts of the gym... I just wanna lap swim 2-3 times/wk.

7. Has anyone been to Tina's Traditional Old English for high tea? Is it good or do you have other suggestions?


Thank you very much for any suggestions you have. Feel free to add anything you think I might enjoy, based on what I'm asking about above.

Have a good weekend, All!

[rrah]

My daughter does lap swimming at the Monon Community Center. She has problems sometimes with people that don't actually understand how lap swim lanes work, but in general she's able to get a good workout in without too much hassle. It's about $500/year for a yearly pass. Less than $10/week seems pretty reasonable to me and you may end up liking the fitness area there better than your apartment equipment. I know my daughter and her husband are there several times a week.

You might try Goose the Market in Indy for wild meats. Never been there, but they do carry game meats. There is also a butcher shop in Carmel.

There is a Patel Grocery near Castleton--not too far. You might also enjoy Saraga International Market in Indy. Another option is to drive along Lafayette Rd near the Lafayette Square Mall (might be called something else now). There are a lot of international options in the area. I think there is another international market there.

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by rrah

My daughter does lap swimming at the Monon Community Center. She has problems sometimes with people that don't actually understand how lap swim lanes work, but in general she's able to get a good workout in without too much hassle. It's about $500/year for a yearly pass. Less than $10/week seems pretty reasonable to me and you may end up liking the fitness area there better than your apartment equipment.

Thank you, RR. I pulled up their website & they do have an $11/day or $42/mo pass, so I'll put a visit on my list.

You might try Goose the Market in Indy for wild meats. Never been there, but they do carry game meats. There is also a butcher shop in Carmel.

Great. I found Joe's nearby & checked Yelp & there's another butcher called Kincaid in Indy, which sells wild meat, too, so thank you, I'll visit next wk. I did find the Smoking Goose, which is more a market... high prices, but I'll check it out. Goose the Market appears to be more an eat-in deli, unfortunately filled with lots of delicious things I cannot eat... smoked or processed meats, cheese... cuz they cause headaches & give me allergic rashes... boo. This is why I asked for recommendations... it's easier for me to tell you what I can have than what I can't.

There is a Patel Grocery near Castleton--not too far. You might also enjoy Saraga International Market in Indy. Another option is to drive along Lafayette Rd near the Lafayette Square Mall (might be called something else now). There are a lot of international options in the area. I think there is another international market there.

Perfect. Coincidentally, I'll be right near Patel Bros on Mon, at Goodyear, so I'll stop over. And, One World Mkt is in Castleton, too, so perhaps I'll have time to check them out, as well.

I'll put Lafayette Sq. Mall on the list... they're Yelp reviews & pics make it look a bit dicey, but since it's in the other direction, I'll leave that area for more research & another day.

Thank you so much, RR. You've given me a lot of good info!

[rrah]

Yeah, the Lafayette Sq. Mall area is a bit iffy now, but during the day you should be fine. It used to be the "go to" mall for Westsiders. I worked at a restaurant on Lafayette Rd decades ago. It was fine then.

Not sure, but I think Smoking Goose and Goose the Market are "related." I think there is some connection to a long time Indianapolis grocery store. I could be wrong.

If you ever make a road trip to Bloomington, try the Butcher Block. Prices are a bit higher than the grocery stores, but they are definitely worth it. They also carry different game meats and poultry in the freezer section. I've even seen goat there. Just bring a cooler. I think if you called in advance they could probably get what you want. They've sourced a particular type of fish for me in the past.

[masters1]

The Carmel Farmers Market runs from late May into early October. It's located between the Palladium and Booth Tarkington Bldgs. I live right next door and can tell you it's well attended.

For local events, www.visitindy.com has a lot of information. Also Nuvo Magazine which you can find in most stores as you leave, it's there with all of the real estate mags. Or go to their web site at www.nuvo.net. You should start getting Current in Carmel Magazine as well. I receive it here and got Fishers Current when I lived there. Both mags are free.

Speaking of the Palladium (Center for the performing arts) and the Booth Tarkington Civic Theater next door to it, it's in the downtown Carmel area. The Palladium is a beautiful facility and has concerts, ballets, comedy shows ect. Booth Tarkington has plays. A few blocks from there is the Carmel Arts District with several restaurants and shops.

I would also check out downtown Zionsville which is the town directly west of Carmel. Their downtown has brick streets and nice shops and restaurants.

Also, Clowes Hall which is on the Butler campus has ballets. Butler is just north of downtown Indy.

Fourth of July weekend is Carmel Fest which is a fun weekend. They have a nice parade and food/music all weekend.

Downtown is the Murat Center (Old National Center) which has various productions and concerts, the Indiana Repertory Theater and the Hilbert Circle Theater.

There is a lot to do in Indy!

[sheerbliss]

I go to Classic Cleaners. Never had a problem there.

I prefer to get my meat from Fischer Farms. You can make an order and pick it up at Punch Burger. I eat Smoking Goose's jowl bacon, too. It's meat candy. Being high quality, though, these products aren't going to be inexpensive.Smoking Goose's site says you can buy their products at Vine & Table.

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by masters1

The Carmel Farmers Market runs from late May into early October. It's located between the Palladium and Booth Tarkington Bldgs. I live right next door and can tell you it's well attended.

Great! They open May 5, so I'll be there. Also, Masters, is there free parking? Their site doesn't say.

Carmel Farmers Market

For local events, www.visitindy.com has a lot of information. Also Nuvo Magazine which you can find in most stores as you leave, it's there with all of the real estate mags. Or go to their web site at www.nuvo.net. You should start getting Current in Carmel Magazine as well. I receive it here and got Fishers Current when I lived there. Both mags are free.

Thank you, Nuvo, especially, is a true find. The film festival just began, so I'll see a few films for sure.

Speaking of the Palladium (Center for the performing arts) and the Booth Tarkington Civic Theater next door to it, it's in the downtown Carmel area. The Palladium is a beautiful facility and has concerts, ballets, comedy shows ect. Booth Tarkington has plays. A few blocks from there is the Carmel Arts District with several restaurants and shops.

I would also check out downtown Zionsville which is the town directly west of Carmel. Their downtown has brick streets and nice shops and restaurants.

Also, Clowes Hall which is on the Butler campus has ballets. Butler is just north of downtown Indy.

Downtown is the Murat Center (Old National Center) which has various productions and concerts, the Indiana Repertory Theater and the Hilbert Circle Theater.

There is a lot to do in Indy!

This is extraordinarily helpful. Thank you for all your time in posting all this. I've got plenty to do!

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by sheerbliss

I go to Classic Cleaners. Never had a problem there.

Thank you, this is perfect SB. There's one 1-mi from my home & they also deliver, which might be good 1st time, since I've got 10+ heavy, wool suits that need pressing & dragged up 4 floors.

I prefer to get my meat from Fischer Farms. You can make an order and pick it up at Punch Burger. I eat Smoking Goose's jowl bacon, too. It's meat candy. Being high quality, though, these products aren't going to be inexpensive.Smoking Goose's site says you can buy their products at Vine & Table.

Looks good. I've been through the sites you linked & will check it out.

Thank you so much!

[masters1]

[quote=A.Typical.Girl;51739145]Great! They open May 5, so I'll be there. Also, Masters, is there free parking? Their site doesn't say.

Carmel Farmers Market



Yes there is free parking. The building I live in (Carmel City Center) is next to the Palladium. We have parking upstairs and down in the garage. There is also the new Veterans Way Garage next to us. Or park on City Center St although it's limited. All are free.

In the past it has run from 8 am to noon.

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by masters1

Yes there is free parking. The building I live in (Carmel City Center) is next to the Palladium. We have parking upstairs and down in the garage. There is also the new Veterans Way Garage next to us. Or park on City Center St although it's limited. All are free.

In the past it has run from 8 am to noon.

Thank you, M, good to hear no charge parking is available. I'll have to make a dry run this week because this Sat should be opening day, so I can't wait. Every time I'm in that area, there's so much construction, I can only pay attention to the roads & don't have the opportunity to check out the scenery.

I live close to you... 1-mi up the road from Clay Terrace. I love it here... so quiet & safe.