Indianapolis: Best “Little City” to Visit on Business and what to do while you are there

Indianapolis is a fine city to visit on business. Learn why Indy is the best “little city” to visit for work including some great ideas on things to do, where to stay and more.

Background

The Business Travel Life will take you to glamorous places like NYC, Miami, LA or Paris. But, the true #roadwarrior life, the grind-it-out, missed your connection, hustling to commuter terminal business life, stuck on a regional jet life, will take you all over this great country…and to some not-so-glitzy locales.

Over the years I’ve seen both big and small cities/towns. I’ve stayed in fancy hotels and some dumpy ones (where I was pretty sure there was a drug deal going on in the next room).

In a previous post I shared what I think is the Best Big City to Visit while on Business (hint: it’s NYC!). In this follow up post I am going smaller: the Best “Little” City to Visit while on Business. I am using the term “city” a little liberally here (basically – what’s the best non-major-big-city-that’s not a “town” to visit).

Best BIG City to Visit for Business is NYC (Photo by Lukas Kloeppel on Pexels.com)

The truth of the matter is this was a very hard choice. It was pretty easy to pick the big city (NYC, baby!), but there are just so many great places all across the US that is was darned hard to pick my favorite “little city.” For example, how awesome is Boise, ID? Or Nashville (Nashvegas, if you prefer) or even Sacramento, CA with it’s hidden downtown gems and cool foodie scene?

While all of those come close, for me, it’s all about Indy! Yes indeed, Indianapolis, IN. Indy has been one of my favorite cities to visit for many years. And while you might not see a Midwest city in an area known for being flat and cold being so great, I can honestly tell you it’s a great place! In my humble opinion, it’s the best little city to visit on a business trip and here’s why.

The Best Little City to Visit on Business – Indianapolis, Indiana

With a population of just under 900k, the capitol city of Indiana is home to all kinds of interesting things to do and see. For example, for sports fans, both the Colts and Pacers are here, plus a little race you may have heard of: the Indy 500.

There are interesting museums and art galleries as well as parks and tours. But for my money, it’s the people and food and the overall “good time” I always have when I visit Indy.

The people are always friendly and I’ve had some of the tastiest meals ever when visiting Indianapolis for work. Yup, Indy is a great city and worth a second look. Here are a few things to do in Indianapolis on business as well as where to stay.

St Elmos Famous Shrimp Cocktail!

What to do in Indianapolis on Business (including where to eat)

When in town on business there’s a few interesting things to do if you have time after the work day ends:

• Indianapolis City Market. A really cool indoor market with local vendors, good foods, and hipsters…. But seriously, this place is way cool.
• Tour the Indianapolis Colts stadium. I had a friend who played for the Colts when they won the Super Bowl a few years ago. And while I am not really a huge Colts fan it was a fun story that year. Plus I’ve hosted customer events at their stadium and it’s pretty darn awesome. You can tour the facility as well as rent out their club area to host customers.
• Hang out in their cool downtown for conventions (not too big / not too small) and affordable. I’ve used the Indy convention center many times. It’s a great place for a conf. Easy access, reasonable walking, and a cool downtown for quick bites to eat.
• Visit a local brewery. There is a vibrant brewing scene in Indy with several great choices, including the Big Lug Canteen!
• Catch an Indy 500 Race or at least tour it. The place gets crazy when it’s race weekend and it might be impractical to actually catch a race. If you can’t see the cars race, at least tour the Indy Race Museum! It’s very impressive!

In terms of places to eat, here’s a few interesting ideas:

• St. Elmos’s steakhouse. Been around since 1902! It is the greatest steakhouse in the world, IMO. Quality of meat aside (we can debate that), what we cannot debate is the quality of their shrimp cocktail which is world renowned for being HOT. I say again, HOT! Whew. But delicious. #bucketlist
• Acapulco Joes Breakfast Biscuits and Gravy. The spicy biscuits and gravy here at a Acapulco Joes is so tasty it will heal any hangover and stick to your inside on a cold Midwest day.

Indianapolis City Market

Where to Stay in Indianapolis

Lot’s of options to stay in and around Indy including several great choices like below:

• Hilton Indianapolis
• Conrad Indianapolis
• Westin Indianapolis
• The Alexander

Final thoughts on Indy

There you have it. Indy is truly the best little city to visit on business. Make sure you add Indy to your business travel list – and send us pics! So, what’s your favorite little city?

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