ll eyes were on Indianapolis this past February, when the city that racing built hosted
America’s most-watched sporting event — Super Bowl XLVI — at Lucas Oil Stadium. In the years leading up to the big game, Indy made sure it would be ready for its moment in the spotlight by spending more than $3 billion to upgrade its tourism infrastructure, including expanding its climate- controlled skywalk system, connecting 12 hotels (and 4,700 guest rooms) to the stadium, the Circle Centre mall, and the expanded, 566,000-square-foot Indiana Convention Center. One of those new hotels is the world’s largest JW Marriott, with 1,005 rooms — and when attendees stay there or in one of downtown’s 25 other hotels, they’re within walking distance of more than 200 restaurants and 50 major attractions.
Streetscape Georgia Street, Indy’s new three-block pedestrian-friendly promenade, debuted earlier this year, connecting the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium with Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home court for the NBA Pacers. Livening up downtown’s Wholesale District, Georgia Street — which was modeled after a plaza in Barcelona — features rain gardens, decorative lighting, and scenic landscaping, making for a picturesque urban event venue.
Winner of OpenTable.com’s 2012 Diners’ Choice award, R Bistro is the brainchild of executive chef and owner Regina Mehallick, a Pennsylvania native who trained as a chef across the United States and Europe before settling in Indianapolis and devel- oping her rustic yet contempo- rary menu, which draws heavily on local ingredients.
Trailblazing The new Indianapolis Cultural Trail’s red-brick walkway connects all of the city’s cultural districts, attracting walkers, cyclists, and hikers alike.