2013 Thread - Guide to Big East Cities...

[MUSeashells&Balloons]

For the Creighton game you shouldn't have a problem getting tickets on the upper deck. lower deck you may have to buy them off a season ticket holder.

[cujaysfan]

For the Creighton game you shouldn't have a problem getting tickets on the upper deck. lower deck you may have to buy them off a season ticket holder.

i'm not sure i believe that's going to hold true this year.

i think with mcdermott and gibbs returning - plus the quality and name value of BE teams coming to omaha - that demand locally will be at an all time high.

i expect a lot of early sell outs.

[Jet915]

For the Creighton game you shouldn't have a problem getting tickets on the upper deck. lower deck you may have to buy them off a season ticket holder.

i'm not sure i believe that's going to hold true this year.

i think with mcdermott and gibbs returning - plus the quality and name value of BE teams coming to omaha - that demand locally will be at an all time high.

i expect a lot of early sell outs.

I think he's talking about the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. I agree though, the Creighton Big East Conference games except for maybe DePaul, Seton Hall and Providence will probably sell out (18,000+).

[Noonzy]

Billy-did you know tht the red "manhatten" chowder actually was developed by the Portugues people on the east bay side. My understanding of it is that the Portugues families grew so many tomatoes that they eventually tried them in their chowder recpies-have no idea how it ended up as Manhatten chowder.

Cool, I never knew that! I figured it was some old NY City type. Hey, that's another thing about Providence... small city but just about every ethnic community is here. And Noonzy -- add in anything else about Providence that I missed. Like I only know general things about the PC campus because I'm not an alum.

Sorry Billy -been away from this board. I live in Myrtle Beach now so I don't know how the campus is doing except I hear major contruction going on.More on the food though. Haven Brother's "mobile" diner pulls up in front of city hall every night and it attract a who's who of every possible walk of life. There are Stanley burgers in Central Falls-cheap and good. Then you have all of the NY Systems serving weiners-a concoction of a steamed bun, onions and mustard and a chili sauce-great stuff -called "gaggers" with some RI coffee milk. Has no connection with NY however. Many great restaurants throughout the state outside of Providence. Rhode Islanders except nothing but high standards in their cuisine. Prices are reasonable. If you feel like gambling, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casino are about 50-60 minutes away depending on traffic and you have RI's own Twin RIvers Casino in LIncoln. Twin Rivers is not close to the other two as far as quality.

[marquette]

Great writeup, those visiting must get a meal in Federal Hill, amazing Italian................Marquette you should post a 'visiting MArquette thread' so that writeup doesn't get lost, or maybe the OP could re-label this thread to something about visiting guide for any of the BE cities and others can add their's.

My bad, ignored the title and just read the "hopefully this is the first of many". Thanks to the mod/ts for changing the title and making me look less like a moron.

[BillEsq]

Its your last chance to go to Louisville as a BE city of any sort... and i encourage all of you to go at least once.

Great town only and hour and half from Cincy... known for Horseracing, bourbon, and basketball (however that is stuck in a one year purgatory).

Not many BE reasons remaining to visit but i recommend that all of you come down for the Derby at least once in your life. Smack talk among friends is always better with bourbon. Plus you can come in and see the Louisville Slugger Museum. If you are a MLB fan and i assume many of you are that is a must visit.

If your desperate for some sort of BE visit i suggest you come down for a Field Hockey or volleyball match. Louisville prides itself as being the queen city for these too sports and well... girls that play field hockey are usually pretty hot.

As far as BE cities i've been to them all and Milwaukee is a must. Travel there soon and return often!!!!!!

[JOPO]

Its your last chance to go to Louisville as a BE city of any sort... and i encourage all of you to go at least once.

Great town only and hour and half from Cincy... known for Horseracing, bourbon, and basketball (however that is stuck in a one year purgatory).

Not many BE reasons remaining to visit but i recommend that all of you come down for the Derby at least once in your life. Smack talk among friends is always better with bourbon. Plus you can come in and see the Louisville Slugger Museum. If you are a MLB fan and i assume many of you are that is a must visit.

If your desperate for some sort of BE visit i suggest you come down for a Field Hockey or volleyball match. Louisville prides itself as being the queen city for these too sports and well... girls that play field hockey are usually pretty hot.

As far as BE cities i've been to them all and Milwaukee is a must. Travel there soon and return often!!!!!!

I've been to Louisville and both the Louisville Slugger Museum and the tour of Church Hill Downs are must dos. Lots of fun.

[dmac80]

Awesome the thread title is a general guide for each BE city..........Come on guys from Indy, Omaha, Chicago, DC, NY, Philly, and Cinci (wow we have some great locations locked down for this league) can one of you step up and do a guide like the Milwaukee and Providence guides?....Also Can this thread be stickied? I'm one demanding SOB aren't I?

[gmoser1210]

Transportation
Indianapolis by car:
Known as the “Crossroads of America,” there are many ways to get to Indianapolis by road. Interstate 65 runs through Indianapolis from Chicago to the north and Louisville to the south. Interstate 69 runs south to Indianapolis from Detroit. Interstate 74 runs west from Cincinnati, and Interstate 70 runs to Indianapolis from Saint Louis in the west and from Columbus, Ohio, from the east. All of these highways run into Interstate 465, the beltway that goes all the way around Indianapolis.

Once you get to 465, take Exit 31 on the north side and turn right onto Meridian Street. Take Meridian south to 46th and turn right at the governor’s mansion. You’ll run straight into the Butler campus. Turn right on Sunset Avenue and Hinkle will be on your left after the curve. This isn’t necessarily the most direct route from all directions, but it’s the easiest and most picturesque drive.

1.5 hours from Dayton
2 hours from Cincinnati
2 hours from Louisville
3 hours from Chicago
4 hours from Saint Louis

Indianapolis by air:
The Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is the main hub for Indianapolis, although some choose to fly in and out of Dayton (DAY) because cheaper flights are sometimes available. It’s an easy 15 minute drive to Butler from the airport. Cabs are available at the airport to take you to Butler, but you’ll have to arrange transportation back to the airport ahead of time. Cabs are few and far between in Indianapolis. If you don’t drive in, rent a car. Don’t even bother trying to use the city’s bus system, IndyGo.

Hotels
To the north:

• The Doubletree Suites by Hilton – 11355 N. Meridian St. (Carmel, IN)
• Drury Inn – 9320 N Michigan Rd.

Downtown:

• Conrad Indianapolis – 50 W Washington St.
• Hyatt Regency – 1 S Capitol Ave (great view of the Statehouse)
• JW Marriott – 10 S West Street

By the airport:

• Wingate by Wyndham – 6300 Gateway Dr. (Plainfield, IN)
• Hilton Garden Inn – 8910 Hatfield Dr.

Restaurants
Broad Ripple
Broad Ripple Village is a cornerstone of Indianapolis youth culture and nightlife is a result of its thriving bar scene and the near presence of Butler University. It's essentially Butler's college town. The neighborhood is home to many of Indianapolis' premier locally owned restaurants, independent art galleries, private boutiques and specialty shops, and the popular Monon Trail.

• Plump’s Last Shot – 6416 Cornell Ave. – owned by Bobby Plump, a former Butler player who played on the Milan High School team that won the 1954 Indiana High School state basketball championship, which was the inspiration for the movie, Hoosiers. The final shot in the movie was taken from virtually the same spot on the floor of Hinkle Fieldhouse as Bobby Plump's actual game-winner, giving the restaurant its name. Eat the tenderloin – it’s an Indiana staple.
• Moe & Johnny’s – 5380 N College Ave. – a true Butler hangout, this place used to be called The Bulldog.
• Yat’s – 5363 N College Ave. – Get the Chili Cheese Étouffée with Crawfish. Has vegan and gluten free options. Across from Moe & Johnny’s. This is my favorite place in Indy and is a can’t miss if you like creole/Cajun.
• Union Jack Pub – I love the deep dish pizza if you have enough time. It’s a true Chicago-style deep dish that’s worth the wait.
• Broadripple Brewpub – Get the beer cheese crock as an appetizer. Has vegan options.
• Ripple Bagel & Deli – 850 Broad Ripple Ave. – Steamed sandwiches, all of them awesome.
• Bazbeaux Pizza – 811 E Westfield Blvd. – A Butler favorite, with your normal toppings in addition to some a bit more unusual.

Downtown

• Café Patachou – 225 W Washington St. – Breakfast and Lunch
• St. Elmo’s – 127 S Illinois St. – Indianapolis’s most famous steakhouse. Be prepared to shell out some dough, but there’s a reason. Get the shrimp cocktail and eat the cocktail sauce.
• Harry & Izzy’s – 153 S Illinois St. – Upscale but not extremely overpriced. This is my favorite restaurant in Indianapolis behind Yat’s. Gluten free options are available. This restaurant is St. Elmo’s less pricey younger brother, and they share the shrimp cocktail.
• Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery – 10 W Washington St.
• Scotty’s Brewhouse – 1 Virginia Ave. – Gluten free options, including buns for burgers. Awesome burgers and I love the pickle chips.

Area attractions

• Indianapolis Colts
• Indiana Pacers
• Indianapolis Indians (AAA Baseball)
• Indiana Ice (USHL)
• NCAA Hall of Champions
• Indianapolis Zoo
• Indianapolis Children’s Museum (fun for all ages)
• President Benjamin Harrison Hom
• Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum
• Indianapolis Museum of Art

Shopping
There are three primary shopping districts. First is Circle Centre Mall, in the downtown area. The mall consists of over 100 stores on four levels and is anchored by Carson Pirie Scott. It also has a nine-screen movie theater. The mall occupies four buildings joined by a glass dome called the Artsgarden, which is owned and operated by the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Nine hotels connect to Circle Centre Mall via covered skywalks: Omni Severin Hotel, Canterbury Hotel, The Conrad, Embassy Suites, Hyatt Regency, Marriott, Westin, Crowne Plaza, and JW Marriott. In fact, much of Indianapolis is connected by skywalks and underground walkways. You just have to know where to find them.

The second shopping area is the Keystone Avenue/Castleton area. The Fashion Mall at Keystone is an upscale shopping center and is located off I-465 at 86th Street and Keystone Avenue. It is anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom and includes one of the first Microsoft standalone stores in the country. Also in this area is the Castleton Mall, which is the largest and busiest mall in the state. The largest stores are Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney, Macy's, Von Maur, and Sears.

The third (and newest) shopping area, Clay Terrace, is a “lifestyle center” which I think means it’s an outdoor mall. It has some decent restaurants and some of the normal stores you find in every mall, plus some other unique stores.

[DumpsterFireA10]

Mr. Moser, the city of Indianapolis tourism bureau thanks you.