The Monon Trail is an asphalt trail that stretches from the town of Westfield south to downtown Indianapolis. Carmel’s section – the Monon Greenway – runs five miles from 146th Street to 96th Street.

Monon Boulevard is the newly renovated section of the Monon Greenway between 126th and Main Street that was designed as an urban trail corridor. This section serves as an interactive play area for kids of all ages, featuring a spray plaza, public art, ping-pong tables, bocce ball courts, and corn hole. As you take a stroll in this section, you’ll also run into Midtown Plaza (4th Street SW) which features numerous restaurants and businesses and is managed by the City of Carmel.

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Midtown Plaza is a recent addition to and vibrant revitalization of Carmel’s old industrial area, located in the heart of a thriving center of entertainment, urban-style living and commerce. Midtown will bring its own unique urban atmosphere, distinct from its adjacent districts, but serves as a connection between the two.

A range of free amenities will be available within the Midtown Plaza area, including neighborhood green spaces, community tables and benches, shade structures and big screen entertainment. Traveling south down the Monon Trail, Midtown Boulevard also serves as an interactive play area for kids of all ages, featuring a spray plaza, public art, ping-pong tables, bocce ball courts and corn hole.

Midtown Plaza is nestled among several major employers, small businesses and residential developments including the corporate headquarters of Allied Solutions, MJ Insurance, F.C. Tucker and Merchants Bank. Midtown also includes Sun King Taproom & Distillery, Fork + Ale House, the Carmel Redevelopment Commission, Serendipity Labs and multi-use developments. 

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When you arrive you walk through French doors, sparkling chandeliers over head, antiqued mirrors, French inspired furniture, beautiful seasonal decorations, gorgeous cakes on French porcelain platters topped with glass domes. Gwendolyn's shops offer the most incredible experience from ‘The Best Quiche You Will Ever Have’ to homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, even a true French Croque Monsieur. Behind the kitchen window you can see the master bakers gently sieving non-bromated flours from Vermont, there are large pots of French & Belgian Chocolate melting on the stove, cakes baking in the ovens and decorators frosting the most exquisite cakes. 

Gwendolyn’s Cake Bake Shop's have become the destination of Indiana for celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and all the special occasions life offers.

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Enjoy an elevated food and drink experience at Vivante French Eatery. Located in Hotel Carmichael on the Monon Level lobby, our restaurant has uniquely local food and a classic collection of wines to intrigue your senses.

The Sun King Brewery in Carmel, Indiana offers our handmade spirits, beer, and food from our partners La Margarita, The Den by Foxgardin, and Queenie's Pizza. Sun King Spirits is an all-ages space, but you must be 21+ years of age to enjoy our beer or spirits.

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The mission of the nonprofit Center for the Performing Arts is to engage and inspire the Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. Its campus in Carmel, Indiana, includes the 1,600-seat Palladium concert hall, the 500-seat Tarkington proscenium theater and the black-box Studio Theater. The Center presents and hosts hundreds of events each year, including the Center Presents performance series, featuring the best in classical, jazz, pop, rock, country, comedy and other genres.

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Bub's Carmel, we're the "little yellow house that could" along Main Street in Carmel Indiana. Over the last decade as Carmel's Arts and Design District has sprung to life around our iconic building, we've remained the go-to location for one of the best burgers in Central Indiana. Our quaint location along the picturesque Monon Trail is a dining destination for local families, tourists and a foodie challenge for burger enthusiasts from far and wide as they set to conquer our ONE POUND (after-cooked) Big Ugly Burger!

WOODYS LIBRARY RESTAURANT
is locally owned by husband & wife team, “Chef” Richelle & Kevin “Woody” Rider. The title of the restaurant, originated from Kevin‟s nickname, Woody.  

Woodys serves lunch & dinner in the unique bi-level building with upstairs dining, a downstairs neighborhood pub & outdoor patio seating.  The neighborhood pub atmosphere is a favorite gathering spot and the dining area is ideal for a local dining experience.

Fork + Ale House, est. 2019, is a local brewer of hand-crafted ales, brews and cocktails. We stock a full bar of unique spirits and serve up 22 drafts and 33 bottles, including many local and Indiana favorites. Our scratch kitchen takes pride in smoking our own meats, making our own pizza dough and upholding the tradition of multi-generation recipes.

We aspire to provide our customers with the freshest ingredients available by utilizing locally sourced products from all around Indiana. The commitment to our local community of Carmel creates the perfect neighborhood hangout with a family-friendly vibe.

The Indiana Design Center welcomes design professionals and the public and is the one stop shop to build, remodel or redecorate a home or office. The public is welcome to shop in all first floor retail showrooms. Many of the retail showrooms also offer in-house design services for the public. The public may shop the second floor to-the-trade showrooms with their own designer or refer to the Featured Designers page to see a listing of professionals with access to the trade showrooms. Shoppers can also enjoy breakfast or lunch at [Le Peep](https://lepeep.com/stores/carmel/) on the main floor while shopping the many designers and showrooms. 

Shopping

Carmel City Center is a dining and shopping destination in Carmel, Indiana. Shop the boutiques and stores for clothes, gifts, jewelry and more. Restaurant options include The Cake Bake Shop, a high-end bakery offering cakes, pastries and magical experiences; Eggshell Bistro, a European-inspired brunch spot; divvy, a small-plates eatery; Books & Brews, a local brewery with a literary theme; Matt the Miller’s Tavern, a pub with classic American fare and more.

Carmel City Center is within walking distance of the Center for the Performing Arts as well as the Carmel Farmers’ Market and the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. It is also centrally located near the Carmel Arts & Design District a half mile north, accessible via roads as well as the Monon Trail.

Just steps away is the Hotel Carmichael, a boutique hotel featuring Vivante French Eatery and Feinstein's for live entertainment.

Carmel City Center has fitness covered with InCycle Strength and The Yoga Studio.

Free, convenient parking is available on the street and in parking garages and adjacent to Carmel City Center.

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The Monon Trail is an asphalt trail that stretches from the town of Sheridan south to downtown Indianapolis. Carmel’s section – the Monon Greenway – runs five miles from 146th Street to 96th Street.

The Monon Greenway replaced the old railroad that used to run straight through Carmel. The greenway is lined with lovely wooded areas. There are several rest stops along the greenway with water fountains and restrooms to make outdoor exercise more convenient.

The Monon Greenway connects to the Monon Trail to continue south of 96th Street through Broad Ripple, and passes by the Indiana State Fairgrounds before intersecting with the Indianapolis Cultural Trail on the east end of Massachusetts Avenue (Mass Ave).

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Arts & Culture

Foodie Favorites

Bike Friendly

Walkable

Quintessential Main St.

Northern Suburbs

Welcome home to one of the most vibrant downtowns in Indiana! Living in downtown Carmel gives you walkable access to all the culture the area has to offer. Enjoy shopping at City Center, see a show at the Palladium, or stroll through outdoor seasonal events like Christkindlmart.

Pop art style sign with Carmel postcard as backdrop to Midtown Plaza

Large video screen and Midtown sign at the Midtown Plaza

Aerial view of The Cake Bake Shop and the plaza at City Center

Street view of Bub's Burgers & Ice Cream in Carmel