This is such a great example of surprise and delight community placemaking. This was our second…read morevisit to the alley and both times it filled our family with a sense of wonder and delight. The slow swinging lanterns in the breeze accompanied by the small red bridge and mural painting of Koi fish are such a lovely experience. Big kudos to the town of Franklin for making this magic happen. You will stumble upon this alley as you walk your way around the square. It's wedged between coffee shops and bakeries. Definitely worth a little pitstop.

I love this alley in downtown Franklin. Dedicated to the sister city in Kuji Japan, you will find…read moregorgeous koi fish murals on the walls of the buildings on either side, a new Japanese Cherry Tree installation, hanging lanterns and a bridge. Enjoy coffee or lunch at the tables and chairs in the alley and be sure to read the plaque with the information about the sister city and relationship with Japan. Location is between Benjamin's Coffeeshop and the City Hall.

One way that cities keep their public art interesting (and save money while doing it), is to lease…read morethe works for a fixed number of years and then bring some other works in to take the place of the first pieces. Such is the case in Greenwood, where a stretch along Craig Trail on the east side of town has several (5 currently) sculptures on display on the north side of Smith Valley Road. Four of the five pieces are on display for the 2016-2018 time period and a new request has already been established for replacing these pieces soon. A fifth piece, "Strider II" by John Merigian was liked so much that it has become a permanent addition to the trail. The selection of the pieces is done by the Greater Greenwood Arts Council. "Strider II" is a metal figure that appears to be a very tall and thin human who takes long strides. The metal has taken on a rusted hue. "Figure" by Maureen Gray is an abstract that is bright red and metallic. It is meant to represent how everything is connected. "Nomme de Terre" is a large, red, downward facing arrow (200 lbs) made of steel by Chuck von Schmidt 2013. "Prime Commonality" by local artists Luke Crawley and Quincy Owens 2014 is a multi piece installation that uses multi colored translucent bars with colored lights and sound inside. During the day, they appear somewhat static, but when the lights come on, the colors change due to the coloring within. The sound is a mix of human and chimpanzee vocalizations. "Symbiosis" by Richard Herzog is a grouping of metal stalks with bright yellow translucent leaves at the top. The art, though quite man made, takes on a look of something in nature. Viewing the pieces is easy from a distance as hundreds of vehicles (or more!) pass by each morning. However, finding parking is difficult along the trail, so if you wish to inspect them up close, you may have a bit of a hike yourself. Review #1220

You will find this mural on the side of Richard's Brick Oven Pizza. It is very bright and vivid and…read moredemands your attention. It runs along the entire wall and depicts a couple of guitars and features the words "Good Vibes". I like the way the mural incorporates everting on that side of the wall including doors, awnings, garage doors, lights and electric meters. The colors used in the mural really compliment each other and pop. It is the work of Shannon McKeon and was painted in 2019 as part of the Color the County Mural Program. I love that program. It brings the community together, under the direction of a local artist, to bring a mural to life. And to top it off, the mural gives off a positive message, "Good Vibes". Getting a closer look at the mural is easy. It overlooks Richard's Brick Oven's parking lot. I just pulled into the lot, got out and gazed at the mural. As with most murals that I visited, this is not a long stop. I was there maybe 5 minutes tops. I recommend visiting here on your way to somewhere else or making this part of a larger itinerary. The Franklin Art Garden and Young's Creek Park are very close by.

As part of the Johnson County Community Foundation's "Color the County" program, artist Shannon…read moreMcKeon was selected to paint a mural in 2019. This mural in Franklin, is on the south wall of Richards Brick Oven Pizza. The mural is huge and covers the entire wall. Done in deep colors of yellow, orange, violet, and pink, the mural takes on a music theme with the words "Good Vibes" written in cursive to the left of the handicap access door. Music notes also emphasize the good vibes along with images of several guitars. Review #2854

This mural is starting to show signs of wear and tear. This mural was painted by Amy Hommell in…read more2016 as part of the Johnson County Community Foundation's 25th anniversary. It is pretty abstract. It is some colorful circles on a bright blue background. The perimeter of one of the circles looks like piano keys. There is a tree that runs up the center of the mural. It is a simple design, but it had to be that way because it was a community paint by the number project. That had members of the community, even those without artistic ability, to do the painting. I am a fan of community art. I guess it is the sappy side of me. The mural is located on the side of a photography studio, overlooking a small parking lot belonging to De Baun's Service, Inc. So, parking and getting out to get a closer look at this mural is simple and easy, if that is what you want to do. As with most all murals that I have reviewed, this is probably not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops or making this part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

In the inaugural year (2016) of the Color the County mural program of Johnson County, a site in…read moredowntown Greenwood was selected for a new mural by Amy Hommell. Hommell is a full time artist with a degree from Indiana State University and is the owner of Teal Canary Art Studio. The mural has a background of blue sky and rolling green hills with a series of overlapping circles with intricate patterns within them. In the center is a large tree with new leaves growing. The only negative about the mural was the site selection which is often partially blocked by dumpsters from the neighboring business. Review #1260

You will find this mural near Taxman Brewery, right across Johnson BBQ. It was painted in 2020…read moreJohnson County Community Foundation Mural Program. The project was headed artist Stacie Drane. The mural was completed as part of a community day, bringing in community members of all ages and abilities to paint the mural. It was a large paint by numbers deal. Sadly the front side of the mural is used as parking spaces. While I was there there were cars parked in front of the mural pretty much blocking the view of the entire bottom of the mural. It is a basic abstract mural. I can see the image of a dove, hands with arms, a heart, partial faces, flowers, plants, buildings, and random shapes. They were all very abstract and colorful, with overlapping and interesting colors. The mural is in great shape. I will admit though, I am not a fan of abstract art, but love community involved projects. Parking to get a closer look here is very easy. You can park in front of the mural directly, right next to it or across the street at Johnsons BBQ. I parked right next to it and had no issues. As with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, getting a drink from Taxman, grabbing a bite at Johnson's or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

In the fifth year of its Color the County mural program, the Johnson County Community Foundation…read morehas sponsored a local artist to create a community "paint day" where the artist would create a full sized wall mural in a paint by number scheme that allowed volunteers to come and participate in the painting of a new community piece. In 2020, the town of Bargersville got its second mural (in 2016, they added one I call Bargersville Sunrise by Amber Berninger. See separate review #1261). The new mural was designed by Nineveh artist Stacie Drane and the mural was painted in August. The mural is a mixture of city and county scenes which come together as the small town is now one of the most rapidly growing areas in the Indy metro area. The mural shows different people along with crops and buildings all coming together in one place. The colorful mural uses solid colors and has a cool tone of colors which is very pleasing to the eye. Although the piece is painted on one of TaxMan's southern buildings, it is directly across from the patio of Johnson Barbecue. I appreciate that the artist has to simply the project so that community members can participate in the painting. Still, the final product is pleasing and some attention to clean up left the lines solid and the filled in blocks of color complete. Review #3803

Fest bier German and pretzels with cheese the combo was very good. The service and friendly and…read morefast. Food came out quick also Check them out

Great food, great atmosphere, great service! Very affordable. The beer is EXCELLENT. Must try. I…read morelove that it's family owned and homey feeling. You HAVE to stop in here

Atmosphere and indiffence of staff has promoted bullying. We will be homeschooling from now on like…read moreother people we know that's pulled their students for the exact same reason. It's been 9 years of dealing with this with 2 different students and we're done.

This mural is part of the 2017 Color the County Mural Program. I love that program. It brings the…read morecommunity together, under the direction of a local artist, to bring a mural to life. This mural's artist is Danny Causey. This mural covers three of the building's walls and fittingly is of the town's namesake Benjamin Franklin. The mural depicts an image of Franklin on one wall and and colorful flights on the walls on each side. The mural is not actually painted on the wall, but was painted on boards that were put together to form the completed mural. I really love that the image of Franklin is monochrome blue and has some green glasses on that just comes out at you. It is very detailed and has an uncanny resemblance to Franklin. The kites are pretty basic, but most community murals have to be, but the colors and design still works. I just wish that they could have made the sky stormy, to depict Franklin's famous discovery of electricity, but oh well. Getting a closer look at the mural is easy. There is free street parking located across the street (that is where I parked). There is also a little strip mall parking lot next door and a free parking lot within a reasonable walking distance. As with most murals that I visited, this is not a long stop. I was there maybe 5 minutes tops. I recommend visiting here on your way to somewhere else or making this part of a larger itinerary. Depot park, an antique store and an awesome candy/ice cream are very close by.

In 2017, one of the Color the County murals for Johnson County was added to east Jefferson Street…read morenear the railroad tracks in Franklin. Artist Danny Causey was responsible for the design and installation of the mural. After community members helped fill in the basic design, Causey had to come back to complete the finished work. There are two main components to the mural. The walls facing east on the ends of the mural are covered with multiple colored kites being flown over rolling hills in a partly cloudy sky. The image is simple, much like a child might draw, but large in scale and generally appealing due to its relatability. The center of the mural which is on a north facing wall features Ben Franklin's portrait done in a deep blue color over a black background. It takes on the look of someone standing under a blacklight. To add whimsy, Causey added florescent green glass frames to Franklin to further the effect. As the city's namesake, it seems fitting that the connection to Franklin is immediate between his image and the story of his flying a kite to determine that lightning was electricity (though no storm is painted on the wall.) Review #1263

Really a neat place to eat and food was very good. I like the bar and outside eating arearead more

Restaurant dining at the Lounge room on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 7 ladies switched our normal…read moreFriday night out to Thursday to eat at the Garment Factory. High praise for the salmon cakes, marinara meatball appetizer, ribeye sliders, french onion soup, and nightly special (a beef filet with mashed potatoes and broccolini). My lobster bisque was flavorless, and my chorizo fried rice consisted of hard little pieces of chorizo, a few tiny shrimp, and some nickel sized scallops. The rice was really chewy and the flavor was saved by the vegetables. The water had a chlorine taste so I ordered a coke, which also tasted of chlorine. While my dinner was disappointing, my friends all enjoyed their meals. The menu is just the right size with a variety of starters, salads, and entrees. The ambiance is great and they offer patio dining. The framed history of the building is displayed on the walls, and it looks like a great venue for special events. I will order a different dish on my next visit.

I had the best smoky turkey Reuben! House Smoked turkey, Swiss, sauerkraut, bacon, Alabama white…read moresauce. Hot fries! Cranberita! Perfect. Service was good!

First visit to the Shale Creek Brewery. Thought we should…read moretry some craft beers, so a flight was ordered - 5 beers - No Name Porter, Legend of Nessie, Creekside Cream Ale, Downtown Cocoa Brown, Creek Hoppin Wheat. All were original and good, but the Legend was my personal favorite. Finished up with a pint of Without a Paddle IPA. An excellent brew if you enjoy the hops. Food selections for tonight were the Chicken Tenders and Pulled pork. Both dishes prepared to perfection and tasted delicious. I highly recommend Shale Creek, and we'll definitely come back.