Back again and I love this place! Indy has such an incredible book store scene and now I know every…read moretime I'm in the area, I'll be stopping in. I just love how they divide the space, the beautiful book covers they have, and the non book items they have here as well! This time I finally got a Mary Oliver book and also plan to start the Mistborn series!

Best bookstore ever! Wonderful selection, helpful staff who will always order a book if they don't…read morehave it. Love their book recommendations and the wide variety of books offered. This is my go-to for gift book purchases and a truly delightful place to spend some time browsing.

This is my one of my go-to places for locally-made gifts and quirky gifts that are perfect for my…read morefriends/family. I always find something here, often times for myself. This was one of many stops we made on small business Saturday and it did not disappoint.

What a cute store! It has a bit of everything! I enjoyed looking around at all of the options! I…read morecould have spent a lot of money, but it's good to practice self control! I ended up purchasing a cute fork and knife book mark and some fun stickers for my water bottle! Check this place out for gifts! Or just treat yourself! I know I'll be back! :)

Talk about the dreamiest bookstore. I'm embarrassed it took me so long to finally pop in. We were…read morehaving a fall neighborhood stroll in the Lockerbie Square district this rainy fall past weekend and popped in here to check things out. What a treasure chest! The Whispering Shelf features a fabulous assortment of stationery/ cards, gifts, books with handwritten recommendations (always a sucker for these little personal touches from a bookstore) and an expensive children's section. I was especially enamored by the children's section and display. There were several interactive elements to keep kids busy while you peruse the shelves (smart!). They offer a variety of events throughout the month for book clubs, storytime and more. Can't wait for more future visits and to do our Christmas shopping here!

The Whispering Shelf has become my go-to Indianapolis bookstore! They're in the cutest spot in…read moreLockerbie and have a little bit of everything in their inventory, with an excellent children's book section. They also have a great selection of gorgeous coffee table books, cookbooks, and various paper goods (notebooks, planners, etc). I love the written staff descriptions and recommendations throughout the shelves - they're happy to chat and give you a recommendation for whatever you're looking for as well. They also have a featured shelf with books that have upcoming book club discussions planned! I love the way The Whispering Shelf encourages community building and am so glad to have them in Indy. Happy reading!

Thrilled there IS an art supply store in downtown, so let's start there. Presumably, they get a lot…read moreof business from artists in the Stutz, since that's where they are. It's a petite shop, so, no surprise, they have a limited number of things available. I needed some last minute supplies for a class and didn't find everything I needed, but some. It was worth going, though since I'd rather support a local art supply shop. A quick list of things I know they had: colored pens, pencils, inks, sketch pads/ papers, water colors, gesso, all sizes of mechanical pencil refills, markers and more. They also have a loyalty rewards program.

A LOCALLY OWNED art supplies store in downtown Indy, Griffy's has a wide range of art materials for…read moredifferent mediums. The store is small, but professionals and hobbyists will still likely find what they need to either start or complete their masterpieces. They even have art gift sets for the creators in your life. You can browse the store in-person or shop online and get items shipped or pick up in store.

I was here for work, and it being my first visit to the campus I was very impressed!…read more A large part of my job is visiting campuses to check in and be a resource for former students. This location is clean, well maintained and was the perfect work space, I enjoyed coffee and got a good deal of work completed. I'll be back here in the coming months and am glad to know that I have a work space.

Gotta love the IUPUI B&N! The lower floor has textbooks but up above there is clothing, typical B&N…read morebooks (including the discount books) so you can enjoy nonfiction, fiction...even graphic novels! There's a B&N cafe as well. They have your standard Starbucks items (but not everything - Barnes & Noble Starbucks are different when it comes to some items. Your Starbucks gift card won't work here and some of the fancy items aren't sold here. However, the snacks/lunches are good. There's personal pizzas, bagels, Cheesecake Factory items, and then a rack of snacks/treats. I love the feta stuffed pretzels. Check out their specials as well. They'll change, but some current examples are $4 for an any-size ice coffee or iced tea + pretzel/bagel; Thursdays are half-off pizzas, and one day a week the sandwiches are half-off as well. I also appreciate that the bookstore supports the campus community. The manager is very supportive of Paws Pantry and other philanthropic activities. At first when I came to campus I winced at another corporation clawing into a university campus...so it's good that the bookstore is supportive of students. Also, the textbooks are fair priced. Textbooks are just so expensive in general because the publishing companies are awful, and then force bookstores to pay top dollar as well. Sigh. Location: B&N is located in the Campus Center and if you're visiting campus, you'll need a parking pass or park in the Vermont Street Garage. The latter is an expensive option, so...

Since the last visit, Semantics has not been unexpectedly closed. The owner found workers to keep…read morethe store open until posted hours. The number of patrons has increased in recent weeks as well, which is great to see for this independent stationery store. The cost of goods here is on par with the cost in other cities. The selection is mostly stagnant, which is both good and bad (good in the sense that there is consistency in locating a product you like and doing so at a small business, but bad in the sense that if you visit more often than once every 4-6 months, you likely won't see much has changed and so you won't find much more to purchase), and their social medial presence is lacking, which indicates lethargy or less than acute business sense. Perhaps consider taking cues from the IG accounts or "sold out" items of popular independent stationery stores in Chicago. There is no shortage of stationery people in this city. I think that if these elements changed, the owners might attract more business. It would be a shame for this store, the only dedicated and independent stationery store in Indianapolis to do themselves an injustice by not employing other tactics to increase their presence and visibility.

Billing itself as "Indy's Independent Stationery Store," Semantics Paper Goods is likely a place…read moreyou've passed by on more than one occasion and found yourself wondering about it. Nestled in-between Lift-Off Ice Cream Shop and a former bookstore (and soon to be cafe if the signs in the window are to be believed), Semantics Paper Goods is located in the Penn Arts Building, an intriguing multi-level apartment building with retail on the ground floor. In case you're wondering, yes Semantics is local. Owner Ali is an Indiana native with a deep love of Indy. Semantics is a stationery and paper-focused gift story with a passion for snail-mail writers, journal lovers, and those who generally love paper. Semantics focuses on hard to acquire products rare to Indy - like Japanese stationery products and products from other indie businesses. The hours are somewhat limited - so pay attention. I've never been particularly fond of parking in this area, though I'd likely be less bothered by it if I tried it more often. I've only had a couple of brief visits here, though I've found the store simple yet captivating, friendly and helpful. Accessibility in terms of parking can be a bit challenging (though it's doable); accessibility in terms of Semantics is fine with its first floor location, manual door, and friendly layout. You can get postcards (including Indiana/Indy-themed), notebooks, journals, pens/pencils, stationery sets, greeting cards, desk items, and more here. Semantics is relatively small. Again, it's an indie store focusing on the indie side of stationery. Don't arrive expecting all your familiar brands - instead, be prepared to explore, learn, and enjoy. I enjoyed this shop. I'm not quite willing to go 5-stars, however, I'm giving this an easy 4-star as Indy definitely needs the indie voice for stationery/paper goods. A couple additional notes - The website will give you an idea of their products. They offer free USA shipping on purchases of $50+ and free pick-up (in-store). If you've never stopped, you should. This area has really grown and I'd easily take the time to hit Semantics, Lift-Off, and head over to Leah Johnson's Loudmouth Books.

Woman owned, loved the selection of quality printed classics. Covers i had never seen before for…read moremust read books. Adorable on the inside. Friendly and cozy atmosphere

Absolutely love love love this shop! The owner is so friendly and very helpful in finding amazing…read morebooks and other niche places to try in the area.

Indy's bookshop scene is really incredible. This was my first time popping into Loudmouth Books and…read moreit certainly won't be my last. I love how vibrant the space is and was warmly greeted the second I walked in. There's a lovely separate room that has a selection of kids & YA options and some cozy bean bags if I remember correctly . The main room has a really awesome collection of intentionally chosen and eclectic books. The person working offered some great recommendations as well. I hope to be back again soon!

Loudmouth Books is such a jewel!…read more It's a small bookstore that is expertly curated. It sells a bit of everything, from contemporary, romance, LGBTQ and historical fiction, as well as an array of non-fiction, cookbooks, kids, YA and other bits, The clerk who helped us was also quick with great recommendations. It was hard to decide, and in the end I got a novel I had been eying and a book-themed T-shirt. This bright spot -- both literally with its big front windows and figuratively with its wonderful selection -- made book shopping fun. A great spot to visit while in Indy!

Updating my review of Luna Music and bumping it up from four stars to five. This is because a) Luna…read moredeserves all five stars; and b) it's been nine (!!) years since my last review. In my last review, I think I complained about being a tired mom with macaroni and cheese stains on my pants. Well, nine years later, I'm still a mom but fortunately less tired, the stains on my pants are from red wine and vegan tzatziki, and the kids I made macaroni and cheese for have grown up and are very interested in music. And they ask me to take them to Luna Music. I'm always happy to oblige. My oldest kid love Luna Music because he can find albums for the bands that he listens to. Bands and artists that are not on my radar at all (Blood Orange? Anyone, anyone? Bueller?), but he loves them, and it makes him happy to find them here in vinyl. Luna has a lot of new music on vinyl. This is the place to visit in Indianapolis if you're looking for any kind of new music. They are on top of it. In fact, I subscribe to their weekly newsletter just to keep abreast of the new music that drops every week. Luna Music keeps me young and able to relate to my children, who have astounding musical taste for their age. Luna skews toward records, but they also have a smaller selection of used CDs, as well as a collection of used cassette tapes that are smaller still. You can also find zines, local artwork, greeting cards, record players and other fun things. The people who work here are super friendly and not at all snobby. There are no Jack-Black-from-High-Fidelity people here!

Had an occasion to make a return trip to Luna Music and it was as rewarding as our earlier visit…read more Chill vibe and friendly staff. Even helped us with a lunch spot recommendation. . Hope this business continues to thrive.