Created in partnership with Colleen Hungerford Real Estate.
When exploring a city there’s no better way than to get recommendations from an enthusiastic local. As we looked to Carmel, we could think of no one better than Real Estate Guru Colleen Hungerford of The Agency. Read on as Colleen, who moved to Carmel from California a few years ago, walks us through how to spend a perfect day in her adopted hometown.
RISE AND SHINE
Indie Coffee Roasters is the best. Their location on Main Street is super cute—it’s in a house that they converted into a really beautiful coffee shop. However, the parking can be challenging. They also have a second location in a new development called The North End. It has really good parking, so I tend to go to that one. In that same area, there’s a great French bakery, Le Petite Gateau, where you can get a coffee and a great croissant and start your day amazingly.
My daughter, who is 10, is gluten and dairy-free, so I also love No Label at the Table. It’s an entirely gluten-free bakery on Main Street run by a woman and her son, Chef J, who was diagnosed with Autism. The bakery employs people with developmental disabilities and has a fantastic assortment of cakes, cookies, treats, and breads.
Joe’s Butcher Shop is one of my favorite lunch places. They also have really great prepared foods and an amazing butcher shop. You can get a steak, twice-baked potatoes, and other things, but their sandwiches are awesome.
FAMILY FUN
Our house is near the Hagan-Burke Trail, so we’ll get on our bikes and ride down the trail, which connects to the Monon. We can park our bikes in front of Bub’s and have lunch there. Then we’ll get Italian ice at Rita’s Italian Ice because Italian ice is dairy-free and gluten-free. Sometimes, we get Handel’s (the Blue Moon ice cream is a must-try!), which also has gluten-free and dairy-free options.
The Carmel Clay Public Library is a great place to take your kids—they have an amazing children’s section. It also has a coffee shop where you can have coffee, get a snack, and read books. People work there quite a bit, too. The building was just redone, and it’s beautiful.
At Midtown Carmel Plaza, you can sit out at Sun King, and your kids can play in this great grassy area. In the summer, they do Movies at Midtown, where they put up a huge screen and play free movies there until the fall.
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SHOP LOCAL
One of my favorite places to go is Silver in the City, a cute, locally owned shop—we go in for little fun gifts, housewarming gifts, birthday gifts, etc.
The Indiana Design Center is a one-stop shop for your home, and many people don’t realize it’s open to the public. I particularly love Drapery Street, a woman-owned business that offers incredible custom drapes and outstanding service.
END ON A PERFECT NOTE
For dinner, I’d head to Garden Table on Monon Boulevard. It’s the only Garden Table location with the Rachel Salad, which Jennifer Aniston ate daily when playing Rachel on “Friends.”
If you want a drink, 3 Up is a rooftop bar above Anthony’s Chophouse, the only rooftop bar in Carmel. For wine, there’s Peace Water Winery or Sugar Creek Winery. It has a wine-tasting room with charcuterie boards. I was lucky once to meet the winemaker who travels around the world handpicking grapes and ingredients for their wine.
I love Carmel because it’s really easy to have your family here. The city is set up in a way that is so family-friendly, which makes parenting a lot easier. There’s so much for us to do. I love the special touches, like the flower baskets they put up in spring or the Lunar New Year Festival. There’s always something going on.
About Colleen Hungerford | The Agency Real Estate:
Colleen Hungerford is the realtor of our dreams. Based out of Indianapolis, Colleen has had a rich history in construction and design, making her more inept at how a home should work and how to make it work for you. As a wife and mother, Colleen loves finding places and events that create a great experience for everyone. Carmel is no exception to that rule, giving her family plenty to do together.
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