501 Eagle - 501 N. College Ave. 317-623-2100. Hardcore gay leather bar that shows porn on the TVs and pool table upstairs. For serious enthusiasts of the leather. Leather events, charity events and theme nights are regular.

7 - 6235 N. Guilford Ave. 317-257-7743. This is the bar that Jermaine O'Neal of the Pacers built. Right in the heart of Broad Ripple, it's the most stylish and hip of the nightclubs there. Inspired by Vegas and Miami, it features various bars and private VIP service - call ahead and request a private VIP table with a bottle of high end booze and you'll get your own private bartender too. DJs spin top 40, hip hop, house music and dance. Rumor has it a lot of the Pacer's hit the club after homegame's in the VIP lounge. 21+

Alley Cat - 6267 Carrollton Ave. 317-257-4036. This is the #1 dive bar in the city, according to every poll, award and every heavy drinker in town. Located in Broad Ripple (yes, down an alley) it's the bar you have your first drink at, the bar you meet your first one night stand at, and in my sisters case - your husband. No windows, smoke ridden, and open at 7 am for breakfast till 3 am for dinner. A great jukebox ("Ace of Spades" by Motorhead is the number one requested song), legendary bar staff, numerous pool tables, and the hardest drinks in town. Sometimes bands play too. A place you know will never change. Vegetarian friendly. 21+

Blu - 240 S. Meridian St. 317-955-8585. Another night club to jump on the whole "Miami inspired ultra lounge" wave. Theme rooms and leather couches, oh and don't forget beds for lounging on. DJs pump top 40, appetizers are served and you can call ahead to reserve space and "VIP" treatment. Martinis are the house speciality. 21+

Bourbon Street Distillery - 361 Indiana Ave. 317-838-3316. Always an after work staple, the Distillery has evolved into a bizarre bar. Offering a cajun fare of spice and heat in downtown Indy - the downstairs is a standard pub and upstairs is a mix of a living room and a nightclub offering a Bourbon Street style balcony that is heated year round. Aside from having tasty food, the Distillery is a house for house music, top 40 and live music.

Broad Ripple Brew Pub - 840 E. 65th St. 317-253-2739. Indy's favorite "British" pub. Located snugly in Northern Broad Ripple, the neighborhoods namesake pub brews some of the best beer in the city. It was the first brewpub in town, and is the oldest microbrewery in the state. If E.S.B., India Pale Ale, Lager, Porter and Bitter falls into your vocabulary then this is the place for you. Good food - Scotch Eggs, bangers and mash - and one of the best vegetarian menus in the city. Smoke free finally, with a friendly and familiar bar staff. Indoor and outdoor dining makes this one of the busiest lunch and dinner spots in the area. They also have real darts (not plastic). A must visit!! All ages

Brugge Brasserie - 1011a E. Westfield Blvd. Broad Ripple. 317-255-0978. The only Belgian restaurant in the city. Amazing food and beer. Sit at one of many indoor/outdoor tables - what are those holes for in the table you ask? Frites of course! The best Belgian Fries in the Midwest. Chose one of your many dips - garlic mayo is the gem. Order a crepe, sandwich or perhaps some mussels and pig out. Don't forget one (or more) of their award winning microbrew Belgian ales. Watch European football on the television and enjoy great music (Nick Cave!). Reservations are recommended, this place gets packed fast. 21+

The Casbah - 6319 Guilford Ave. 317-251-3138. One of Indy's only basement bars! Located underneath the restaurant Usual Suspects, this is as Broad Ripple institution. Nice drink specials, and a variety of DJ's during the week. Wednesday is Mutiny! featuring DJ's spinning classic alternative music (punks, goths, freaks), Thursday is Ground Control, featuring some of the best DJ's in the city spinning classic and positive hip hop (Break dancers unite!!), the weekend features top 40 and a jukebox too.

Chalkie's - 5603 E. 82nd St. 317-578-2221. Probably the cleanest pool hall in town. A spacious venue featuring pool tables and dart boards galore. Mediocre bar food is served (eat before you go) and they have a really unique drink menu (high end import beers). Friendly staff, and cheap pool on really nice tables. It's also smoke free. They also have a great jukebox with weird and popular music alike (from Sisters of Mercy to Outkast). Nice crowd, and a low-key joint.

Claddagh Irish Pub - 234 S. Meridian. 317-822-6274. Regionally owned Irish pubs. The one downtown is a bar, so no kids allowed. The closest thing to Ireland - short stools and all. Grab a pint of beer and some amazing fish and chips and listen to live Irish music and watch some sports on the televisions. Can get crazy on the weekends, so check it out during the week and sit at the bar to watch them poor some black and tans. 21+

Coaches - 28 S. Penn. 317-917-1191. Popular for lunch and after-work meet ups, Coaches celebrates just that - sports and coaches. A nice wooden pub located right downtown with high tables, video games and jukebox, and of course sports on the TV. Live music and DJs offer entertainment on the small stage and outdoor seating is nice during the warm months. Thursdays is $2 pint night, and the beer choices are good and plentiful. They also serve food - and lots of it. Great place for lunch and a brew in the afternoon. Vegetarian friendly. 21+

Club Level - 120 E. Market St. 317-964-0400. Modern night club with good drink specials. Features a wide variety of music during the week and weekends. Tuesdays is indie music night, First Wednesdays is fetish night, Thursdays is goth night, and on the weekends is hop hop and soul music. 21+

Deano's Vino Restaurant & Wine Bar - 1112 Shelby St. 317-423-3154. Located in the heart of Fountain Square, Deano's started out originally as a wine shop. Now it's an award-winning restaurant and wine bar. A relaxing atmosphere decorated with local art (many of it from the local art galleries next door), seasonal menu items with sandwiches for lunch and regional themed dinners. The wine bar is filled with wine/beer memorabilia and a visitors Wall of Fame. Stop by on Thursdays when local DJs spin chill out jams and locals enjoy drinks. All ages. Vegan friendly. All ages.

Elbow Room - 605 N. Penn. 317-635-3354. Located inside of just that, an Elbow shaped building just north of Mass Ave. With a bar and a restaurant, outdoor dining too, the Elbow Room is a great meeting place for lunch or pre-club or show dinner and a drink. American fare with nice twists on sandwiches. Good fish and chips! Vegetarian friendly. All ages

English Ivy's - 944 N. Alabama. 317 822-5070. An Old Northside (thats the historic district downtown) institution. Not much natural light, but plenty of Christmas lights decorate this bar and pub. Swing music on the jukebox, art students and gay men loiter away the day - enjoying drinks and good food. Vegan friendly. 21+

Front Page - 310 Mass Ave. 317-631-6682. Located on Mass Ave's far west end, the Front Page is a great stop for late lunch and after work drinks. From 4pm-5pm the Front Page offers half off appetizers - so eat greasy food like a king and enjoy cheap beers. A few tables litter the street for warm weather outdoor dining/drinking, and the bar inside offers karaoke once a week.

Gelo Ultra Lounge - 5252 E. 82nd St. 317-577-9570. Used to be called "Vapour" it's inspired by Vegas style clubs. With the only ice bar in town, plasma screens showing dance films/videos/mood videos, and VIP areas. The dance floor is teeny, and the DJs spin a mix of Top 40 hits from all decades and house music. DJ John Larner is one of the countries most respected house DJs. Grab a bite to eat downstairs at the Italian restaurant, Cibo, and and call ahead and reserve a VIP room in the bar - you'll get your own bottle of vodka for a flat rate and all the mixers and your own private bartender to drink up. They specialize in martini's and their Cosmo's are the best (and most hardcore) in town! They rarely have cover, which is nice. 21+

Jillians - 141 S. Meridian St. 317-822-9300. The Chuckie Cheese for adults, if you will. This chain features a restaurant serving a variety of American-based cuisine, a hibachi restaurant, and a dance club. Then, littered with bars, is the huge arcade room featuring retro and current game systems, a dance club, and a crazy bowling alley with dance lights and cocktails. Drink prices aren't too cheap, and honestly, the best time to go is when you can have the place to yourself on a rainy afternoon. Drinking and Dance Dance Revolution, woo! 21+ Vegetarian friendly.

Kellerbar at the Rathskellar - 401 E. Michigan. 317-636-0396. Located inside the Rathskellar German restaurant the Kellerbar is the downtown place to drink beers from around the world and sop it all up with German food. During the warm months, this is one of the busiest bars in town. Get there early to enjoy a quieter beer (or two, or three, or four), the bar opens up in the afternoon and you can enjoy their in-house brew (the Dunkel is amazing) outside in the Bier Garden or inside in the cozy oak bar that emulates a German castle. Later in the evening on the weekends cover bands rock out in the garden and drunk college students go wild.

Living Room Lounge - 934 N. Penn. 317-635-0361. A downtown semi-dive bar that offers the type of karaoke that you plug your ears, cover your eyes and ask yourself "Why God why?" then you get on the microphone yourself. Jaegerbombs's are $2 on Thursdays. With cheap specials you'll become a regular yourself quickly. Students, business folk, art students, gays and punks all make up this unique mix.

MacNiven's - 339 Mass Ave. 317-632-7268. One of my favorite places to eat and drink. Indy's only Scottish pub, owned by a Scotsman with a vegetarian wife. Real haggis and blood pudding - and the nice thing is that they offer vegan haggis too (a vegan friend describes it as "tasty but salty"). Comfort food at its best - fish and chips from heaven, Beef McHatten, and James Bond in the mens bathroom (Ladies we get Sean Connery and Braveheart). Restaurant on one side, street side seating and a bar on the other side. Scottish antiques, flags, and the biggest best beer menu in town. Oh, don't forget the Scotch! 18+

Metro - 707 Mass Ave. 317-639-6022. Pub that caters to Mass Ave. gays, straights and in-between. Laid back, casual environment with a pub downstairs and a modern pool hall upstairs. Their karaoke is legendary - featuring people who really can sing. Listen to gay boys sing most heartwrenching ballads ever. Upstairs they also feature a sex/bdsm shop for kinky goods. Speaking of kink, food is served too! 21+

Mo's Loading Dock - 1045 N. Senate. 317-637-2680. Located inside the Stutz Art Gallery the Loading Dock is just that - an old Loading Dock for the Stutz car factory. Resident artists and workers stop in for lunch, a smoke, or perhaps a drink throughout the day and evening. Cheap specials, Monday's is .50 draft night, and good food. They have great chicken fingers which are rolled and fried in Cap N' Crunch cereal. Live music too. 21+

Moe & Johnny's - 5380 N. College Ave. 317-255-6376.  A popular bar for Butler students and Broad Ripple residents. Big screens pump sports games from all over the world - we watched the World Cup here - and the huge bar offers plenty of room for eating and drinking. Pool tables, pinball and that crazy golf game are here too. Nice outdoor seating that offers some of the best street-watching in the city. The best buffalo chicken sandwich in the city. Great beer specials!

Nicky Blaine's - 20 N. Meridian St. 317-638-5588. Martinis and cigars are the main attraction here. With a 1930-40s feel from the dark plush interior.. A lot of businessmen and businessmen-loving-women attend here, as do early-night partiers, and the night-cap types. Once a month they have a meeting called "Meet The Mistress" which features local Dominatrix's having cocktails with interested folks. Fascinating mix and serious cocktails. 21+

Old Point Tavern - 401 Mass Ave. 317-634-8943. Great location on Mass Ave for eating before a performance. We go here on a regular basis - meeting friends, chatting till they close (around 1 am), bathing in the red neon light, listening to alternative music on the stereo. They're nachos are legendary - a huge pile of nachos with every topping (vegetarian is the most popular choice) imaginable will feed 3-4. The freshest and healthiest bar food in town - hummus, parfaits, bean sprouts, sandwiches and fresh salad. Great desserts, drink specials - lots of beer! Friendly staff and perfect outdoor dining too. It's hard to find a seat outside once 5pm rolls around during warm months. They have a great muzak channel that plays all new wave and 80s alternative - the only place you'll hear Morrissey on the stereo.

Plump's Last Shot - 6416 Cornell Ave. 317-257-5867. This pub is owned by Bobby Plump, who threw the winning Hail Mary shot in the Milan 1954 game that is immortalized in the film "Hoosiers." It's been described as a "boho sports bar" which is a good, yet cheesy, name for it. The type of sports bar that hippies, artists, and jocks can come together without a problem. And only one tv. Yes, one TV. A huge outdoor deck in this small house, that has indoor dining too. A good jukebox that is pumped outdoors and the best hush puppies this side of the Mississippi. Friendly staff, friendly locals. We'll hang out here for hours during the summer on the patio. Very dog friendly. 21+

Red Key - 5170 N. College Ave. 317-283-4601. An Indianapolis legend, this is where Ben Affleck filmed his first motion picture. You'll walk in to this joint and think you're back in WW II. It's been owned by the same folks since then. Model planes hang from the ceiling, awesome vintage art, and pennies on the ceiling that get tossed up and pulled down for donation each year (and thousands of them, seriously). A beer is served with a small glass and unique cheap eats are on the bar menu. There are rules here - don't put your feet on the chairs or booth seats, hang your coat up on one of the hooks, and don't get too obnoxious or you're out. They'll ask you politely of course the first time. A must see for lovers of classic bars. By the time you leave you'll be a regular.

Talbott Street - 2145 N. Talbott St. 317-931-1343. In the old Talbott Theater building is Indy's most popular gay dance night club and drag show cabaret. With modern design and three bars, it's never a dull moment. Gays, straights, androgyny, punks, art schoolers, celebrities and parties - it's a great venue that anyone can feel comfortable at. Fridays is 80s night and drag shows with the "Legends" drag troupe is the best is the city. Saturdays is house, techno and top 40 dance remixes all night long in the main room and drag shows in the Legends Lounge. I like to grab a drink at the upstairs Sky Bar and observe the insanity on the dancefloor. Bring plenty of cash to tip the drag queens and heavy pouring bartenders! Cover ranges from free-$5. 21+

Ten - 1218 N. Penn St. 317-638-5802. Indy's only gay-girls bar. Dark, smoky, and no outdoor lighting - the dive of the gay bars, and it's one of my favorites. Ran by a group of women, who have been there since day one, who offer a safe, clean and fun environment for gay women, men and everyone else who wants to feel comfortable someplace. Top 40 DJ's spin, vendors sell goods, the dancefloor is packed. Drag king shows and open mic nights. Thursdays is the most insane - cheap cover and half off drinks, and we mean every drink. From margaritas to Jack and Coke to Newcastle. Great place to meet like-minded ladies! Cash only, 21+

Therapy - 605 E. Market St. 317-632-0325. Modern design with local artists displaying their works on the walls of this simple and sleek joint. Two rooms - main room offers major techno/dance/house/trance DJs - this is the venue for the genre - the best DJs in the world tour through. The lounge features chill out on major event nights, and during the week offers up the best local DJ talent. Tuesdays is dark industrial called "electro Faktory" and Thursdays is "Keepin' It Deep" featuring world-class house DJs Slater Hogan and John Larner spinning house, underground hip hop and soul, trip hop, britpop and more. 21+

The Unicorn - 122 W. 13th St. 317-262-9195. Indy's ONLY male strip club. Yes, men, stripping. It also has the biggest cast of male strippers in the Midwest, so never a dull moment. Ladies and gays flood the Unicorn 7 days a week. It is a private club, yearly memberships are available - but of course there is an option for guests. You're welcome there any night, just donate, depending on the evening ($2-5). Mondays feature the famous drink and drown, where you play a flat cover and drink all you want. Check out the hot bods and drink yourself into a frenzy. Life is good. 21+

Union Jack Pub - two locations, see below. There are two locations of this English pub, the best being in Broad Ripple. This location offers family and bar dining. Both rooms are littered with well placed English and local antiques and artifacts. Busts of great English minds greet you in the bar and televisions show sports. They have the best "Chicago Style" pizza in the city. Thick, hot and amazing. Great beer selection and weekly specials. They also have a great selection of whiskey and scotch! Friendly bar staff. The Speedway location is drenched in racing memorabilia, a huge bar with good music and lots of tvs! Broad Ripple - 924 Broad Ripple. 317-257-4343. Speedway - 6225 W. 25th St. 317-243-3300.

The Varsity - 1517 N. Penn. 317-635-9998. A dark divey bar that attracts a fascinating mix, old gay men, art students, and businessmen. Lunch and dinner features good greasy bar food and the drinks are decent. TVs, pool, darts, arcade and karaoke too. Smoke filled with a special place in our heart. 21+

The Vogue - 6259 N. College Ave. 317-259-7029. Originally a movie theater built in the 1930s, in the 70s it opened up as a music venue and nightclub. Now, it's the place for college kids to get wasted on the weekends and dance to top 40 and retro tunes. You'll also find great live music and past acts include: Cheap Trick, Johnny Cash, David Byrne, The White Stripes, Common, Sean Paul, The Faint, VHS Or Beta, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams III, The Black Keys and more. Cover varies. 21+