Through Katy Mann’s authenticity and passion for Indianapolis and central Indiana, she has been a voice of knowledge on the Circle City. Mann is the visionary and creator of Indy With Kids, an online resource about central Indiana. She is also the author of Indianapolis Scavenger, released last year, designed to take readers on a scavenger hunt throughout the various Indianapolis neighborhoods, as well as a second book that will be released this fall.
“When I launched Indy With Kids in 2010, my friends asked me what I would write about after I finished writing about everything in Indianapolis,” she says. “Nearly 15 years later, we still haven’t featured everything. A city is living and breathing, changing and evolving, and as long as that is true, there is no finish line. The website and books are both full of inspiration for exploring, contributing, and being a member of this beautiful community in your own distinctive way. My contribution is to dig deep and show people all the wonderful things to love about where they live.”
Indy With Kids was created after the birth of Mann’s first child, to share her experience with parenthood in Indianapolis. “When I started doing that, people started paying attention and asking about the places we visited,” she says. “There were parenting magazines and advertising booklets for local families, but at that time there wasn’t an online resource with information about places to go and things to do with children in Indy.”
Over the years, Indy With Kids has become a complete guide for families and caretakers to utilize as a resource for everything kid and family related in central Indiana. Indy With Kids has a social media presence of over 75,000 followers on Facebook and 25,000 followers on Instagram, as well as a newsletter with 25,000 active participants.
When writing Indianapolis Scavenger, Mann grew a new admiration for Indianapolis. While exploring the different neighborhoods and becoming immersed in their history, she found beauty in what made each area distinct. “I fell in love with our city in a different way,” she says. “After spending a year walking through all of the historical neighborhoods and really studying what made each one unique, I fell in love with the history and the stories.”
One of Mann’s favorite places showcased in Indianapolis Scavenger is Crown Hill Cemetery. Captivated by the sweeping views of Indy’s highest point of the James Whitcomb Riley monument, Mann became enthralled with the intrinsic details of the cemetery that often go overlooked. “It’s not just a cemetery; it’s a beautifully designed, peaceful space filled with history, art and incredible views,” she says. “So many stories are hidden there, from famous names to little details carved into old headstones.”
The stories of places like Crown Hill Cemetery influenced Mann regarding what to spotlight in Indianapolis Scavenger. Mann hopes that Indianapolis Scavenger influences the reader to gain a sense of wonder and appreciation of their surroundings.
“If Indianapolis Scavenger does one thing, I hope it awakens a curiosity and awareness about the place we all live,” she says. “I hope it pushes people to get out and notice things, and wonder why they’re there and who made them.”
Currently Mann has been busy writing her second book, due to be released later this year. “I’m so excited about my next book,” she says. “It will hit bookshelves in the fall, just in time for autumn and winter family adventures. It’s basically the go-to guide for families on the go in central Indiana. You’re going to find everything you need in that book.”
Indianapolis Scavenger is currently available at Target, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Indy Reads, Busy Bee Play Cafe, Paradigm Games, Kurt Vonnegut Library and Museum, the the Indiana State Museum and the Eiteljorg Museum.
Mann is still promoting Indianapolis Scavenger and says that through her experience she has learned a lot, including avoiding launching something on April Fool’s Day and during the month of May in Indianapolis. “I’ve loved talking about my book to local parenting groups, the media and everyone on the internet,” she says. “I think promoting the book has been even more fun than writing it, and I’m looking forward to promoting my next book. There’s something about the power of a story and how it changes hearts, lives and feelings.”
You can learn more about Katy Mann and her books by following her on social media and signing up for the Indy With Kids newsletter for updates.
