Third Space Indy

Michael Zarick
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Biweekly

Third Space Indy is a podcast about the people shaping Indianapolis from the ground up. Host Michael Zarick sits down with community organizers, creatives, and neighborhood leaders to explore how we build connection in an age of disconnection. Each episode highlights the work being done to reimagine a more vibrant, inclusive, and rooted future — one conversation at a time.

  1. 2d ago

    Hot Rich and Famous with Hang Doan

    Hang Doan is a local drag queen, artist, influencer, and model. This week, Michael sits down with Hang at the Spades Park playground to talk about their gender journey, figuring out life, and how to become hot, rich, and famous. Enjoy the conversation :) 00:00 Cold Open 00:22 Support Third Space Indy 02:11 What Is a Third Place 02:41 Meet Hang Doan 03:31 Thrifting Fit Check 05:47 Vietnamese Hoosier 06:50 Drag King 101 09:46 Trans Masc and Gender Roles 12:09 Gender Beyond the Binary 15:12 Hanibear Shop Live Doodles 18:30 Booked Gigs and Weddings 20:45 Modeling Agency Reality Check 27:24 School Success Mindset 30:51 Content Creation and Drag Digest 39:12 Food Pantry No Shame 41:56 Transitioning In Public 47:04 Canned Questions 49:27 Indy Drag Theater Story 53:34 Froyo Nostalgia Debate 58:41 Learning Drag And Auditions 01:04:33 What Success Means 01:10:01 Be Your Own Ally 01:14:50 Plugs And Farewell

    1h 18m

  2. Jun 8

    We Don't Accept Bigots Here with Hannah Hadley

    Hannah Hadley is a musician, textile artist, art teacher, and the organizer behind Indy Gay Market. Michael sits down with Hannah at the Indianapolis Art Center to talk about building queer community through markets and art, the origin story of the Big Gay Market, and what it means to create a big gay space in Indianapolis. Sponsors: City Rising (cityrising.org) Proformus Urban Planning & Design Intro music: Scared Rabbit by Jennasen Timestamps 0:33 — Intro 1:20 — Meet Hannah Hadley 5:18 — Big Gay Market vs. Indy Gay Market 7:06 — Logistical stress (or lack thereof) 10:36 — Origin of the Big Gay Market 12:13 — Coming out 15:47 — Big Gay Market as a third space 17:33 — Visibility, inclusivity 23:34 — The biggest Big Gay Market ever 30:40 — Shoutouts to the Indy Gay Market team 33:51 — Sonia 37:11 — House shows 39:39 — Canned questions 41:18 — Teaching fiber arts and the joy of making your own clothes 50:50 — Question from previous guest

    1h 3m

  3. Jun 1

    White Dude Dreads - Third Space Indy LIVE with Jesse Brown

    Jesse Brown is a City-County Councilor for District 13 on Indianapolis' Near East Side and one of the loudest progressive voices in local government. Recorded live at Patina Art Gallery & Alley Cat Ceramic Studio in front of a crowd for Third Space Indy's one-year anniversary, Michael sits down with Jesse to talk about his unlikely path from punk anarchist to elected official, the frustrations of fighting a rubber-stamp city council, and why a better world is actually possible. Sponsors: City Rising (cityrising.org) Proformus Urban Planning & Design Intro music: Scared Rabbit by Jennasen Timestamps 0:51 — Welcome & sponsors (live at Patina Art Gallery & Alley Cat) 3:03 — Happy birthday, Third Space Indy 5:32 — Introducing Jesse Brown 6:32 — Who is Jesse Brown? 9:49 — Pike Township to Irvington 11:52 — Cathedral High School and dreadlocks 13:55 — Turning down Princeton 15:28 — The Sam Masarikia Scholarship 17:00 — Teaching 19:52 — Salting at the Westin Hotel 25:08 — On Burnout 28:13 — Late Intro 30:52 — How local government fails to build community 37:26 — What is a third space to you? 40:33 — A third space that no longer exists 42:22 — If you were a plant, what plant would you be? 44:15 — Q&A: How do you grow good villagers in a third space? 49:33 — Q&A: What's missing from leftist organizing in Indianapolis? 54:21 — Q&A: Cronyism and city contracts 1:02:09 — Q&A: How do you actually follow through? 1:06:01 — Q&A: What's giving you hope today? 1:06:45 — Q&A: Is Indiana any closer to legalizing marijuana? 1:10:34 — The Socialist Party of Indiana and building a new ballot line 1:15:42 — Where to find Jesse Brown

    1h 19m

  4. May 25

    Food for the Soul with Danielle Guerin

    Danielle Guerin is the founder and executive director of Soul Food Project Urban Farm, a nonprofit with four urban farm sites across Indianapolis. Michael sits down with Danielle at one of her farms in Irvington to talk about growing food and growing people, food deserts, the true meaning of food access, and finding healing through farming. Sponsors: City Rising (cityrising.org) Proformus Urban Planning & Design Intro music: Scared Rabbit by Jennasen Timestamps 0:44 — Intro 1:43 — Meet Danielle and the Soul Food Project 4:40 — Growing up in a food desert without knowing it 6:02 — The four farms and what each neighborhood needs 7:09 — Why a grocery store doesn't always solve a food desert 11:28 — Farm Visibility 13:09 — How Soul Food Project got its name 16:25 — Building community at the farm 19:47 — Volunteering and what a shift actually looks like 21:47 — Tips for starting your own garden 22:53 — What keeps Danielle going 26:24 — On Indianapolis 29:52 — How farming helped heal Danielle's relationship with food 34:11 — "What is a third space to you?" 37:08 — A third space that no longer exists 39:10 — Center Point Brewery 40:00 — Question from previous guest 42:48 — What's on Danielle's mind 44:07 — Soul Food Project 10 years from now 46:17 — How to find Soul Food Project

    49 min

  5. May 18

    Fostering Black Joy with Nigel Long

    Nigel Long is a DJ, community organizer, and lifetime Indianapolis native known as DJ Grapevine. Michael sits down with Nigel at the Cloud Underground studio inside Morning Star a part of Flanner House in Northwest Side of Indy. Michael and Nigel talk about Black joy in Indianapolis, the origins of Grapevine, and why community is always work worth doing. Sponsors: City Rising (cityrising.org) Proformus Urban Planning & Design Intro music: Scared Rabbit by Jennasen Timestamps 0:44 — Intro 1:56 — Who is DJ Grapevine? 3:03 — Growing up in Devington 5:28 — Flanner House and historically Black neighborhoods 7:17 — The origins of Grapevine 13:42 — Community investment without government support 14:06 — Music and his grandfather's influence 23:32 — Gang Gang and his role in Indianapolis 24:32 — Black: A Festival of Joy 30:22 — The Brick by Brick Campaign 36:36 — Canned questions

    1h 2m

  6. May 11

    Staying On Message with Andrea Watts

    Third Space Indy Live Show on May 23rd, 2026: oneyear.thirdspaceindy.com Andrea Watts is an advocate, consultant, and former city government bureaucrat working to improve Indianapolis's built environment through her work at Health By Design. Michael sits down with Andrea at Canal Bistro in Broad Ripple to talk about walkable cities, the politics of infrastructure, Arab American identity, and what it means to fight for the city you're stuck loving. Sponsors: City Rising (cityrising.org) Proformus Urban Planning & Design Intro music: Scared Rabbit by Jennasen Timestamps 1:07 — Intro 3:51 — How Michael and Andrea met 5:52 — Health By Design and the built environment 6:29 — How Indianapolis has changed 10:14 — From city bureaucrat to advocate 13:19 — The Walton family model and attracting talent through livability 16:16 — Building connections through shared passion 19:22 — Why Andrea never moved to New York City 21:44 — Drive Less April challenge 25:01 — Why it's hard not to drive in Indianapolis 28:09 — IndyGo, transit frequency, and the privilege of flexibility 33:23 — Arab American Heritage Month and Lebanese identity 35:41 — Canned questions 38:47 — 16th & Monon street mural 42:21 — Lost third spaces 49:15 — Carmel's walkable infrastructure 52:56 — Friday Field Trips series 55:15 — The Walk and Bike Summit 57:41 — Question for the next guest: What's on your rider?

    1h 2m

  7. May 4

    Learning Jewish Geography with Ethan Rosuck

    Ethan Rosuck is a meteorologist at Fox 59 and CBS4 in Indianapolis. Michael sits down with Ethan at Chicago Beef and Dog Company in Irvington to talk about building friendships in a new city, Jewish identity and culture, Indianapolis's local food scene, and what it's like to love your niche career. Sponsors: City Rising (cityrising.org) Proformus Urban Planning & Design Intro music: Scared Rabbit by Jennasen Timestamps 0:43 — Intro 1:46 — Ethan's career as a meteorologist and moving to Indianapolis 5:22 — Being the instigator of friendship and community 11:43 — Turning 30, relationships, and slowing down 20:41 — Jewish geography, cultural identity, and bagel snobbery 34:10 — Indianapolis's local food scene: Side Door Bagels, Bohdi, and supporting local 44:49 — Canned questions 45:17 — What is a third space? 49:03 — A third space that no longer exists 54:26 — Question from previous guest Jay Grillo 1:00:41 — Question for the next guest 1:01:23 — Where to find Ethan

    1h 5m

  8. Apr 27

    De Aquí y De Allá with Jay Grillo

    Jay Grillo is a multimedia artist, documentarian, and organizer at the Indianapolis Liberation Center. Michael sits down with Jay inside the Liberation Center in Fountain Square to talk about art as solidarity, cultural identity, and building community through showing up. Sponsors: City Rising (cityrising.org) Proformus Urban Planning & Design Intro music: Scared Rabbit by Jennasen Timestamps 0:51 — Intro5:52 — Design work, Folklórico dancing, and the Latino arts community7:25 — Documentary work and storytelling in solidarity14:00 — De Aquí y De Allá and third-generation immigrant identity26:02 — The Indianapolis Liberation Center33:41 — Getting involved and the power of showing up39:24 — Touch Grass Indy41:34 — Canned questions

    1h 6m
See All (60)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Third Space Indy is a podcast about the people shaping Indianapolis from the ground up. Host Michael Zarick sits down with community organizers, creatives, and neighborhood leaders to explore how we build connection in an age of disconnection. Each episode highlights the work being done to reimagine a more vibrant, inclusive, and rooted future — one conversation at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Zarick
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Michael Zarick
  • Show Website
    Third Space Indy

You Might Also Like