Project 317: SoBro neighborhood has 'little bit of everything'

John Tufts, Indianapolis Star
·2 min read
Jason Kraus, 44, of Black Orchid Barbers in the Indianapolis neighborhood of SoBro begins cutting the hair of Zach Dowell, 26, of Franklin.
Jason Kraus, 44, of Black Orchid Barbers in the Indianapolis neighborhood of SoBro begins cutting the hair of Zach Dowell, 26, of Franklin.

The 317 Project tells stories of life in Indianapolis’ vibrant neighborhoods – 317 words at a time. Have a tip for a story in one of Indianapolis’ neighborhoods? Let us know at 317project@indystar.com.

Hugging the cusp of Indy's SoBro neighborhood near Meridian-Kessler is Black Orchid Barbers. It's a good spot for people-watching. From its nearly floor-to-ceiling windows, SoBro's hustle and bustle rolls past North College Avenue despite the freezing rain.

Outside, a man with long, shaggy hair and a brightly knitted scarf braces himself against a gust of wind as he trots toward a tavern. A Black woman wearing a gray bucket hat hugs a friend at an Indian restaurant across the road. Another woman in red lipstick, clad in a seafoam coat keeps a brisk pace with her dog along 49th Street.

"I love it here," says Jason Kraus, 44, who resides four blocks away on Carrollton Avenue. He's been cutting hair for nearly two decades. "I've been in the neighborhood for 11 years. It's my favorite place in the city."

SoBro, said Kraus, has a little bit of everything: bars, restaurants, great sidewalks, IndyGo's Red Line, and the Monon. In the summertime, he and his wife will walk to the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Today buzzes like the electric clippers in Kraus's tattooed hand. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain is singing 'Get away, get away, away from your home' over the speakers as idle chatter from six waiting customers jumps from this subject to that — Purdue's chances in the Final Four to Monday's solar eclipse. And to aliens.

"Wouldn't it be neat if extraterrestrials were hiding behind the moon?" asks one man.

Despite the early April day's foul weather, Kraus' clients roll in like the swirling peppermint-striped barber poll underneath Black Orchid's sign: "Great Haircuts. Bad Advice."

The exterior of Black Orchid Barbers, 4842 N College Ave, in the Indianapolis neighborhood of SoBro.
The exterior of Black Orchid Barbers, 4842 N College Ave, in the Indianapolis neighborhood of SoBro.

"It started out as a joke," he explains. "Somebody would complain about work and we'd say, 'You know what? You should quit your job. Buy a tent. Go live in the woods.' Silly stuff like that."

Kraus enjoys being a barber, he said. The conversations, like SoBro itself, are a bit of everything.

Have a tip for a story in one of Indianapolis’ neighborhoods? Let us know at 317project@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Project 317: SoBro has 'little bit of everything'