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A streetwear-and-more shop and a store selling toys in a former bank building once robbed by John Dillinger are recent independent retail additions to the 800 block of Massachusetts Avenue.
Lifestyle brand WDRFA, which is short for We Don’t Run from Adversity, and toy store Goodies & Giggles opened before Christmas on opposite ends of the northeast side of the block. They are across the street from Bottleworks District, which added a hotel, movie theater and food hall to the Mass Ave cultural district four years ago.
WDRFA occupies a 1,000-square-foot storefront on the first floor of the Trail Side on Mass Ave mixed-use development, which debuted at the north end of the block in 2013. WDRFA co-owners Gary Patterson and Mike Gillis said they appreciate the energy pedestrians bring to the block.
“Mass Ave is one of the rare streets in Indianapolis where people come and actually stay on the street after getting food or going into a store,” Patterson said.
WDRFA sells its upscale streetwear, leather goods and drinkware at 871 Massachusetts Ave. In October, Vintage Kulture Clothing opened next door at 869 Massachusetts Ave.—taking over the former location of boutique arts and crafts store Homespun: Modern Handmade that closed in 2023.
Retail spots at Trail Side on Mass Ave are leased by Monument Realty and Management.
Goodies & Giggles owner Gwen Chastain opened her toy store in a 2,800-square-foot space at 811 Massachusetts Ave. that’s part of the Jungclaus Mill campus overseen by general contracting firm Jungclaus-Campbell Co. Inc.
The building once was home to the State Bank of Massachusetts Avenue, which was the site of a $24,800 robbery by John Dillinger in 1933.
Chastain said she doesn’t plan to emphasize the building’s outlaw history for young visitors to Goodies & Giggles, but two vintage bank vaults serve as unusual retail settings.
Similar to the owners of WDRFA, Chastain said she’s happy to set up shop in the neighborhood.
“There are good parking options, which is important for families when they’re bringing kids or maybe aging grandparents to have an enjoyable afternoon,” she said.
Chastain, a past director of educational partnerships and student success at IUPUI, is the mother of three children—8-year-old twin boys and a 4-year-old daughter.
She said Goodies & Giggles sells products for a variety of ages.
“We have a whole wall of sensory toys,” she said. “One area where the toy market is thriving is the MESH market. MESH stands for mental, emotional and social health. We’re trying to make sure toys we provide elaborate on that social behavioral health and development.”
On the topic of letters representing words, WDRFA co-owner Patterson acknowledges that the name of his shop “looks very strange.”
“Sometimes people try to pronounce it,” he said. “Once that happened, we knew the name would be something that’s sustainable because it’s a conversation starter. And once you know it’s We Don’t Run from Adversity, most people can relate to adversity at some point in their lives. They can connect with the message.”
WDRFA previously served customers at the Stutz, 1060 N. Capitol Ave., as part of St’Artup 317, the city’s retail accelerator program that matches local entrepreneurs with brick-and-mortar opportunities.
The Mass Ave shop is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m Wednesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday; and by appointment only on Monday and Tuesday.
Goodies & Giggles is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; and 11 a.m to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
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We stopped by Goodies & Giggles to check it out. They have a pretty amazing selection of toys. Most of them are unique and I have never seen before.
Dillinger’s $23,800 steal is $601,864 today.
Was quite sad when Mass Ave Toys closed several years back – it was a favorite spot for my kids. How lucky for downtown to welcome a new toy store! We have already supported this new small business once, and will definitely be back.