Product Review: Citybox

Editor’s note: Citybox provided PureGeekery with a box of goodies to review at no cost.

Part of what I love about attending local geek conventions is discovering awesome new things in the area. As much as we all complain that Indy is boring, there’s really a lot to do around here if you look closely. Citybox is working to make that search a little easier! Based on the popular box-of-stuff subscription service model, Citybox is full of “local gems and brings them to your doorstep, so you can shop local, eat local, spend local, basically enjoy being local.” The boxes are $19.95 and are shipped every three months, providing subscribers with plenty of local goodness to explore. There’s also the option to order a “gift box”, which allows you to receive a box without a subscription.

Our Citybox!

The box provided to Pure Geekery contained stuff from old favourites as well as new vendor’s I’m excited to explore. Check out what we got:

• A $5 gift card to Sun King Brewery and a Sun King window cling. Sun King is a great local brewery (and supporter of local roller derby), and it’s great to see them getting their name out there.
• A $5 gift card to Silver in the City. This is one of my favourite shops on Mass Ave. If you haven’t been there yet, you should definitely check it out, but be prepared to spend your entire paycheck because their stuff is just too adorable.

A Sun King gift card, Silver in the City gift card, and a fancy Boatman Geller luggage tag!

• A Someecards calendar from TF Publishing. While it’s a little late for a 2014 calendar (not CB’s fault, our sample box is from February), this makes me giggle. My friends should probably prepare for random pages to be mailed to them.  I’m not familiar with the company, but apparently TF Publishing is one of North America’s biggest calendar publishers and has been headquartered in Indy for 17 years. Way to support the local economy!
• Coffee from United States of Indiana (in collaboration with Mugs, Coffee, and Tea in Anderson, IN). Honestly, I can’t find all the pieces to my K-cup, but when I do I’ll let everyone know what i think. it smell fabulous though!
• A $3 gift card for Bee Coffee Roasters. Another vendor new to me, and with their convenient location across from the Convention Center, I’ll make sure to stop by next time I’m in the area.

A calendar from TF Publishing, United States of Indiana coffee, and Kenara hairspray!

• An adorable luggage tag from Boatman Geller. The sand dollar and starfish design is perfect for my honeymoon luggage 🙂 I’m in the market for some new luggage, so I may stop by and see what else they have!
• A greeting card from an artist at the Harrison Center for the Arts. I’m a fan of anyone the cultivates local artists and solves community problems with art! I’ve never been over to the center, but I’m excited to check them out!
• And finally, some Kenara Hairspray. I have to admit, this one seemed a little random to me, and it took me a while to figure out their Indy connection. (The company is based here apparently.) I’m not a big hairspray user, but I will definitely be trying this out for my cosplay. Local hair products are hard to find, so I hope I like it!

A greeting card from the Harrison Center for the Arts and a gift card from Bee Coffee Roasters!

Overall, I love the idea of the Citybox. every city has awesome things that not even locals are familiar with and this is a great way to explore your own backyard. I also love that they were set up at PopCon, giving visitors the chance to see what awesome things we have here in Indy as well. At the moment they’re only in Indy, but hope to expand to other cities. I would love to see this service all over the country, with the ability to order a box before traveling to a new city. It would make exploring an area even more fun!

Check out Citybox on the website and their Facebook page!