Things to do when you're not 21

Now you think, "What makes East Lansing better than home?" Here are a few ideas to get you started with entertainment and nightlife in your new home.

HOOKAH

• Blue Midnight Hookah Lounge, 330 Albert Ave.

This "bar" is specifically marketed toward 18- to 20-year-old students — those legal to smoke, but not yet legal for the established drinking scene that is prevalent in downtown East Lansing.

Hookah smoking is done through tall water pipes — Middle Eastern and Indian in origin — that use flavored tobacco blends. Some popular blends include orange or strawberry, but they also can be more obscure in flavor.

There also are several shops in the area — Silver Streak and Krazy Katz, 317 E. Grand River Ave., and Oz, 551 E. Grand River Ave. — that sell hookahs and tobacco at a range of prices. Most hookahs are generally $70-$200, depending on the number of hose stems and overall size.

COFFEE

• Espresso Royale Caffe, 527 E. Grand River Ave.

This outdoor espresso café is one of East Lansing's most popular downtown destinations — regardless of the season. During the warm months, chairs and tables litter the front, right up to the sidewalk. In the winter, you can always find people huddled up under the front next to the fireplace.

"(We're) a little more laid-back than other coffee shops," said Dustin Sprigg, general manager of Espresso Royale Caffe. "We're a locally owned coffee shop — a little bit different than Starbucks."

Beyond aesthetic reasons, Espresso Royale Caffe, as well as other local coffee shops, stays busy because of the high demand for caffeine among college students. Of course, there are other coffeehouses in the area — larger chains such as Starbucks Coffee and Beaner's among them — but few others offer the downtown aesthetic as well as Espresso Royale.

Sprigg added that Espresso Royale offers free wireless Internet, a big attraction for the 21st-century student on a deadline. Espresso Royale keeps hours to accommodate students — it opens at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and stays open until midnight every night of the week.

They offer a variety of entertainment options — musical guests during the weekends and rotating art exhibits from local artists each semester.

DANCING

• Spiral Video and Dance Bar, 1247 Center St. in Lansing

• X-cel Lounge-Dance Bar, 224 S. Washington Square in Lansing

• Whiskey Barrel Saloon, 410 S. Clippert St. in Lansing

These bars in the Lansing area offer a variety of 18-and-up college nights for underage students to experience some of Lansing's best nightlife. Each of these spots are different and unique in their own ways. Spiral and X-cel, typically known as Lansing's "gay bars," are made for everyone with an open and inviting atmosphere and have a lot of college nights for 18 and older.

The Whiskey Barrel is one of Lansing's largest country bars, but only has one night for those younger than 21, "Wild Wednesday," with beginning line dancing lessons and free bull rides for women and anyone with a college ID.