ANN ARBOR - So you’re stuck without a ticket to the big game, but you still want to get in on the excitement. Or you’re in A2 and looking for alternatives to spending hours in Michigan Stadium.
It may be the home of “the other school,” but Ann Arbor has much more to offer than maize and blue. In fact, the abundance of bakeries and coffeehouses, specialty shops, musical and artistic outlets - all within walking distance - make this southeastern metropolis reminiscent of a European city.
Although the University of Michigan’s campus weaves throughout Ann Arbor, the city has its own character, many students say.
“It’s kind of a small city, but their own culture can be preserved,” U-M freshman Seungeun Kim said. “The U of M culture is somewhat different than the city culture - Ann Arbor is more conservative.”
Bring a little bit of Spartan culture to football game audiences at Pizza House, 618 Church St., or The Brown Jug, 1204 S. University Ave.
“We have an extremely diverse group that comes in,” Brown Jug general manager Frank Langmesser said, adding that many Indiana University fans watched last weekend’s game against U-M at the bar and pizzeria.
If you’re 21, you can catch the game at Scorekeepers Sports Bar & Grill, 310 Maynard St., one of Ann Arbor’s largest bars.
“We always have State fans in here to watch the game, a lot of people that came up for the weekend and can’t get tickets,” manager Tony Elkins said. “We probably will have more State fans in here than Michigan fans, because Michigan fans have better access to get tickets.”
If you’d rather see city streets than a football field, opportunities abound in Ann Arbor. Stroll down Main Street to visit hometown shops and clothing stores. See goods from around Michigan and items from other states that represent the mitten state at Love From Michigan, 350 S. Main St. Or get a feel for other areas of the country at Four Directions, 329 S. Main St.
“Four Directions is a little bit representative of the northwest,” employee Mary Schultz said. “We also try to provide a little bit of the southwest and native minerals and copper from the (Upper Peninsula).”
Get a taste of U-M’s hometown at Amer’s, 300 S. Main St., a deli and espresso bar that offers more than 100 sandwiches that average $6. Or check out Rendez-Vous Cafe, 1110 S. University Ave., a local eatery offering everything from crepes to vegetarian sandwiches to fresh-squeezed juices.
If you’re craving something more exotic, you will probably be able to find it in Ann Arbor. From Korean to Indian to French, ethnic restaurants cover the city. Try some falafel at Ali Baba Mediterranean Restaurant, 601 Packard St.
Ann Arbor is home to many coffee houses. Many students study at the coffee shops, most of which stay open late.
“I don’t like studying in my dorm - it’s an escape,” U-M sophomore Andrea Krantz said.
U-M students and professors alike enjoy a good cup of joe, U-M junior Cathy Robart said.
“Things are centered around the coffee shops,” she said. “There are even professors that have their office hours there.”
If you really want to have a cultural experience, go to one of the local museums. The U-M Kelsey Museum of Archeology, 434 S. State St., displays almost 100,000 artifacts from the Middle East to Rome. See more than 13,000 works of art at the U-M Museum of Art, 525 S. State St. Admission to Michigan’s second largest art collection is free.
To view life before Spartans or Wolverines even existed, go to the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, 1109 Geddes Ave. The museum houses displays on prehistoric life as well as geology, biology, anthropology and astronomy.
If you prefer playing sports to watching them, try Whirly Ball of Ann Arbor, 640 Phoenix Drive. Hop in an electric bumper car, grab a scoop and get ready to play a combination of Jai-Alai and basketball.
On a nice day, Ann Arbor and U-M’s campus provide many opportunities to enjoy nature and explore your surroundings. Take a hike through the U-M Nichols Arboretum, on Geddes Road east of the Observatory. The arboretum - better known as the “arb” - offers trails through more than 600 species of trees and plants. The Ronald McDonald House, U-M School of Natural Resources and the Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau all provide maps.
“The arb is beautiful - there’s lots of trails right along the Huron River,” U-M freshman Kellie Matteson said. “I like to go running there.”
At noon, see a concert at Charles Baird Carillon. The third largest carillon in the world is inside Burton Tower in the middle of U-M’s campus. Then stroll over to the Diag. Circled by trees, grass and benches, the area is similar to Beaumont Tower’s surroundings. Many U-M students said this is a popular spot to study, lay out or hang out.
“I love just sitting here and people-watching,” U-M sophomore Lavon Ammori said.
Ann Arbor has a wider selection of film and musical entertainment than the Lansing area, U-M graduate student Karrie Korroch said. Korroch, a Lansing resident, said the theaters are what differentiate U-M’s hometown from MSU’s.
“The theaters here are really nice - they tend to show smaller-run films and ones you don’t often get to see.”
Some students named Ashley’s, 338 S. State St. - a restaurant and pub - and The Nectarine Ballroom, 510 E. Liberty Road, as popular night spots. There are a lot of bars, but Ann Arbor is not the place for dance clubs, U-M junior Julia Kious said.
Students might be able to get their groove on at a U-M party, though, Kious said.
“As long as they’re not wearing Michigan State clothes, they can go party-hopping,” she said.
Although students said they did not feel unsafe in Ann Arbor at night, some recommended staying downtown or in well-lit areas.
If you stay the night, you might want to visit the Ann Arbor Sunday Artisans Market, between Fourth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, Catherine and Kingsley. The market offers arts and crafts, live demonstrations and entertainment through November.
