Main Street in Ann Arbor, MI (Flickr)
Partying is arguably as much a part of the college experience as all-nighters and changing your major too many times. It’s what gives college students that weekly release from the rigors of the syllabus. It keeps us sane.
Though parties are a popular pastime on any college campus, parties at a B1G Ten school like the University of Michigan are a whole different story, a story that revolves around one street in particular: Main Street.
Just a few blocks from “The Big House,” Main Street is the mecca of off-campus partying at the University of Michigan. Here you’ll find a plethora of college-friendly bars, local restaurants, and shopping for a variety of tastes and budgets. The best part about Main Street is that each of the different establishments is unique in both its atmosphere and aesthetic. Are you looking to have a few drinks and catch the game on TV? Trying to dance the night away for a girl’s night out? Hoping to take that cute girl out from Psych class somewhere a bit more relaxed? There’s a bar for that. In addition to some great bars, Main Street also features some of the best places to eat in Ann Arbor. Whether you’re in the mood for pub food or classier fare, Main Street’s got you covered like a warm flannel sheet set in the winter.
If the bar scene isn’t your thing, and you’re willing to brave the brutal winter weather, you can always swing by a house party at one of the houses near Main Street. We’re going to cheat a little bit, because Main Street covers the greater Downtown area, so that extends to University Avenue. Most people at UMich are pretty friendly, but if you happen to wander into a frat house, make sure you know someone who lives there—and if you don’t know anyone just say you know Jimmy. You know, Jimmy, the guy. Everyone at Michigan knows Jimmy!
If you’re a student living in Ann Arbor, chances are you’ve already spent your fair share of time on Main Street, but if you’re not from the area, be sure to add it to your bucket list. You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Is it really that special?” Here’s your answer: Bob Seger wrote a song about it.
Want to live near Main Street? Browse the complete list of UMich off-campus housing apartments on Rent College Pads.
Callie Kollenbroich
Callie Kollenbroich has been the Operations Coordinator and Content Writer/Editor at Rent College Pads since 2015. When she's not working, you can find her at home, eating peanut butter out of the jar and bingeing an unhealthy amount of Forensic Files. She's not as lame as she sounds.