Despite all the horrible rumors you may have heard about Miss Ann Arbor and her loose morals (mostly spread by Buckeye fans), she's not too bad of a town. Especially when the leaves are changing to the reds and browns of fall, a chill enters the air and the Maize and Blue colors of the University of Michigan are everywhere you look.
This is more than a college town, it's a football city every time the Wolverines take the field at the Big House. And when surrounded by 100,000 fellow fans, you're going to need to know where to retire to, post-frenzy. (Note to foodies: This might be the only writeup of Ann Arbor that doesn't mention Zingerman's Deli. Be warned.)
Best Place to Watch the Game: Scorekeepers (310 Maynard St., 734-995–0100)
Every good college town needs to have at least one sports bar, and in Ann Arbor it's Scorekeepers. If you don't have tickets for the big game, you can watch it on any number of its gargantuan televisions, and take advantage of drink specials and food deals. If you get into town early, be there on Thursday night when the undergrads go nuts on $1 Long Islands.
Where to Eat Before the Game: Fleetwood Diner (300 S. Ashley St., 734-995-5502)
Since at least a few U of M games will kick off at high noon, you're going to need someplace to fill up on a good, greasy-spoon breakfast (before you start boozing). A reliable place that locals and students appreciate is the Fleetwood Diner (mostly at 2 a.m. or so). Is it big? No. Is it good? Yes. Does it ever close? Nope. Is it cheap? You bet.
And in honor of A2's more "progressive" residents, Fleetwood offers the infamous "Hippie Hash," a plate full of veggies and potatoes. A number of other veggie options are on hand as well.
Where to Eat After the Game: New York Pizza Depot (605 E. William, 734-669-8703)
A long afternoon spent in the autumn chill calls for something warming and hearty—something that'll stick with you for a few hours. And until some enterprising business major opens "Beef Stew to Go," we'll stick with the NYPD. A couple big slices of cheese or sausage will carry you through the afternoon (and give you a good base for some more post-game beers). Will Chicagoans consider it good, considering the pride we take in pizza? Consider this: Expatriate Chicago-based Michiganders don't miss much about Ann Arbor's pizza scene, but often will pine for NYPD.
Best Place to Tailgate: U of M Golf Course (500 E. Stadium Blvd.)
The tailgate scene at Wolverines games is legendary. Undergrads and alums with parking lot space and pony kegs have seemingly endless energy (and stomach volume) to party from dawn 'til dusk on game days, and the place they like to congregate is not just the parking lot, but the nearby golf course. Located just across Stadium Boulevard from the Big House is the university's 18-hole course, which opened in 1930 but most likely never envisioned the greens being used as a venue for 'gating. Parking on game days is tough, and can run from $10 to $30 depending on the lots, but chances are you can find a willing renter to open up some lawn space for a few bucks.
Best of the Nightlife: Ashley's (338 S. State St., 734-525-1667) or Blind Pig (208 S. 1st St., 734-995-8555)
Any big college town has its fair share worth of bars: sports bars, dive bars, dance clubs, brewpubs, coffee & cocktail joints, and so on. So what's the one place you really should hit if you want to party the night away? For my money, I prefer the company of dozens of fantastic craft beers, so Ashley's 65 regularly changed handles of beer and tons of craft-brew bottles is where I'd while away the hours. But if you want to let loose and rock out, the Blind Pig is your destination. National and local rock acts play almost nightly, and The Bang, the fabled U of M hipster-dance extravaganza, is ground zero for performance-art style insanity.
Where to Go If You Don't Care About Sports: 8Ball Saloon (208 S. 1st St. - beneath The Blind Pig)
Every university campus has an underside—someplace a little seedy, a little rough around the edges, a little gritty. That place in the realm of U of M is called the 8Ball Saloon, and it's the dive you need when you want to separate yourself from screaming, drunken sports fanatics. Cheap drinks, low lighting, a solid rock n' roll juke box, the obligatory pool table and an entrance located in an alley; it's got everything you could ask for in a good, solid run-down boozer.
Follow us throughout the college football season as we highlight the entertainment options at nearby Midwestern schools. And be sure to check out our guide to Chicago tailgating.
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