Where can I go in Ann Arbor to escape the undergrads?
April 10, 2019 8:39 AM   Subscribe

Coffee shops, bars, restaurants, music venues, river-spots. Where do you go in Ann Arbor that isn't overrun with 19-year-olds?

I've lived in Ann Arbor for almost two years and only found three or four spots where I know I won't have to wait in line for 15+ minutes for a cup of coffee or hold someone's hair back in a bathroom. (all my love to Biercamp, RIP to Pastry Peddler). I am searching for more!

I don't have a car, so Ypsilanti is trickier, but I'm open to Yspi spots as well if they're particularly excellent!
posted by frizzle to Food & Drink (7 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Are you mostly going downtown? North Ann Arbor might be better. Cardamom is great and is not overrun with 19-year-olds, but it can get crowded. I just met a friend for dinner there at 5:30, and we didn’t have to wait for a table (we went early on purpose for that reason). I like Evergreen and Song Cafe, both in the same mall. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Song Cafe, but the last time I was there, they had stopped having WiFi during the lunch hours, which helped with the crowds. If you’re willing to eat vegan, Detroit Street Filling Station near Kerrytown is also not overrun with 19-year-olds. Casey’s might be good too. It has more of a neighborhood bar/restaurant vibe, or at least that’s how the Observer described it.
posted by FencingGal at 8:53 AM on April 10, 2019 [2 favorites]


This may be way too obvious, but I rarely find Zingerman's or their takeaway corner crammed with undergrads.
posted by praemunire at 9:14 AM on April 10, 2019 [1 favorite]


How about Savas? They have a nice happy hour (we do like to make a reservation) and their outdoor seating in the summer is great.
posted by Mouse Army at 9:46 AM on April 10, 2019 [1 favorite]


Get on the bus to Ypsi and go to Beezy's.
posted by shiny blue object at 10:13 AM on April 10, 2019 [2 favorites]


I found Bab's Underground to be pretty chill when I visited a few years ago. Fwiw.
posted by j_curiouser at 1:18 PM on April 10, 2019


My best one overall and for a bar is LIVE at First and Huron from 6:30 to 9 on Fridays: they have no cover and a band. The crowd is mostly over 60 and they dance like the world is ending!

Agree with FencingGal about North campus area -- other places around the North side on the bus to try might be Carsons, Bewon, or the Coney Island by Busch's. Also, although it's often crowded on a weekend morning, Northside Grill doesn't seem to be full of undergrads.

As praemunire says, Zingerman's (although, crowds), but I'd say even better would be Zingerman's roadhouse at Westgate (on a couple of bus lines). Also agree on Casey's. The Farmer's Market. Kerrytown generally may have more high school students from Community High, if that's troublesome.

The public library programs, at least the lectures and crafts that I'm interested in, don't seem to attract undergrads.

I'm starting to feel like I'm in an alternate universe. Where have I been lately with a lot of undergraduates? Nowhere really. They weren't at the Dollar Tree on Washtenaw nor at the thrift store there. Not at the Scrapbox. Not at City parks nor Leslie Science Center. I've even been to a U of M women's gymnastics exhibition and the crowd was mostly little girls and moms who looked like they might be former gymnasts. Maybe the key is to avoid South U and go to bed early?
posted by SandiBeech at 7:22 AM on April 11, 2019 [2 favorites]


Also, I like to go walking at County Farm Park. No 19-year-olds, but there are sometimes crowds of 11-year-olds at around 4:00. They are usually with an adult, so it seems like some kind of after-school activity. Sometimes I see younger kids building fairy houses, but I find that charming. Gallup Park is cool for walking along the Huron River. I don’t go there as much because of parking, but it should work well with the bus.

Like Sandibeech, I rarely see undergrads, but I’m not around the main campus much.
posted by FencingGal at 3:43 PM on April 11, 2019 [1 favorite]


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