Places to visit at Campus? (Prospective Student)

Submitted by Orlando2 on
Hello, everyone! I will be visiting the university soon, for the first time since I was nine years-old. I was wondering if the alumni on this website would be kind enough to suggest some places to visit! I’ll be applying next year and I want to major in engineering or applied mathematics, so if there are any locations tied to those two majors that I can visit, let me know. Thanks!

saveferris

January 11th, 2018 at 7:35 AM ^

The Mathematics Department is in the West Engineering building on Central Campus, adjacent to the Shapiro Undergraduate Library.  The College of Engineering is on North Campus.

Perkis-Size Me

January 11th, 2018 at 7:40 AM ^

Restaurants: Cantina, Zingermann's, Maize and Blue Deli, Mr. Spots, Blimpy Burger, Angelo's for breakfast, Pizza House/Cottage Inn for pizza. All good student spots. Other than that, Blue Tractor is good for BBQ, Fleetwood Diner on Main St is some more great breakfast, and Frita Batido's.

Other good spots to go see are the law quad, the law library, the diag, the dude (especially if you're planning on applying for math/engineering), the Grad Library, and I'd take a walk around the Big House and Crisler down on South Campus if you get a chance.

Perkis-Size Me

January 11th, 2018 at 9:40 AM ^

To each their own, pal. Some of these spots are definitely better than others, for sure. But all of these places are still great student spots whether you think they are or not. I'm still going to love BTB even when I'm old and can barely hold my bladder anymore. And if you're going to shit on places like Angelo's or Frita Batido's, boy I don't know what to tell you....

I'm not going to recommend too much on Main St. because unless you're a grad student or a professional working in town, you're realistically not going to head down that way all that much. When I was in undergrad I went down that way maybe 10 times total. And of those 10 times, 8-9 of them were when my parents were in town. 

Another recommendation to our young friend here: if you find yourself wandering around campus at 2am for whatever reason (as you likely will many a time should you come to Michigan), head on over to Back Room Pizza. As long as you have at least $1.25 in your pocket you'll go home happy. 

Perkis-Size Me

January 11th, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^

I guess I was just going with what the best student options would be. Obviously there are far better restaurants in Ann Arbor, but undergrad students aren't often going to make their way down to Jolly Pumpkin, Arbor Brewing, or Aventura, which are some of my personal favorite spots in town. You'll go to those maybe starting around your senior year. Mayyybe. 

MGoBender

January 11th, 2018 at 11:41 AM ^

I guess I was just going with what the best student options would be. Obviously there are far better restaurants in Ann Arbor, but undergrad students aren't often going to make their way down to Jolly Pumpkin, Arbor Brewing, or Aventura, which are some of my personal favorite spots in town. You'll go to those maybe starting around your senior year. Mayyybe.

If you want to pull off some great first dates, you'll definitely head that way before senior year.

Perkis-Size Me

January 11th, 2018 at 12:59 PM ^

Fair enough. Taking a first date to Cantina probably isn't the best idea, but maybe some girls are turned on by having their first date entail $1 well drinks on Tuesday night. But agreed, if you want to have a good first date with the right girl, you'll want to venture west of State Street at some point. 

Anywhere like Aventura, Pacific Rim, Jolly Pumpkin, or Grizzly Peak are great places for first dates. 

evenyoubrutus

January 11th, 2018 at 8:32 AM ^

I'm glad you mentioned Zingerman's first because there's this strange opinion out there that they are crap and Maize And Blue Deli is where it's at. I don't understand the hype about Maize and Blue Deli. I think a lot of folks in Ann Arbor are used to being contrarian as a way of life so they just endorse a sandwich place because it isn't Zingerman's.

Perkis-Size Me

January 11th, 2018 at 10:48 AM ^

Abso-friggin-lutely Cantina. Or BTB, or whatever you want to call it. 10X better than the awful crap they serve down the street at Panchero's. Also, let's remember that this is an incoming student we're talking about here. This isn't about where you'd want to take your parents for dinner, or where you'd take a date. BTB is a good, cheap place for students. 

Rufus X

January 11th, 2018 at 9:44 AM ^

I graduated in '96 and Angelo's was THE place for breakfast when Mom and Dad came to visit. So good, great service, and a really unique vibe - a classic diner, but with really good food and a dash of eclectic Ann Arbor.  

I've been there three times in the last 2 years during visits to UM Hospital and was really bummed at how terrible it has become. I kept going back out of nostalgia and the hope that I just caught them on a bad day.  No such luckl.  Bitchy waitstaff, mediocre food, crappy service, and kind of dingy and run-down despite the high prices. It's clear they are just banking on their reputation to get schmucks like me to keep goin back.

My oldest son has been accepted to UM for next fall so I need some recommendations on the next great breakfast place in Ann Arbor, since this time around I'll be the Dad taking my son to breakfast.  :-). Any MGoAdvice is welcome!