The appeal for students attending Eastern Michigan University and living on campus is the close vicinity to downtown Ann Arbor and its happening shopping and nightlife. Even closer to campus is Depot Town, with its own unique, historic charm and cool places for student to hang out as well.
Through the spring and summer, Depot Town holds some annual festivals, such as the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival, Michigan ElvisFest (the largest Elvis festival in North America) and the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, held on the last weekend of August, just in time for new students to attend.
But what is there for students to do around here?
If you’re in the mood for an awesome burger, look no further than Sidetrack Bar and Grill, ranked among GQ magazine’s “Nation’s 20 Best Burgers.” Sidetrack’s burgers have even been featured on a segment of The Oprah Winfrey Show, where Oprah and her friend Gayle King, were on a quest to find the best burgers in the nation. Seriously, get one of these burgers.
Halloween is right around the corner, so you could hit up a Party City or one of the hundreds of Halloween USAs, or you could support a local business and check out Fantasy Attic Costumes. Here you can purchase costumes and accessories or even rent them. This shop has an abundance of options for fun costumes for theme parties that you can have year-round.
Saving one of Depot Town’s most charming establishments for last, any student who enjoys live music must check out Woodruff’s Bar. Entertainment ranges from shows held by local bands to open-mic nights and karaoke and even the beloved Bitchy Bingo Brunch hosted by drag performers Chanel Hunter and Jadein Black on Sundays. A night – or even a Sunday afternoon – at Woodruff’s is never boring. If you want to make a night of it, there’s a pretty extensive menu, complete with sandwiches galore.
Ypsilanti is one of Michigan’s hidden gems, often overshadowed by its neighboring cities, but if one thing is for sure, Depot Town is one of the places beloved by EMU students, residents and commuters alike.
