Things to Do in and Around Detroit for Students

A student that has moved to Detroit has a lot on their mind. Yes, they have the fact that they are about to start school and need to know what classes to take and what books to get, but they also need to worry about what to do in their new environment. Schooling is important but a student's down time is just as important. But what does an out of town student knows about the city of Detroit, besides all the bad things about it (lets face it)? Despite all of those things there are fun things you can do in and around the city of Detroit.

So a student is done with their classes on a Friday and there is no homework to do. That gives you three nights and two days to have fun. First things first, never have fun alone. Grab some friends to tag along with. There is safety in numbers and the company of others feed off of the fun everyone is having. Now let's eat. Detroit is unique when it comes to its restaurants. This is Motown so sports, music, and cars will play as a theme in most restaurants. It is a Detroit thing. All major restaurants are a good choice (especially the Denny's) but for real authentic Detroit dinning I would recommend any Coney Island around or in the Metropolitan area. But if you have some money, go to Greek Town and chow down on anyone of their fine restaurants. You get to eat great by sampling anything from Greek food to Chicago Style Pizza and once you're done walk off the food by checking out what Downtown has to offer, but we'll get to that in a minute. The college favorite meal in Detroit is two or three $5.00 large pizzas from Little Ceaser's with a 2 liter Coke form a gas station. It is easy on the pockets and not bad on the tongue.

Now after you eat you'll still want something to do. Guessing that you haven't already eaten at any of Detroit's fun malls, take a trip to check out the malls. The number one mall around Detroit is the Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn. It has a megaplex movie theater, top name brand stores (including Sears, Lord and Taylor, JCPenny's, Victoria's Secret, and lots more), and it also sponsors some events. But if you want to see what Detroit has to offer check out Downtown. It has a people mover so you see Detroit from above. It even leads to the GM Renaissance center which has a GM car display, a rotating restaurant, a movie theater, and a small shopping center. If you are a gambler try the MGM Grand casino. It has more than slots and card games so you'll never grow bored. Looking for something less urban and concrete? Check out Belle Isle. It has a rep for going down hill but it is still fun. It has any park necessity and its own beach and yacht club. It is the best seat in the house to see the Annual Target Fireworks show next to Hart Plaza. You can see Canada for Belle Isle, too. It is just a giant park on the water of the Detroit River.

You can spend your Friday nights at your school's Greek houses. But if you don't want to do that there are clubs everywhere in Detroit. The Bleu Room Experience is the hottest club to be at on weekend nights. The experience is hip and the music is pumpin'. Anyone who is anyone is there. Another one is X/S. It has a line leading outside almost every night. Club 2000, Club 500, Club International, the River Rock, and the State Theater are all great choices, as well. But as stated before, it is no fun going by your self. The full experience comes in parties of three to five.

Now, for a Saturday I suggest some kid like fun. Lazer Tag is a very wise choice. Lazer Quest in Westland, Mi is by far the best Lazer Tag experience to be had. At $7.00 per person for a game you can run around and shoot your friends. It even has arcade games for playing while you wait. When you are done Lazer Tagging, run across to the nearby mall, which is Westland Mall. It is not as elaborately lavish as Fairlane Town Center but it has one of the last remaining arcades in Michigan. Also, it has a Hot Topic and places to grab a bite. From there, you should check out the AMC Theater in Southfield. It is one of the best places near Detroit to catch a movie. After the movie grab a bite at the nearby Denny's. That might not sound like the coolest idea in the world, but if you're cool you would do it, especially late at night/early morning. It has excellent service with waiters and waitresses the students can relate to. It is a fun environment. Then swing over to a club to dance to some hot and fast tunes at any of the clubs I've previously mentioned.

On a Sunday, however, I wouldn't advise doing anything but chillin'. If you must go out pick up some pizzas from Little Ceaser's and head out to Belle Isle and bask in Detroit River's cool breeze while listening to Detroit's own Smooth Jazz V98.7 radio station.

There is so much to do in Detroit that I haven't mentioned. Like most people you just got to find it. Just some key things to keep in mind: make sure you have your school ID on your person at all times. Showing it when purchasing some thing could get you a nice discount. Also, I can't stress enough the fact that going out for fun in groups is the best thing to do. You can really benefit from your party. Other than that improvise and have fun and there is no fun in not sharing it with others.