Young Mid-town Denizens (Detroit, Ann Arbor, Wayne: appointed, home, theater)

[Coldjensens]

Our youngest son will start at Wayne State in the fall. He is a little disappointed because he really liked Grand Valley and U-M but they did not offer him nearly as much scholarship $. Wayne State is different. It is not a pretty place, but it is a cool place, especially now (it was pretty dumpy when I went there in the 1980s). I want to take a day off and take him around midtown to show him how cool it is and try to get him more excited about the prospect of living and going to school there.

I know modern midtown some, but not super well and certainly not from an 18 y.o. perspective. I know mostly old people stuff like Selden Standard has neat food. I suspect college kids rarely go to Selden Standard.

He took some classes there during high school and did a tour during an honors college presentation, he has been to Hopcat, Old Main, and the student center. He is a jazz musician and played at Cliff Bells and the warehouse place in Eastern Market. So he has seen some of the city. I want to show him how exciting it can be. I know mid-town is cool now but I am not. So what about mid town is "cool" to an 18 year old?

I hope to take him (or send him) to Dally in the Alley in the fall, and maybe theater bizzarre in October (a friend from work is involved with hat party and I promised him I will go one day), but I would like to get him more upbeat/excited about it now. Plus it would be neat bonding time to take him to my old alma mater (even through there is almost no resemblance to when I was there). He appreciates the very significant scholarship, but he cannot help but being disappointed in not choosing a college with a beautiful and raucous/fun campus like GVSU or U-M. I have to admit WSU is pretty somber and quiet most of the time (or it was when I was there and seems to be every time I have visited recently). How can I show him WSU is cool and fun too? Is there a good day to go in the immediate future? What time of day? Where? Do students like eastern Market? Range down to riverwalk? When I was at WSU, we mostly went to class or the gym/pool, or sat in the student center playing euchre and throwing paper airplanes into the ceiling (or doing things with the City government). I know it is more exciting than that now, but I do not know where or in what way.

Any suggestions are welcome. I was thinking to take him to DIA, DPL, probably ride the Q line to Slices for lunch unless I find a closer affordable yummy place. While the DIA is awesome, and I do not think h has been there, that is not enough. What is exciting? What do you tell your friends about in a rushed voice?
Are there any current or recent WSU students here?

[craig11152]

I'm no help but I am curious if he will commute from home or live on campus?

[leroythelion]

Originally Posted by craig11152

I'm no help but I am curious if he will commute from home or live on campus?

I imagine the experience will be different depending on whether the student lives on campus or commutes. I have a few WSU graduates working for me and the education is certainly fine. Students were encouraged to not walk alone at night which is a different kind of atmosphere than other schools in Michigan.

It may be none of my business, but the choice of college probably should should have been made to avoid disappointment post decision day. I too have an 18 year and she anguished over a State University and liberal arts colleges, so I get what these kids go through. We got a variety of scholarship offers and some schools made it really difficult to turn down. In the end, she chose GVSU because she felt at home there. It also helps her brother is already enrolled there, which makes it easier for me.

[OyCrumbler]

If he likes music, he may like Third Man Records which is a record shop that actually presses its own records. Here's a video with one of the people there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBCifcGtvBI

If he's a nerdy tech kind of person, then there's this attempt to build an affordable distributed internet network connection in the city though this almost in reaction to midtown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B0u6nvcTsI

You can look at the work of local artists at Detroit Artist Market.

Saint Andrews is a concert venue that attracts a younger crowd near downtown, then again, there are a lot of music venues in Detroit.

If he's bookish, there's John K King Used and Rare Books out in Corktown.

If he's into independent movies, there's cinema detroit in addition to the movies they do at DIA.

Detroit is a much more exciting town than Ann Arbor, so his life doesn't have to revolve around the college campus though I'm sure the university probably arranges parties, tours of the city, meetups, etc.

There's the Detroit Jazz festival in September, which I'm guessing you all know. Maybe glance through Metro Times and see if there's anything interesting coming up?

This is further out, but the most absurd (and greatest) thing I saw in Detroit was this: http://dtos.org/

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by craig11152

I'm no help but I am curious if he will commute from home or live on campus?

He will live in campus, at least for two years.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

If he likes music, he may like Third Man Records which is a record shop that actually presses its own records. Here's a video with one of the people there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBCifcGtvBI

If he's a nerdy tech kind of person, then there's this attempt to build an affordable distributed internet network connection in the city though this almost in reaction to midtown:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B0u6nvcTsI

You can look at the work of local artists at Detroit Artist Market.

Saint Andrews is a concert venue that attracts a younger crowd near downtown, then again, there are a lot of music venues in Detroit.

If he's bookish, there's John K King Used and Rare Books out in Corktown.

If he's into independent movies, there's cinema detroit in addition to the movies they do at DIA.

Detroit is a much more exciting town than Ann Arbor, so his life doesn't have to revolve around the college campus though I'm sure the university probably arranges parties, tours of the city, meetups, etc.

There's the Detroit Jazz festival in September, which I'm guessing you all know. Maybe glance through Metro Times and see if there's anything interesting coming up?

This is further out, but the most absurd (and greatest) thing I saw in Detroit was this: Detroit Theater Organ Society - Senate Theater, Detroit Michigan

Thank you. This is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by leroythelion

I imagine the experience will be different depending on whether the student lives on campus or commutes. I have a few WSU graduates working for me and the education is certainly fine. Students were encouraged to not walk alone at night which is a different kind of atmosphere than other schools in Michigan.

It may be none of my business, but the choice of college probably should should have been made to avoid disappointment post decision day. I too have an 18 year and she anguished over a State University and liberal arts colleges, so I get what these kids go through. We got a variety of scholarship offers and some schools made it really difficult to turn down. In the end, she chose GVSU because she felt at home there. It also helps her brother is already enrolled there, which makes it easier for me.

Well it is hard to turn down free college. GVSu offered him considerably less, particularly in music (WSU gave him 1600% more music scholarship). It is also great to feel wanted. I think WSU is pushing to build itself into a music powerhouse. He will have a friend of his older brother who is there on a full ride for music and a friend a year older than him who is also on a music scholarship.

I did fine coming out of WSU and I think it is better now. Still it cannot be without disappointment to decide not to go to such a pretty and ricking place as GVSU. We had one other (older) kid reluctantly turn down GVSU because of cost and one who went there and will be in debt for the rest of his life.

[craig11152]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

He will live in campus, at least for two years.

My guess is he will figure out what's what through and with his peers on campus.
I would let him roll that way.