Take me to campus! Top 22 places to be in Ann Arbor.

Alright, so this blog entry is going to be pretty much all visual. Since I feel you couldn't really get an idea of what the University of Michigan looks like yet, I walked around campus for a few hours and took a bunch of pictures just to give  you an impression. There is absolutely no way for me to even get close to filling you in on all the university's buildings and places - because there are just too many - but I picked out a few special one's. These are my top 22 places around campus you should have a look at.

The Diag. A meeting point with cult status. It's the heart of campus. Depending on the time of year you can find absolutely anything here. Political gatherings, club meetings, art festivals, concerts, movie screenings, outside classes, rallies, buffets, oh yeah, and free hugs of course.

Are you exhausted from studying? Are you tired of reading books all day long? Nothing upper state street couldn't fix! Quite to the contrary, it's got your fix for all of your food, beverage or clothing needs. The range is wide. From quick lunch to classy dinner, everything is possible. The liquor stores are extremely busy here, because students can just pick up their party juice on their home from uni.

A very magnificent building. It reminds me of the "Neue Aula", the main building of my home university. I had a few introductory classes in here but Angel Hall is mainly appreciated for it's steps as seating accommodation.

Just like the picture, the Michigan Union isn't perfect. But it's certainly one of the prettiest and busiest buildings on campus. The president of the university works in the very top level  of this building. Students rumour that that's the reason why all good restaurants are located in the Michigan Union as well.

The Museum of Art is part of the University of Michigan. Apart from it's surprisingly comprehensive exhibition, it's a nice place to get some work done.

The North Quadrangle Residencial and Academic Complex is one of four of it's kind. You can find one in every of the four cardinal directions. The North Quad is the largest, though. I've got three out of four of my classes here. The building is quite luxurious and sharing a room will cost a student up to $7000 per term.

Just like it's got it's own police force, the university has it's own bus system, too. The Blue-Buses will bring you anywhere close to campus and are driven by... students! Awesome! Guess who's taking the two week introduction to bus-driving this upcoming semester? Exactly, that's me!

Every student can tell a story about Ulrich's and it's probably always the same: You can't get what you need and they are completely unreasonable and rude about it... Might be bad for Americans but feels like home to me!

It doesn't matter where you are or where you want to go. There is always a small pathway leading you right there. It's very convenient and adds to the assumption that you can cross campus in less than fifteen minutes, which - trust me - you can't.

Spinning this cube or it's brother in Chicago is supposed to be good luck but nobody could really tell us why, so this place is much more fun when you bring ice-cream.

A campus isn't necessarily an ordinary prerequisite of a university. My home university doesn't have one. I've really come to appreciate the campus. It makes everything so central. It gives a face to the university, a structure, something familiar. People are in one spot, there a rallies and demonstrations. You can also chill out in between lectures or meet friends, since they are all around and not scattered around town.

No special connection here. Unfortunately communication students aren't allowed in here. Actually nobody except for law students is. I just like the building. And I'm excited to show you how it looks covered in snow. 

Looking for a great place to have lunch? You'll meet a lot of students hanging out in the small restaurants and shops just a little south of central campus.

Yep, U-Mich has a museum of archeology, too. I heard it's really cool, so I definately have to go sometime soon. I'll let you guys know how I liked it.

North &  South University Avenue make getting lost very hard, even if you're new on campus. They are home to Ann Arbor landmarks as Ulrich's Bookstore, the Lawyer's Club and Pinball Pete's.

Pinball Pete's is an original, american arcade. When we went there an hour felt like ten minutes. I definately see myself being late for class, because I forgot about the time while playing at Pinball Pete's during my lunch break.

A hardware store might not seem like a memorable place, it barely seems like a place at all. But I pass by this sign every morning on my way to uni and they always change their slogans around. And most of the time they're really funny, too. Above are two of my favorites.

There are tons of parks in Ann Arbor. Because there are so many, it's never crowded and you can go for a run in peace. This bridge spans over the Huron River and connects the Furstenberg Nature Area to Gallup Park.

I have to pass this junction every morning. Sometimes I grab a sanndwich  from Subway on my way home. This part of state street connects central campus to the competitive sports grounds, including the "Big House".

Located just on upper state street, this church is quite close to campus. It isn't very busy, but it always has interesting artwork put up in it's front yard.

Our neighborhood is quite calm. Even though we're very close to the "Big House", there's not too much noise on Saturdays. We're still close enough to campus. Actually these are ideal conditions... It's much better than the hoetel anyway. Plus, we've even got a swing!

... in the middle of the street. That's what everybody was thinking, right? Me too! But unfortunately our house isn't in the middle of the street, but kind of at the end. The only downside of living here I guess.

That's it guys. Well, actually that's not quite it. I might add one or two cool places to this list once I realise that I forgot them. 

Oh yeah and also, I will post pictures of the same places again. Probably around christmas I will dig up my camera again and take pictures of the university in a cozy coat of cold snow. I was told campus starts looking like Hogwarts once there's enough snow and there will be a LOT of snow here. So stay excited for that, at least I know I am!