Things To Do
"Bloomington is a fantastic place to live. I grew up on the East Coast, and I never thought that a Midwestern town could offer ... great college sports, world-class performing arts, and more ethnic restaurants than some five times its size."
— Aaron Lykling, JD'08
Restaurants and Nightlife
You won't go hungry here. Great, locally-owned restaurants and bars add to B-town's charm. From French and Greek to Tibetan, Eritrean, and Afghan, you'll find everything from chains to the finest gourmet within blocks of the Law School campus.
In "Why I Go Back" (Indianapolis Monthly 2006), Michael Uslan, JD'76, and producer of Batman Begins, reveals his Bloomington favorites: "[When I visit] ... My first stop is Nick's for a Strom. We go to the Tudor Room for Sunday brunch — that's where my parents always used to take us when they visited. The Uptown Café is king of my hangout. ... Hinkle's Hamburgers has the greatest burgers in history. And we have a new tradition: going to Oliver Winery for a wine-tasting."
Create your own traditions at these popular hangouts, or explore a complete restaurant listing of the more than 300 options.
Some student favorites
- Nick's English Hut (the place to be)
- The Bluebird (live music & cocktails)
- Bear's Place (pizza)
- Bloomingfoods (organic)
- Casablanca Café (Mediterranean)
- Hinkle's Hamburgers (an alumni favorite)
- Jiffy Treet (ice cream)
- Janko's Little Zagreb (steaks)
- Lennie's Restaurant and Bloomington Brewing Co.
- Oliver Winery
- Roots Restaurant and Juice Bar (vegetarian)
- Samira (Afghanistani cuisine)
- Scholars Inn
- Tutto Bene Wine Café(wine and tapas)
- The Upstairs Pub (dancing)
- Uptown Café (Creole-inspired gourmet)
- Village Deli (best omelettes around)
- Yogi's (tailgating hangout)
Arts and Culture
Bloomington is a hub for arts and culture and host to world-class concerts, Broadway musicals, and community-wide events—including a mini marathon, a weekly farmer's market, and more than 30 festivals. "You will not be starved for culture here," Jack Bobo, JD'96 and current Washington, D.C. diplomat, says. "Because of a huge population of international students, Bloomington has more culture to offer than many large cities."
Festivals with local—and global—flavor
- Fourth Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts
- Lotus World Music Festival
- Little 500
- Taste of Bloomington
- IU Circle of Life Mini-Marathon
World-class music and theater
- IU Opera
- IU Auditorium Performing Arts Series
- Jacobs School of Music Concerts
- Jazz from Bloomington
- City Lights Underground Film Series
- Buskirk-Chumley Theater
- Bloomington Playwrights Project
Explore nine museums including WonderLab Children's Museum, the IU Art Museum, Lilly Library, and the Mathers Museum of World Cultures and more than 25 galleries and art studios. Plus, check out the Bloomington events calendar or the Indiana University—Bloomington calendar for even more.
Shopping
Dozens of unique shops and diverse restaurants line Kirkwood Avenue, 4th Street, and the downtown square. For high-end chains stores, Indianapolis, Louisville, Chicago, and Cincinnati (and their countless options) are only a short drive away.
Downtown: Relish offers high end home decor and clothes; J.R. Stallsmith's for suits and stylish menswear; two gourmet cooking shops; and the fashion-forward "b Boutique" at 10th and College are just a few of the galleries and shops that form the epicenter of this town.
Kirkwood Ave.: Find novelties and T-shirts at Greetings and Steve and Barry's; chic jeans, trendy clothes, and designer accessories at Pitaya, Cha Cha, and Urban Outfitters; and cool, quality vintage and locally-designed clothes at Cactus Flower.
Eastside shopping: College Mall (Target, Eddie Bauer, Dick's Sporting Goods, Charlotte Russe, Macy's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and more), plus specialty boutiques.
Day Trips
For those who crave the big city, four major destinations are within only a few hours drive from Bloomington.
- Indianapolis 50 miles (1 hour)
- Chicago 200 miles (5 hours)
- Cincinnati 130 miles (3 hours)
- Louisville 100 miles (2.5 hours)
- St. Louis 200 miles (4 hours)
Sports and Clubs
Bloomington is an active city. Sports Illustrated on Campus ranked it the sixth-best college sports town in the nation, and Bloomington was one of only 13 communities in the nation listed as "bicycle-friendly" by The League of American Bicyclists for its "longstanding commitment to providing safe accommodation and facilities for bicyclists and for encouraging bicycle travel for both transportation and recreation." (December 2003)
Find more links to Bloomington sporting clubs and groups from running, pilates, and yoga to biking, triathalon training, and Alpine skiing on HoosierNet.
Parks and Outdoor Recreation
The rolling, wooded landscape of southern Indiana is an outdoor enthusiast's dream. Immediately surrounding IU's picturesque campus are several local and state parks as well as the Hoosier National Forest. Brown County State Park, McCormick's Creek State Park, beautiful Lake Monroe, and other area parks provide students and their families an escape to nature. Boating, swimming, spelunking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, and picnicking are just some of the activities available for visitors.
For more information on local and state parks, visit the City of Bloomington Parks and Recreation and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.