Whether you are visiting friends or family, sniffing around the town to decide if you want to study at Indiana University, or you just happen to be passing by, there are plenty of things to do, places to see and foods to try in Bloomington.
    
Bloomington is a small town with a big-city atmosphere thanks to the variety of music and art shows, international cuisines and a vibrant, welcoming social scene. You can submerge yourself into a high-power wild week in a college town, spend your week relaxing and discovering the city’s cultural life – or you can satisfy your eclectic taste by enjoying a little bit of both.
    
Here are a few Bloomington highlights from the city residents themselves

When you are hungry…

A fresh cup of coffee and in-house boiled bagels with a variety of “smears” at the Bloomington Bagel Company on Dunn Street provide an energizing way to start off a day in town. The café also offers sandwiches, salads and pastries. There are seasonal specials, such as pumpkin or cranberry and walnut bagels.

Miss your morning cereal? Cereal Barn & Peanut Butter Café provides more than 20 different cereal brand names and “freshly ground peanut butter sandwiches” as well as a friendly and relaxed atmosphere where you can read your morning newspaper or make plans for the day in the city.
 
The Uptown Café off the city’s Square offers a wide range of breakfast and brunch meals, including its specialty — cottage-cheese pancakes. You might even catch jazz music during a weekend brunch.

Looking for a quick bite, business lunch or a relaxing mid-afternoon meal? Take a walk on Fourth Street and you will come across ethnic food restaurants featuring Asian, Middle Eastern and European cuisines with lunch specials and buffets. Almost all of them are family-owned and operated, and some owners, like the one at Turkish restaurant Anatolia, wouldn’t mind sharing their recipes with you or taking you on a kitchen tour. If you are a health nut in a hurry — Bloomingfoods Market and Deli on Sixth Street is the place to get freshly made sandwiches (including vegetarian and vegan options), sushi and salads to go.
 
Trulli Flatbread, entrance on Kirkwood
Maria Karapetyan
Trulli Flatbread on Kirkwood Avenue.
After a busy day around the town, a hearty dinner is a good way to replenish your energy and/or take a break before diving into Bloomington’s nightlife. For an informal dinner, try award-winning pizza at Mother Bear’s on Third Street. If you prefer to have wine with your pizza, Trulli on Kirkwood, a restaurant specializing in flatbreads with a wide selection of local and regional wines, is a good choice. For a dinner by a fireplace in a more sophisticated setting, with a variety of meat, seafood and delicious desserts on the menu, Scholars Inn Gourmet Café & Wine Bar on College Avenue is your pick.

“For a hearty vegetarian or vegan meal, try Roots on the Square,” suggests Elizabeth Andrews, a Bloomington resident and a contributing writer for Bloom magazine.

And, of course, you can always wander back to Fourth Street to try that restaurant you walked by earlier while slowing down to catch the smells of baking bread, roasting peppers and basil.

 Museums, art galleries and such…

Both the city of Bloomington and Indiana University boast a number of museums and art galleries featuring historical, local, regional and international art collections and much more.

The School of Fine Arts Gallery at IU offers free admission to collections of contemporary American artists, including faculty and students’ works. The gallery hosts frequent lectures and tours open to the general public.

The Kinsey Institute Gallery, open on weekdays from 2 till 4 p.m., includes collections of artwork, photographs and books on the institute’s nationally renowned research on sex, gender and reproduction. The gallery often hosts temporary exhibits.
    
Bloomington residents suggest you put Oliver Winery on your list of places to go during your visit. Only a couple of miles away from the city, the winery offers free daily tasting and tours of its wine-making facilities. “The area is gorgeous, with a lake and a forest, so it’s nice to buy some wine and cheese and have a little picnic out there.  Good for showing parents and others of legal drinking age,” says Lori DesRochers, an IU student.

By Hand Gallery inside Fountain Square Mall showcases paintings, unique works made of glass, wood and clay – all by local artisans. You can browse the gallery for “one-of-a-kind” pieces of jewelry, home décor and, yes, you can also find bags and purses made of genuine leather.

If you don’t mind getting up early in the morning every now and then, check out Bloomington Farmers’ Market on Saturdays. The market is a "feast for the senses," both for serious grocery shoppers and one-time visitors, thanks to the smells of locally-grown tomatoes, smoked meat and freshly baked pastries, displays of arts and crafts and live music in the background. Farmers chat with each other and know their regular customers, and everyone else enjoys the communal atmosphere in Showers Common, at Eighth and Morton streets. The market opens every Saturday morning at 7 a.m. from April through November.  
    
“It’s very laid-back and you can just stroll around and see what’s going on.  It’s probably the best way to get to know people from Bloomington.  Also, for just a few bucks you can get a grilled sausage, a pair of tamales, or some fresh baked bread for your lunch,” says DesRochers.

Want more culture?

Explore Tibetan and Buddhist traditions at the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center in the southeastern part of Bloomington. Check out the monastery, traditional Tibetan Stupas and the center’s Cultural Building, which holds a library of Tibetan books and displays the Tibetan Butter Sculpture. Every so often, His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself visits the center and gives public teachings (for a price) in Bloomington.
    
Leo R. Dowling International Center on Jordan Avenue hosts Friday Noon Concerts featuring classical, traditional and other music performances by international students and guests. Various international groups and student associations feature weekly Friday afternoon Coffee Hours at different locations on campus. Check the International Center’s website for exact locations. This is a great opportunity to learn about different cultures and sometimes hidden traditions in an informal and friendly setting, where you can ask questions and chat into the night with people from all over the world.

What about classical music?

The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music offers performances by world-class musicians all year ’round and hosts a Summer Music Festival, featuring various types of music, including early music and jazz. Famous conductors, guest artists, IU faculty and students perform during the festival. You can catch solo and ensemble recitals by faculty and students almost every evening at Ford, Auer or Recital Hall for free.
    
“The one thing I like visiting friends to do when they are here is go hear an IU School of Music recital, concert, or production, preferably an opera. The school puts on some ridiculous number of performances each year, and there are always a dozen things to see or hear every week. The best way to find out what’s going on is to look at Prelude on their website the week your friends or family are visiting,” says David Bricker, a Bloomington resident.

And when night falls…    

Monday through Saturday, the Bloomington social scene invites you to a variety of shows and specials. Here are a few picks:

MONDAY: Get a good laugh, American food and drink specials at Bear’s Place on Third Street, a national Top 10 stand-up comedy spot, as ranked by USA Today.
    
Sing to the oldies and modern hits or listen to others while they embarrass themselves or show off their musical talents at Bluebird’s karaoke night on Walnut Street.

TUESDAY: Enjoy Irish music at the Runcible Spoon, a student and city residents’ favorite eatery on Fourth Street. They serve a hearty breakfast throughout the day.
    
Catch blues jams featuring local and regional musicians at the Players Pub at no cover charge. You can get food and play pool there as well.

WEDNESDAY: Alternative music at Bear’s Place, jazz at Tutto Bene Wine Café and dancing to Appalachian fiddle at the Harmony School gymnasium on Second Street are among your choices to spend a fun evening in town.

THURSDAY: An evening of martinis at the Scholars Inn is always an option to enjoy Thursday in Bloomington. Take your pick – chocolate, apple, peach or pomegranate flavors – all at a special price. Live piano at Malibu Grill on the Square is another choice.  

FRIDAY: Named after French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, Café Django, an Asian fusion restaurant on Grant Street, offers live jazz performances in a cozy atmosphere.

Many other cafes, bars and restaurants that have already been mentioned also have weekend feature performances. You can check their calendar of events and guest appearances on their websites.

SATURDAY: Didn’t get a chance to sing karaoke on Monday night? Get to the Office Lounge on Third Street. You can enjoy food, drinks and a good time at this Bloomington “veteran” tavern without paying a cover charge.
    
Don’t forget to check with the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Kirkwood Avenue for their concert series and events held on different nights each week.

Want to know more?

For more information, reviews and ideas for discovering Bloomington, check the Bloomington Visitors Center website for the calendar of events both on the IU campus and in the Bloomington community. Also, make sure to pick up free copies of Bloom magazine and IU’s Weekend listings (and, no, it is not a “student’s guide to town”).