What's there to do in Bloomington IN, in February?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I and a colleague will be in Bloomington IN the second week of February for a conference.

Usually I am gung ho to research a new city and find things to do, but somehow the prospect of Indiana in February is not exciting me, so I am turning to Dopers in the hopes you can inspire some excitement.

What’s there to do there, what’s good to eat and drink?

Our breakfasts and lunches will be part of the conference, but during evenings we’ll be on our own.

We won’t have a car, and we’re staying at the Hilton Garden Inn

2

I have never been there but I guess Indiana basketball is the only thing that comes to mind.

3

I’m a Purdue girl so I can’t give details, but

(1) IU is a liberal arts college with a large and diverse student body; there is some good ethnic food there; and

(2) What’s with the “in February” part? Can the weather possibly be worse than Boston?

4

Lessee, it’s been 15 years since I lived there: The main drag is Kirkwood Ave., from the university gates at Indiana Ave to the square. There’s lot’s of shopping along there and the town square (bounded by Kirkwood, 6th, College and Walnut streets). There are some bars as you go north on College, as well as a mall at the IN 45/46 bypass and College Mall Road. The Lilly Library has a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, and across 7th Street from there is the art museum (a big triangular building designed by I.M Pei). Several good, small restaurants are on 4th street between Indiana and Washington St. Walk around campus and find the only 3 buildings that have any brick in them (everything else is made of Oolitic Limestone quarried in Monroe or Lawrence Counties). Drive ~ 14 miles east on IN 46 and you are in Nashville, IN, which is an old artist’s colony with lots of neat shops.

5

Go to the Snow Lion and have some Tibetan food, especially the momos! How often do you get to eat food cooked by the Dalai Lama’s nephew?

Eva Luna, IU Russian & East European Institute, M.A.

6

Also, check out the Runcible Spoon.

7

LOL - are those the Hoosiers or something? I know nothing about college basketball.

8

No, the weather probably won’t be any worse than Boston that time of year. Weather.com shows the average highs/lows/precipitation are pretty much the same. But I can’t think of a more dreary time to explore a new place than in February! :slight_smile:

9

Thanks - sounds like you’ve defined the area we should concentrate on. The hotel is about a block off the square, it seems. I think we picked the right hotel. Thanks also for on-campus tips. We’ll be on campus every day for the conference. It will be nice to have something specific to look for, besides just admiring the scene.

10

Snow Lion - added to our list. I grew up in Ithaca, NY, which is the North American seat of the Dalai Lama, but I definitely have not had food cooked by his nephew!!

11

This the second recommendation I have gotten for Runcible Spoon. That’s some kind of omen, I think.

12

Bloomington is still very much a pedestrian town, but it can also be pretty cold. Dress as you would have in Ithaca and you’ll be warm enough. The Runcible Spoon has been in business for at least 30 years, and was a favorite of many friends and colleagues. The Snow Lion is right behind the church where I was married and one of my children was baptized. If you want to see some representative architecture of the region, walk north on Washington St. from 8th Street north to 10th St., go left and walk back down Walnut St. There are several houses on that route that date back ~130 years or more. The area bounded by Walnut, Indiana, Kirkwood and 10th streets is an old part of the city that has an eclectic mix of old, new and ramshackle residences. Many are subdivided into apartments for students. If you can’t tell, I miss parts of living on Bloomington as a non-student. :slight_smile: