University of Missouri-Columbia Top Questions

Directly off-campus is downtown Columbia. Literally right across the street from the J-school is Starbucks, Noodles & Co and Chipotle. Walk a little farther and there's Shakespeares Pizza (voted #1 college hangout in the country). Like froyo? We have Yogoluv and a little bit farther is Red Mango. There's also plenty of little boutiques for shopping and finding cute, original dresses/shirts/etc. There's plenty of sit down restaurants (get to know them for when your parents come to visit ;) ) and of course multiple bars for those 21+.

Directly off-campus is downtown Columbia. Literally right across the street from the J-school is Starbucks, Noodles & Co and Chipotle. Walk a little farther and there's Shakespeares Pizza (voted #1 college hangout in the country). Like froyo? We have Yogoluv and a little bit farther is Red Mango. There's also plenty of little boutiques for shopping and finding cute, original dresses/shirts/etc. There's plenty of sit down restaurants (get to know them for when your parents come to visit ;) ) and of course multiple bars for those 21+.

A college town filled with stores and local restaurants!

Mizzou's campus backs right up to downtown Columbia, which is know as "The District." There are lots of restaurants, bars and clubs, places to get frozen yogurt and cookies, as well as great shopping. There is also a concert venue know as "The Blue Note" where lots of artists come and perform.

Mizzou's campus is in the heart of Columbia. Downtown is a short walk away. There are plenty of stores, coffeshops, studios and restaurants to explore. On the southern side of campus is a large nature trai; and park, both of which are beautiful year-round. Columbia is in the middle of Missouri, but it's a rather lively city. Locals are very warm towards Tigers; they support the school greatly, especially since most services are aimed at college students. It's a very student-friendly town.

When you step off campus, if you go North, you are downtown. Downtown Columbia is a lot of fun. There is something for everyone. There are bars, art studios, theaters, venus, restaurants, and so much more! I like it because the buildings are only about 3-5 stories tall and the architecture is beautiful. I also love the environment! You can always hear music if you are just walking around. There is a ton of live music. My favorite thing to do downtown is to go to one of the venus and watch local bands play.

The north side of campus bumps up against the old-timey streets of The District (Downtown Columbia). Having come from a whitewashed, chain-restaurant infested suburb, I love our downtown area. We have a great pizza shop, a million cafés, a small independent movie theater, lots of places to dance and lots of places to quench your...thirst. Many of the colleges I toured offered this type of "old downtown" area, but Columbia has the feel of old-downtown coupled with the youth of a college town. College students basically overrun this area, and it feels, at least to me, very alive. Oh. And on the east side of campus there are neighborhoods of houses and apartments where many students live within walking distance to campus, and on the west side are the neighborhoods of Greek houses.

Although we're not located in a big name city like New York or LA, Columbia is one of the most interesting towns. It's got a great art scene with places like Ragtag Cinema and countless art galleries. There are a million different sports bars and restaurants where everyone gathers to watch the Cardinals or whatever team you support. Finally, you will definitely never go hungry. Shakespeares PIzza has been ranked among the top college hangouts in the country and Yogoluv is definitely a staple of a Mizzou student's diet. There are always local events going on and, while I am a true Chicagoan at heart, I consider Columbia a second home.