Major Venues

Getting around Bloomington is pretty easy: East-West streets are numbered starting at First Street, South of Downtown, and working North to Seventeenth Street, by the Stadium. Driving to campus is typically not easy to do, even if you have a sticker (click here to see what I mean.)

Third Street

Runs East-West from College Mall, through downtown, to Indiana 37. Third Street is two-way except when it borders campus. From Mitchell (near Wilkie Quad) to Dunn St. (the corner of campus near the Law Building), Third Street runs one way , heading East. This is a little distressing to newcomers, because it's two-way downtown and out by the Mall. All westbound traffic gets routed (rather quickly) to Atwater. Don't panic! Atwater runs West and takes you past the one-way weirdness. Click here to see a map. Atwater and Third, by the way, are usually very busy: crossing them on foot is an art form. There are stoplights at the intersections of Jordan and Indiana/Dunn, but usually people cross wherever they feel like it. Third Street marks the Southern edge of campus.

Indiana

Another oddball street, Indiana runs North one-way until it reaches Tenth Street, when it becomes two-way. Indiana marks the West edge of campus.

Kirkwood

Runs East-West from the Sample Gates on campus downtown. Kirkwood is actually just antoher name for Fifth Street, which starts downtown. Kirkwood contains everything you need to be totally happy -- theatres, the arcade, various bars, record stores, Ben and Jerry's, and the County Library are all happily located on Kirkwood. Kirkwood is like the cultural airlock that seperates campus from downtown Bloomington. (Some argue that Kirkwood is downtown Bloomington.) Kirkwood is also notorius for "crusin'", a weekend phenomenon that is truly the best free show in town (also the most frightening.) Click here for more information about Kirkwood.

Walnut and College

If Bloomington had a Main Street, neither Walnut and College would qualify. Still, they are the best way to actually go through town. Walnut is one-way running North, College is one-way running South. They intersect all the "number" streets at some point, making them about the easiest way to get aroundn downtown. Also, all the stoplights along both streets are timed so that if you hit them just right, every light turns green as you pull up. It's a cheap thrill, but it's worth it.

The Bypass

When you look on a map, the IU campus looks like a giant tumor attached to the back of Bloomington. The line that runs along the tumor is "The Bypass" -- technically, the Indiana 45 & 46 Bypass. The bypass starts out at the Mall and goes around the edge of campus, avoiding all of downtown, and winding up at the top of North Walnut. The Bypass is usually pretty crowded around rush hour, but is normally a good way to avoid all the lights in town. The Bypass marks the North and East edges of campus: watch the lanes carefully on the Bypass -- it's easy to get stuck in a disappearing lane.

College Mall Road

College Mall Road: What the bypass become after you go by College Mall. Lots of shopping opportunities exist along this street, and most everything you could ever need in the world can be bought here and/or on Kirkwood.