Going through a breakup? Try these Ann Arbor activities for healing a broken heart
Discover heartbreak-healing Ann Arbor activities: Explore the city’s creative scene to mend your broken heart and find new inspiration post-breakup.
Sure, Detroit and Lansing have a host of memory-making opportunities, but when it comes to getting over a breakup, Ann Arbor is the place to be. It’s the artsiest city in Michigan, and with that comes a level of trendiness that, in turn, attracts invigorating opportunities. Case in point, the city’s home to fairy doors galore—they’re scattered across Ann Arbor as if a giant fairy sprinkled fairy dust over the vicinity—and the fact that you can do everything from getting lost in nature to falling down countless book rabbit holes and attending events at the United States’ biggest stadium.
We’ll keep the introduction short—if you’re getting over a breakup, you need remedies, and stat. So, without further ado, here are 10 Ann Arbor activities you can do by yourself or with friends to help mend your broken heart.
1. Take flight on a fairy-door excursion
Looking for a day outing in Ann Arbor? Whether you’re from out of town and want to explore the city for the first time or live in Ann Arbor but haven’t scoped all of them out, touring the city for its many fairy doors is an inexplicably fun option that can eat up time while putting a smile on your face. Not to mention, you can use your excursion to get some steps in, and we all know how important moving out bodies is for our mental health. Plus, you can try a good restaurant, bakery, or brewery that you spot along the way, enriching your trip even more.
If you don’t know what fairy doors are, don’t worry. They’re essentially small doors that something small like a fairy or elf would use to enter a building. Sometimes, they’re plain, with their size being their main identifier, while other times, they’re small and ornately decorated. Don’t know where to start looking in Ann Arbor? You’re in luck, as Urban Fairies has a map of many of the fairy doors that the city has to offer. Just note that it’s not a 1:1 scale of Ann Arbor, but it’s easy enough to follow if you use your phone’s map application to plug in the destinations.
2. Thrash your way out of heartbreak at a rage room
“Come Angry. Leave Happy.” That’s the motto of Escape Room Zone’s rage room, which has locations throughout Michigan, including near Ann Arbor. The rage room here comes in three packages, with prices beginning at $40.99 and going up to $78.99. All three tiers grant you 20 minutes of smashing, but the items you receive to smash get better as you climb them. For example, at the highest tier, you’ll be given an electronic or monitor to destroy, letting all of your heartbreak be channeled in your hammer.
“I had the best time in the Rage Room. Smashed dishes and bottles felt FABULOUS! Great way to work off stress!!” one Tripadvisor reviewer noted of their time at the brand’s Madison Heights location outside of Ann Arbor. Oh, and did we mention that you get to bring your own music to blast and help release those pent-up emotions? Once your 20-minute rage session is done, you can check out the brand’s escape rooms, paint-blast rooms, pixel-floor rooms, and more for added fun—and release.
3. Hit the spa to revive yourself
Stress is stored in our bodies, and heartbreak certainly gives us a fair share of it. It also comes with sleepless nights, leaving our under-eye bags exposed, as well as making us forget to do basic self-care things like trimming and painting our nails. The best way to care for our bodies, faces, and nails at the same time is to mark your calendar off for a spa and salon day.
But where do you start? Well, according to the r/AnnArbor Subreddit, Bloom Wellness Spa is one of the best in the area. Here, you can treat yourself to massages, facials, sauna time, and even saltwater floats all in the same building, and its prices are reasonable. For instance, a 1-hour massage will only set you back $99, while a 1-hour facial costs $149. “Bloom is great and they have float tanks! Good massage therapists too,” one Redditor said of the spa.
Another solid option is Spavia Day Spa, with one Redditor saying, “I feel like the price is very reasonable for the level of service you get [there].” Note, though, that Spavia’s prices are a little higher than Bloom’s. A 1-hour massage at Spavis comes out to $119, while a 50-minute facial also costs $119. That said, Redditors seem to agree that it’s well worth the money. Oh, and Spavia’s in tune with the times, offering a pumpkin-spice facial product for those who like pumpkin in more than just their lattes.
Then, once you’ve relaxed and your face feels renewed, you can head to a salon to love on your nails some. Sure, you could do nail-care yourself at home, but after a heartbreak, we all deserve some pampering. Here, we recommend A2 Nails Spa, as it has a 4.5-star Google rating based on more than 1,000 reviews. Here, you can get any nail look your heart desires, it seems, with one reviewer raving that they got the “BEST MANICURE IVE EVER HAD!”
4. Attend an event at the world’s third-largest stadium
Third-largest in the world and biggest in the U.S., Michigan Stadium—that is, the University of Michigan’s home stadium in Ann Arbor—has been making history for nearly its entire life. According to the stadium’s website, it not only holds huge attendance records because of its size but also has been at the forefront of stadium innovation, including implementing electronic scoreboards before any other stadium, which it accomplished all the way back in 1930.
Home stadium to the University of Michigan’s Wolverines, Michigan Stadium is also known as The Big House, and with its boisterous crowds—and reputation—you’re all but guaranteed a good time (so long as you’re someone who enjoys being around people, that is). Naturally, the main events held at the stadium are the Wolverines’ football games, so if you want to feel some camaraderie, whether you’re a UM student or not, heading to a game could be a surefire way to get your mind off of things and have a touchdown of a time. Just don’t forget to check out the venue’s food map beforehand to ensure you know exactly which bites you want and where to get them. We’ll take an extra order of Hot Honey Chicken Tenders!
5. Call bookstores & libraries home for a day
Not into large crowds or football? No problem. Ann Arbor’s bookish scene is rich, including renowned bookstores and even a presidential library. Of course, if you’re a local and have a library card, you could always head to the Ann Arbor library and get lost in a book or two, but why stop there? Literati Bookstore and Booksweet are two of the city’s best bookstores—sorry, Barnes & Noble, but we support local businesses even when we’re heartbroken—and both offer events, like readings from professional writers, to engage the community.
Then, there’s the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, which has been a living memorial of President Ford’s legacy since 1981, following his run in office from 1974 to 1977. It’s more of a museum than a traditional library, but it’s a worthwhile pit stop for anyone who enjoys history and hasn’t visited a presidential library before. We wouldn’t recommend spending an entire day there, as you’d quickly run out of things to do, but not many cities can say they’re home to a presidential library, so we’d still say it’s worth the time.
Though not likely to fit into your day trip, you can also check out Literati Bookstore’s ECO Book Club, which features a new title focused on the environment and sustainability each month. Or, you can subscribe to one of Literati’s subscription services in which you receive one romance novel, one indie book, or one “thoughtful” and “provocative” book per month, as is the case for the Literati Cultura subscription.
6. Laugh the breakup away at a comedy show
They say laughing is a universal language, and if that’s true, and it can surely transcend heartbreak. Thankfully, Ann Arbor’s home to many comedy shows, which are typically more intimate than, say, a Wolverines game at Michigan Stadium. Here, you can wear something comfortable and just settle into a routine of laughter with snacks and drinks at your disposal—a perfect win-win of a post-breakup activity if there ever were one.
The most prominent comedy venue in the city is, of course, the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, and it’s been bringing people together over cocktails and guttural laughs since the ‘80s. Open Wednesday through Saturday, the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase features standup comedy sets, comedy-writing workshops, open-mic nights, and so much more. Its food menu contains classic comedy-show snacks like nachos, popcorn, and mixed nuts, and its full-service bar has staples like wine, martinis, beer, shots, and rotating specials.
Other comedy venues in the area include the Blind Pig Comedy Show, a free series held every Monday, and Bløm Comedy Night, a monthly series held at Bløm Mead + Cider. No matter where you go, just go with an open mind and welcome in the laughs.
7. Explore the best food that Ann Arbor has to offer
Ann Arbor’s a trendy city, and with trendy folks comes mouthwateringly scrumptious food. And what’s better at curing a broken heart than a good meal? Case in point, Frita Batidos is a hip Cuban spot that’s serving up crave-worthy burgers, batidos (a drink that’s like a smoothie-milkshake hybrid), crispy plantains, margaritas, and more. “The food there was so amazing! I was so happy while eating it,” one Tripadvisor reviewer wrote, making this restaurant sound like the perfect post-breakup food.
If you’re more into Mediterranean food, look no further than Spiedo. This restaurant has a 4.8-star rating on Yelp, with reviewers particularly adoring its Chocolate Tahini Shake, Roasted Beets, and Pork Flatbread Sandwich, among other scrumptious-looking menu items. “Awesome decor in here, like wow, it was a joy to sit inside amongst all the color. … Will absolutely be returning to Spiedo to try their entire menu. Every item is a banger, it’s just what you’re in the mood for,” one reviewer wrote on Yelp. With so much color and delicious food, you’re bound to leave Spiedo with a smile on your face.
After you’ve tasted Ann Arbor’s best Cuban and Mediterranean fare, it’s time to head to South Korea via Miss Kim. Here, you can get all the Korean classics you might already like—they might just have a slight twist on them that takes them to the next level. “Friendly, seamless service and delicious food and drinks. We always have a great experience at Miss Kim,” one Tripadvisor reviewer wrote of their visit to Miss Kim. But what should you order? Well, Tripadvisor reviewers love the Korean fried chicken, bibimbap, crispy broccolini, and more.
Ultimately, these are just a few of the city’s best restaurants, and while you’ll need to do a little research to uncover your own personal must-try hot spots, it’s worth it to get back out there and return to your favorite pastimes even when it’s by yourself or with friends, not your ex. You deserve good experiences no matter how your relationship ended.
8. Breathe through your feelings on a beautiful hike
Ann Arbor’s known for its trees, and naturally, the city has plenty of places to get in a good hike. Getting fresh air can help you process your thoughts and feelings, and exercise is also good for our mental health, so a hike is almost like a no-brainer. And if we’re being honest, few places in Michigan will offer as beautiful of a hike as Ann Arbor.
One of the best places to hike is the Bird Hills Nature Area, which spans 146 acres and contains stunning scenery—and hiking trails. Luckily, you can access these trails directly in the city, meaning you can sneak in a hike in the middle of the day if you’d like, and five different trailheads lead you into the nature area, so you’re never far from a breather. According to the trail’s website, one of the trailheads even has a bus stop a mere 100 feet from its entrance.
If you want fresh air without the sweat, you can always head to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens or the Nichols Arboretum. The former is open every day bar Mondays, while the latter is open from sunrise to sunset every day of the week. At the botanical gardens, you can walk trails that should be less strenuous than those at the Bird Hills Nature Area or simply stroll through the gardens or indoor conservatory. You can take this as leisurely as you need. The same applies to the arboretum. You can stop to smell the roses or walk the grounds at whatever pace you need. Let your heart lead the way—and let the oxygen in.
9. Get lost in the magic of drag
Ann Arbor is a proudly queer-friendly city, and as such, you don’t have to look far to find a good drag show, which can turn a bad mood upside down in the blink of an eye. One great example of this is the weekly pride night at Necto, one of the city’s centers for nightlife. Every Friday, Necto Pride sees queens of all aesthetics and fame levels, including queens from “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” hitting the stage for dazzling performances.
If you can’t make it a Necto Pride night or simply crave more drag (join the club!), you can seek out the local drag artists keeping the scene alive and follow them on social media so that you never miss a new gig announcement. For instance, Boylesque is one of the biggest drag troupes in Michigan, and the artists that make it up regularly perform, both at brunches and at clubs, in and around Ann Arbor. Other local entertainers include Zooey Gaychanel and Julian Grey, though sometimes the best way to find your next favorite artist is to get out into the drag scene and be swept away by a performance.
10. Book a photoshoot to cement your new dating profile
Throughout the previous nine entries, you’ve hopefully snapped many new photos, including ones at your favorite bookstores, ones showing you smashing a TV like the cool cat you are, and ones showing you cheering in the crowd at Michigan Stadium. But if you’re going to get back out there and fish, you need a new headshot to pique the other fishies’ attention.
So, why not book a photoshoot? Not only will your new dating profile reflect the latest, greatest version of you, but you’ll also be able to use your new headshot across your social media platforms and, in turn, show your ex what exactly they’re missing. And if you just want them to see you smiling out of spite, that’s okay, too!
Being the artsy city it is, Ann Arbor is home to many photo studios, and many of them have 5-star Google ratings. One example is Sudeep Studio, which prides itself on “[c]reating your visual presence – that feels fresh and engaging!” Sudeep Studio’s offerings include portraits, and many Google reviewers note how well theirs turned out. “Sudeep is a kind, professional, and talented photographer. … He showed me the photos as we shot to gauge whether I liked what he was capturing,” one reviewer wrote, adding, “He can capture incredible moments.”
Another 5-star option is Marc-Grégor Photography, which has been in the industry for more than a decade and is known as “Ann Arbor’s Favorite French Photographer,” according to the brand’s website. It’s clear to see why, too. The photographer’s website shows a variety of scenarios, from headshots to nature photos and sports games, and every moment is captured brilliantly. “MG is incredible! He took my professional business photos and my winter family photos (thus far),” one Google reviewer wrote of their experience with Marc-Grégor, later adding, “I HIGHLY recommend MG.”
Ultimately, these are just two of many splendid photography options in Ann Arbor, and at the end of the day, we can’t recommend documenting your newfound rejuvenated smile more.
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