Look, we both know why we’re here. This might be your first stop of the night, but it won’t be the last. You’re not here for a nice bottle of wine. You’re here for the 30-rack you’ll lug to a house party down the block, or the bottle of cheap rosé you’ll bring to share at your best friend’s post break-up cry fest.
Campus Corner doesn’t boast lower prices or a wider selection than its competitors. Its allure, if you can call it that, comes from its location: at the intersection of Packard and State Streets, the store is walking distance from everywhere south of the Law Quad.
Its grungy, fluorescent-lit aisles feel intimidating and grown-up; though some might prefer the airy comfort of the Kroger liquor aisle, Michigan students and Ann Arbor residents alike appreciate the rough-around-the-edges familiarity of Campus Corner that other stores simply cannot offer.
Before you’ve graduated to the economical, strategic act of buying in bulk from Meijer or Costco, Campus Corner is the reliable workhorse type of spot you find yourself in more often than you’d like. While other stores require a car or some preplanning, Campus Corner requires nothing but a can-do spirit and a pep talk on the sidewalk outside. As long as there are students in Ann Arbor, Campus Corner will outlive us all.
Books Beat Editor Julian Wray can be reached at jwray@umich.edu.