7 Best Hangout Spots For the Older Michigan Crowd

If it's too loud, you're too old!

....at least that's what they say. If that's the case then I must be "old" at 35.

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For me, I knew I was on the "other side of young" when I accepted the fact I no longer have the stamina for general admission standing room only at concerts-- reserved seating all the way, baby!

I find myself saying things like "Seriously, it's too loud in here" and wondering why more restaurants don't install foam sound panels to quiet it down. I even wear ear protection every time I attend a concert now!

However, I think the final nail in the coffin was accepting the fact that despite being unwed at 35 I'm no longer a miss, I'm a ma'am now.

The times they are a'changin'!

These days when I actually do feel like leaving the house and braving the general public, I'm looking for an establishment that meets a certain criteria:

• Not too loud
• Not too dark
• Menu isn't limited to only fried foods
• Reasonably priced...or not! Sometimes I'm feeling fancy
• Isn't too complicated to find
• Easy parking nearby, free is preferred
• Not a late-night college crowd

Is that too much to ask?! I've even learned that unfortunately I can no longer visit some of my favorite establishments during certain hours.

For example, my boyfriend and I had one of our first dates at the gaming bar LFG in downtown Kalamazoo. We recently found ourselves downtown one evening and had a bit of time to kill so we stopped in to re-live our days of Tetris and Guitar Hero and while I was content to see the place full on a Friday night, it was just too loud to enjoy ourselves. We both agreed that while it certainly wouldn't be our last time to LFG, it would be our last visit late at night.

If you're on the same page, you need to check out these Michigan destinations that are friendly to the older crowd: