Though Lawrence and Columbia, Mo., are considered bitter rivals in athletics, each college town has many local businesses students can enjoy. Here’s a look at the places students at each university frequent and what makes the two cities different.

Columbia

Downtown Setup

“Columbia’s main street is Ninth Street or Broadway,” Amanda Heisey, University of Missouri junior, said. “Each contains different restaurants, shops and bars. Ninth Street runs next to campus, while Broadway runs perpendicular.”

Bars: “On any given night of the week, there is always a bar special that can be found,” Katie McChesney, MU senior, said. “The most popular ones on Wednesdays are Harpo’s, which has quarter draws and Fieldhouse, with penny pitchers.” Other popular bars include Campus Bar & Grill, which has 75-cent triple wells on Thursday nights. Southside Pizza and Pub has domestic beer for $1 every night of the week. Flat Branch Brewery, ranked no. 78 on Esquire Magazine’s list of “The Best Bars in America,” is another spot where students go to enjoy hand-crafted beers.

Hot Spots

If you are in the mood for movies, Ragtag Cinema plays independent films and documentaries. “There are couches and comfy chairs to sit in and you can drink there,” Paul Byrne, MU senior, said.

Another hot spot, which is not a bar, but also serves alcoholic items, is Sparky’s. Sparky’s is a homemade ice cream shop that has an adult-only menu next to its alcohol-free ice cream. Some popular flavors include red wine and chocolate, lavender and honey, chai tea and Guinness floats.

There are a few booze-free hot spots in Columbia as well. Shakespeare’s Pizza is rated the No. 1 restaurant on Urbanspoon.com and students agree with the ranking. “Shakespeare’s Pizza is a Columbia staple restaurant,” McChesney said. “The place is always busy, but the wait is totally worth it.”

Student Presence

Similar to Lawrence, Columbia’s students are what make up the city. Byrne said that Columbia locals rarely mixed with the students. He also said that the “townies” seemed notably absent during the school year. Heisey agreed.

“The students fill most of the jobs downtown and all over Columbia.” Heisey said. “The city would not be as interesting without all of the students.”

Heisey added that Columbia revolves around the university, which allows for citywide involvement in events like homecoming, when local businesses allow greek houses to decorate their storefronts.

Lawrence

Downtown Setup

While Lawrence has many streets that are full of commerce, Massachusetts street is where many local bars and restaurants are located.

Bars: 23rd Street Brewery and Free State Brewery are where many people in Lawrence like to enjoy different flavors of hand-crafted beers. Free State is ranked no. 76, slightly better than Flat Branch, on Esquire Magazine’s list of “The Best Bars in America.” Other popular bars with great specials include, The Jayhawk Café, which serves every drink and shot for $1 on Wednesday, and The Cadillac Ranch, which has the same special every Friday.

Hot Spots

For never-before-seen footage, new releases, old movies and concerts, Liberty Hall is the place to be. Other music venues include the Granada, which has been around since the 1930s, and the Bottleneck. Bars like the Jazzhaus and the Barrel House are hot spots in town because they incorporate live music within their establishments. Many students are also attracted to more relaxing places like Hookah House.

“I really like the general atmosphere of the Hookah House because the guys who work there are really nice and they take care of their customers really well,” Katie Kisner, Lawrence junior said.

Student Presence

Lawrence’s diverse mix of students and natives makes Lawrence feel more like a city and less like a college town.

“KU is a town within a town,” Kisner said. “Lawrence would not be the same without KU, but KU does not make Lawrence.”

Molly Hollenbach, St. Louis junior, likes how the University is an addition to the already appealing Lawrence.

“KU stands out because of its diversity,” Hollenbach said. “There is always something to do and you always know that when you meet someone new, they are going to be different from any other person in Lawrence.”

— Edited by Tim Burgess