We’ve been back in school now for a whole week, so chances are you’re already ready for an escape. Last Thursday was “Senior Night” on Laclede’s Landing, and it reminded me of how easily that place can make you forget classes or forget the whole night if you’re not careful. Senior Night could easily mean crowded Metros and venues so full of people that it takes 30 minutes to make your way from the door to the bar, but it also means running into old friends from semesters gone by.

For those of you who are Landing regulars, you’ll know that on busy nights, it’s impossible to stay at one bar all night. Many of the bars down there have their own specialty and their own flair to add to the evening. There are the places you go for drink specials, the places you go to dance and the place you avoid because of the sleazy older crowd it attracts. Unfortunately, none of the bars are “the bar with the coat check,” so bring jackets and such at your own risk.

If you’ve been down to the Landing before, I’m sure you have your own way of doing things, but for those who have just recently turned 21, here are some recommendations. Personally, I like to start my night at Joey B’s On The Landing. It’s a smaller bar and one of the first ones you pass on your way from the Metro. They have great drink specials and compared to other places, you’re more likely to get a table.

For dancing or for seeing everybody and their mother, you have to go to Morgan Street Brewery. The dance floor is usually somewhere upstairs. Depending on the time of year and customer traffic, the number of bars, patios or rooms open in Morgan Street varies. At its fullest, the place is packed and you can spend hours dancing, seeing old friends, or, in some cases, looking for the ones you came with.

Once you get to that point in the night when all you want to do is smile and sing “Sweet Caroline,” the place to go to is Big Bang, a piano bar. It might be the wooden décor and familiar music, or it might be the alcohol, but Big Bang always has a cozy feel to it. It’s a place where you can get up on a chair and start belting out your favorite tunes without worrying about being embarrassed the next morning.

So next Thursday, when you can’t wait for the weekend or you’re just excited because you’re a senior with no Friday classes, head down to the Landing and have a great time—because that’s the reason everyone goes there.