Livingston County Hangouts: Pinckney

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Spending time with other people is one of life’s greatest pleasures. These social connections make our lives richer and our communities stronger.

With technology making it easier to hang out remotely with people across the globe, we got to thinking: Where do people in Livingston County like to hang out?

Here in Livingston County, we are blessed with five distinct communities — Brighton, Fowlerville, Hartland, Howell and Pinckney — each with its boundaries defined by one of our five public school districts, and each with its own personality and assets. We assembled a team of experts — each of whom lives in one of the five communities — and we asked them to tell us where people in their community liked to hang out.


Maybe you’ll agree with their picks; maybe you won’t. If you have places you think we’ve left off the list, we’d love for you to tell us about them by leaving a comment below.


Today, we are checking in on the hangouts in Pinckney.


Netflix

Before you get all irate about this choice…Netflix is the modern equivalent of hanging out at the movies, but cozier, less expensive and with better snacks. What was once the exclusive viewing habit of teens and twenty-somethings — binge-watching — has morphed into an all-inclusive family night in many households.

In my own house this past winter, I inflicted the Great British Baking Show on my family, and on any given evening you would find us cozied up in the living room with drinks, blankets and a cat in every lap, debating who will be star baker and how you can not get sent home when everything you’ve just baked is a mess. Add in a dash of social media, and my brother and friends get added into the mix (ha). And this isn’t just me  – friends, neighbors, coworkers and relatives all report fun family Netflix evenings watching their series of choice. And now – Game of Thrones anyone?

Go Taco

Need to get out for a bite to eat but don’t want to go too far? Pinckney Diner, Town Square Pizza, China House, Aunt Betty’s are reliable and tasty downtown standbys, but the new kid in town is Go Taco. Owned by the husband-wife team of Rebecca and Eirik Kasarud (Hell Saloon and recently lamented La Vita Bistro), Go Taco offers some interesting spins on traditional Tex-Mex cuisine, including a variety of smoked meat taco and burrito offerings, and specials that sound crazy (shrimp ceviche tacos, anyone?) but taste amazing. Add a few flat-screen TVs, a variety of beers on tap, wines by the glass, and, of course, tequila — you have an area hangout in the making.

Check out Go Taco’s website by clicking here. You can check out its Facebook page, too.

Pinckney Community Library

This is not your parents’ library. Pinckney Community Library has really hit its stride in their “new” building with creative and fun programming that definitely does NOT require you to sit still and keep quiet. I mean, they have a Play-Doh Club! Standard offerings like family story time, book clubs and genealogy research are joined by movie nights, yoga for kids, puzzle tournaments, and Dungeons and Dragons evenings (run by the high school D&D club). Check out the library’s Facebook page for a very long list of events for all ages and interests.

Check out Pinckney Community Library by clicking here.

Town Square

Putnam Town Square, aka Village Square, Pinckney Town Square, Pinckney Park and more, is a one-block-square green oasis in the concrete jungle of downtown Pinckney. OK, so it’s not so concrete-y. Or jungley. The square is a hub of activity all summer long and features a playground, gazebo, picnic tables and more for family outings. You can reserve the park for parties, weddings and reunions, and schedule events – and boy do people schedule events (call Putnam Township to apply for a special event application, (734) 878-3131 and check the not-very-updated calendar at https://www.putnamtwp.us/calendar-townsquare.htm). Memorial Day, Art in the Park, all kinds of musical events and fundraisers, there is something free going on all summer long. Come on down!

Gateway to Play

Did you know that Pinckney’s motto is “Gateway to Play”? We are surrounded by state recreation areas, metroparks, trails, lakes, the Huron River and more. It doesn’t take much time, equipment or money, to get out and enjoy yourself. The LakeLands Trail runs right through the Pinckney area – Hamburg, Pinckney and Putnam – and is designed to be all-access, meaning walkers, runners, bikers/trikers, strolllers, wheelchair users and equestrians. You can get your frozen yogurt at Fro-Yo, burn it off by the time you get to Cap’n Frosty, and then be ready for Dairy Queen a few miles later.

— Rebecca Foster

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The Livingston Post is the only locally owned, all-digital information and opinion site in Livingston County, Mich. It was launched by award-winning journalists who were laid off from the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus by Gannett Co. Inc. in 2009.