I have held off on posting Ikebukuro, as I come here every day for school, and wanted to think of something profound to say about the place. Now, having given up on that I will go ahead and add it.
Most of my Japanese friends will invariably wince when I suggest Ikebukuro as a meeting place. "Dirty" is the usual complaint. Yep, it's dirty, but that's by Japanese standards, so it's still cleaner then Chicago has been since the day before the World's Fair. It's also full of Izakaya, clubs, restaurants, shopping, karaoke, and other more prurient establishments. But, if it's a Friday or Saturday and you didn't make reservations in Shinjuku or Shibuya, you can come to Ikebukuro and probably have a good time and save some money.