A Weekend in Charlottesville

Visiting Charlottesville sometime soon? Check out our curated weekend itinerary!

For more Charlottesville recommendations, check out our Instagram page @uva_summer!

Good morning! It’s your first day visiting Charlottesville and you're getting an early start around 9 AM. Bodo's Bagels is an absolute Charlottesville staple. It is a tradition that before you graduate from UVA, you have to be the number one ticket when they open at 5 am! But you have a long day ahead of you and so much to see here, so let’s take it slow. At Bodo’s, you can get whatever you like on many different types of bagels. A favorite is the deli egg, which is basically like a mini omelette, on an everything bagel!

The sun is shining, and after eating a hearty breakfast, you walk to UVA’s Rotunda. The Rotunda is located on the Lawn, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can go inside the Rotunda to see the Dome Room, the pinnacle of Jefferson’s architecture, as well as other historical rooms and features. Free historical tours led by student members of the University Guide Service are typically offered at 10, 11 and 2 every day!

Your tour may end at the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers, located between the Lawn and the Corner. The Memorial seeks to formally acknowledge and remember the names, lives and experiences of the African American enslaved laborers who worked to build and sustain the University. Its circular design represents the “Ring Shout,” a dance performed by African Americans to celebrate spiritual liberation as well as a broken shackle. Etched into the walls are documented names of enslaved peoples; this list continues to grow as more names and stories are uncovered. The memorial began as a student effort in 2010 and was finished earlier this year. A place for reflection and remembrance, the memorial welcomes visitors and acts as a landmark displaying UVA’s troubled history, while also its capacity for change and growth.

After exploring UVA’s grounds, you may want to get out and about. Vineyards are a great place to spend a weekend afternoon in Charlottesville. Once you are of drinking age you can take your parents to Pippin or King Family Vineyards and spend an afternoon sipping on delicious wine with a beautiful view of the mountains. Sometimes King Family Vineyards will even have polo matches to watch or pop up restaurants with amazing cuisine. Many students will also celebrate their 21st birthdays at one of the local vineyards. 

After a walking tour in the morning and afternoon in the sun, it’s time for dinner! As we’ve mentioned in some of our previous posts, Lampo is the ultimate “my parents are in town” spot. They have a variety of delicious pizzas and appetizers, but the catch is that they don’t take reservations, so sometimes the wait can get pretty long. However, this summer they announced their plans to open an additional takeout location, so there’s no excuse for it to not make your itinerary!

Before you head back home or to wherever you’re staying for the night, you should catch a Charlottesville sunset. Whether you make your way a little outside of town to visit Humpback Rock and hike to get a spectacular mountain view or you stay a little more local to watch from the top of Culbreth parking garage, you won’t want to miss it.

Dining Out in Charlottesville

The Charlottesville Food Scene

Part I: The Corner

The Corner, located conveniently next to UVA’s grounds, is home to many restaurants and retail shops frequented by students and visitors! Many upperclassmen students live right behind The Corner, making it an easy place to stop for lunch or dinner with friends. There is even an off-grounds “Corner” meal plan called Elevate that many 2nd through 4th year students purchase for good deals on delicious meals!

Bodo’s Bagels

If you are in Charlottesville, you CANNOT miss out on the classic Bodo’s Bagels, which has three locations in Charlottesville. What makes its bagels special is that it offers fresh-baked products all day long. This means that their last bagels come out of the oven about a half hour before closing, so customers can enjoy bagels fresh from the oven at any time of day.

Due to its freshness, Bodo’s bagels are soft enough to stand in for sandwich bread. The main reason for its popularity to the college students is because it is quick and inexpensive. 

The Juice Laundry

If you like smoothies, this place is for YOU. Juice laundry was founded with the purpose of fueling bodies with clean and healthy raw organic fruits and veggies. Inside the restaurant there is a whole wall of  different cold-pressed juices, nut milks, and wellness shots with different health benefits. Behind the counter they make organic and vegan smoothies, smoothie bowls, chili, and chia pudding. I live off-grounds now (still only like a 10 minute walk to central grounds), and Juice Laundry was always on my way to class and I loved stopping there to grab some breakfast and start my morning off right. If you ever try it, you have to get the Bradley’s CB&J bowl!!! 

Roots Natural Kitchen

Roots is the undisputed Queen of dining on the Corner. This unique restaurant was founded in 2015 by a group of UVA graduates from the McIntire School of Commerce with the mission to sell delicious, affordable, and, most importantly, healthy food. Customers can choose either a grain bowl or a salad, which they can then customize from a long list of ingredients. On the other hand, customers also have the option to choose from one of their “Signature” bowls, which are also totally customizable. I love stopping at Roots to grab their signature “El Jefe” bowl. You can take it to another level by adding their amazing broccoli to the bowl. This may make it more expensive, but it will make a great treat!

Corner Juice

Aptly located on The Corner, Corner Juice is a healthy, European-inspired cafe that serves a variety of juices, smoothies, toasts and sandwiches. Started by UVA alum Julie Nolet ‘17, the establishment is known for its popularity among students, both for it’s delicious, nutritious eats and sleek environment. On a typical day, you’ll see students studying at tables inside while enjoying avocado toast, or grabbing a smoothie to-go before class. My personal favorite lunch is the Parisian sandwich with a Corner Colada smoothie! It can be on the more expensive side, but it's a great treat that you can feel good about.

Pigeon Hole

Charlottesville is home to many amazing brunch places, but my favorite by far is Pigeon Hole. Located conveniently on the corner, Pigeon Hole is a UVA staple. The restaurant is a quaint little wooden house, making it a cute and charming hangout for friends. The food is amazing - try the french toast and thank me later - and the prices are hard to beat. Many lazy weekend mornings have been spent grabbing brunch at pigeon hole with my friends.

Take it Away

Located on Elliewood Avenue, Take it Away is a fantastic sandwich shop that serves up lunchtime eats and is a favorite spot for many UVA students. Customization is key at Take it Away: from simple deli meats to more artisanal products like sun-dried tomatoes, you’ll build your perfect sandwich in no time at all. Fresh french bread and their famous “house dressing” - which they sell by the jar - keep students and faculty coming back for more! They also sell “bread ends,” leftover pieces of day-old bread, which are perfect snacks to bring to an afternoon picnic on the Lawn with friends.

Part II: Downtown, JPA, and Beyond

Fun fact: Charlottesville has some of the most restaurants per capita in the entire United States. Basically, this means that there are hundreds of places with incredible food to try, ranging from Southern to Italian to Thai cuisines! By no means is this an exhaustive list - but here are some of our favorite restaurants “beyond the corner.”

Silk Thai

Silk Thai is a great Thai restaurant located on JPA, which is a street that basically runs right beside first year dorms. This means that Silk Thai is totally within walking distance for you as a first year (or a short trolley ride away any other time). They have a great range of delicious food options-- I definitely recommend trying their pad thai and their spring rolls! It’s a great way to sit down and enjoy a meal with friends, or to grab takeout and have a nice night in your dorm.

Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar

The Tea Bazaar is located in the Downtown Mall. They have a great selection of small Mediterranean-style plates, but the real star is the tea. You can order pots of many different types of tea to share and to taste. It’s a really fun and unique experience that I haven’t found at other place. You can gather with friends and share a pot of tea, which feels so much fancier than grabbing coffee. Overall, its a really unique and interesting place that you have to visit while in Charlottesville. 

Lampo

The ultimate “my parents are in town” restaurant, Lampo is a neapolitan pizza joint located just past the downtown mall. Although it’s a bit pricey, Lampo has the best pizza in town. My favorite pizza of theirs has arugula, prosciutto, and sea salt. It should also be noted that Lampo is a pretty small establishment with only about 10 tables, and you can’t call ahead for a reservation. This means that you need to get there pretty early to not have a significant wait, but I promise you it’s worth it. 

The Nook

The Nook is an old-school diner located on the downtown mall that specializes in mac n’ cheese. I first discovered this place when I was on the mall one weekend waiting for a concert to start at the Jefferson Theatre. The Nook is right across from the venue, which makes it the perfect place to grab a bite to eat before a show. I recommend “The Eastern Shore,” which is mac n’ cheese with tomatoes and crab -- I think it’s the best mac n’ cheese I’ve ever had! 

Citizen Burger

After enjoying a concert at the Downtown Jefferson or Paramount Theaters, locals and college students alike are usually searching for some comfort food. Luckily, Citizen Burger is located right in the middle of the Mall, with plenty of booth seating inside and a comfortable outdoor patio. Citizen focuses on crafting speciality burgers, with meat from local farms, as well as craft beers from all along the famed “Brew Ridge Trail.” Not a fan of meat-based burgers? No problem - Citizen has a wide array of sides, like onion rings and truffle fries, as well as a selection of vegetarian and vegan options, including a burger with a patty made from beats. The atmosphere at Citizen is joyful and laid-back - the perfect spot for a night out with friends or to watch a UVA game on screen with your visiting parents!

We hope you get to check out some of these restaurants the next time you're in Charlottesville. Follow us on Instagram (@uva_summer) to learn more about the Charlottesville and UVA food scene all week!

Saturday Q&A: Part IV

Saturday Q&A

Frequently Asked Questions from Our Tours...

Every week we'll post answers to prospective students' questions. Some will be FAQs from tours, like this week, and others will be responses to comments and emails received via this blog. If you have a question about a post we've covered previously, comment to ask us for more information. Have we not covered it yet? Email us at UVaSummer14@virginia.edu and we'll reply with an answer!

Can I have a meal plan after my first year?

Yes, we have many meal plan options that are available to our second, third, and fourth year students. The meal plan options offered to our upperclassmen students are different and more varied than the plans offered to first year students. You can also choose to not have a meal plan after your first-year if you decide you want to cook for yourself more or take advantage of the wide variety of restaurants that we have in Charlottesville and near Grounds.
--Will Bennett

Do undergraduates have the chance to participate in research?

There are many opportunities for students to get involved with research at the University - both on and off grounds. U.Va. is a large research University that is also very undergraduate focused, so right off the bat students can get involved in lab work (the most popular being in the social science, science, and psychology departments for example), work at a research institute off grounds, or help conduct studies and interviews in a multitude of subjects! Many of these research opportunities are open to all students and majors and can even count for academic credits at the University. Undergraduates can have a lot of responsibility within these projects, so it’s a great experience for those who want to participate!

--Chelsea Marcelin

What outdoor activities are available for students?

There are so many outdoor activities available to students. There are plenty of running and hiking trails near the New Dorm area close to observatory hill. There is also several popular hiking trails available with spectacular views - Old Rag, Humpback, and Sugar Hill are popularly attended by the students. In addition, there are several waterfalls nearby and also for the wintertime there is skiing at Evergreen.

--Wyatt Moorer

The Sounds of the Dining Hall

Like any transition, moving to college prompts many questions. How hard will the work be? How much food will I eat? How long do I have to live with this roommate? Coming from Virginia, I knew a good amount of people going to UVA and although I wasn’t the most outgoing, I wasn’t extremely shy either. So, it wasn’t until the first morning of class when I stepped foot in the dining hall that the daunting question surfaced: how will I make friends?

Sure, for the first and even the second week, everyone’s in the same boat. On the street, at the gym, and in class, you say hi to anyone you recognize: the people in your class, your hall or suitemates, maybe some people from orientation. You might even exchange numbers. But come the third week, everyone’s settling in. Cliques aren’t necessarily established, but people have begun making memories with one another, whether it was over an insane frat party, a midnight game of Basketball or a 2:30 a.m. fire drill.

Not excepting you. You have a Friday night buddy system, you’ve joined an intramural team, and you’ve even hosted a dance party with your hall. But here you stand, glass of cranberry juice in one hand, your plate of stir-fry in the other, alone. You my friend, yes you, have become a victim of the first year. “Why me?” you wonder. You’ve scanned every table for a familiar face and already rejected the to-go box. Two choices: Sam, whose constant stream of drip sweat is sure to spoil your appetite and those hotties you and your friends were gushing about earlier only to find they were right behind you; somehow, it doesn’t seem so funny anymore.

No, don’t even reach for your cell phone; fake texting is lame.

But hear, hear! Literally, listen!

Sound #1: There is the sizzling of your stir fry. A grand concoction of “broccoli, carrots and chicken.” You would have asked for more but you have no idea what else there was and you weren’t quite brave enough to try the pineapple. Consider asking others, “What are those things you got on your stir-fry? Are they good?” or “Have you ever tried it with pineapple?”

Sound #2: There is a conversation behind you. Eavesdrop! If they are talking about soccer say, “Are you all talking about the club team? I have a friend who wanted to do that.” or “You play soccer? I’ve been looking to play a pick-up game! Where are you all rooming?”

Sound #3: Not big on asking questions? Music, baby! All of the dining halls play music, from John Mayer to Kenny Chesney to Led Zeppelin. If you know a song start singing. I’m glad I did. Going through the yogurt line, I picked up singing, “If only my life was more like 1983….” The guy next to me joined in, and a full show choir erupted! No, not literally. But a fellow John Mayer fan, I asked to sit with him and my first morning was spent with 8 other guys I wouldn’t have met otherwise.

In conclusion, there are many scheduled, organized ways to make friends, but you have to take advantages of other less obvious opportunities. If not, sit with Sam Stinker and stomach the stench; he or she is probably an athlete, and with a little deodorant, might make a good running buddy! Or sit with the cuties you were gushing about; you have four years, so best reclaim your dignity now! If all else fails, try to remember the face of the last person you saw eating alone in the dining hall. You can’t and no one else will either.

Dining

Food. Every tour someone asked, "So, how is it?" I never quite understood it. To me, no matter where you go, you have to eat, and of what's offered, you're going to like some of it and there will be meals you don't like. Regardless, you'll find something to eat that you like.

I get it now.

This is the second summer I've had to fend for myself, and I've had two truths reinforced:
1. The microwave is that one friend that you enjoy hanging out with but you know is a bad influence on you.

2. There is a lot more to consider with meals than I thought.

The Basics
At UVa as a first year, you are required to have a meal plan with no fewer than 13 meals. It's a beautiful idea. You don't want to have to worry about a history paper and where the next meal will be. There are three dining halls, all buffet-style, and any student can visit any of them.

Along with every meal plan come Plus Dollars. I've heard them called Monopoly money, but they can be used at UVa food shops like the on Grounds Pizza Hut, Chick-a-fila, Wilsdorf Cafe, Sbarros, Greenberries, the Castle, and West Range Cafe. Plus Dollars are great for adding variety or for a quick snack when the day is busy.


The Cost
Most meal plans at UVa cost the same amount of money whether they are unlimited meals per week or 10 per week (available after the first semester). The reason is that the fewer the number of meals per week, the more Plus Dollars that come with the plan. Athletic and Residential plans cost more but that's because they also include perks such as banquets and for athletes, an additional dining hall to choose from (it's closer to the practice fields than the other three).

Roughly speaking, the cost per semester is $1800, and when I heard this the first time, I started counting in my head. Now, I'm no math major, but I said to myself that's for four full months worth of food (half of August plus half of December). Living on my own, I spend roughly half of that at the grocery store, so what gives?

Well, there are certain unavoidable truths that convinced me to sign up for my third meal plan in a row:

• They cook really well, and I don't.
• They provide an excellent variety of food.
• The dining halls are much closer to me than any non-UVa store.
• I don't have to spend time cooking, shopping, preparing, or cleaning up.
• They're open from 7am to 10pm most nights, so the hours are great.
• Variety, variety, variety. And far more culinary creativity than I have.
  
• Theme Meals. Yes.

Theme Meals
Halloween, Thanksgiving, St. Patrick's Day, random happy days--these are the best reasons to get a meal plan. For Halloween each dining hall had a massive sheet cake that must have been about four feet by six. This Spring Runk Dining Hall bought a fifteen foot strawberry shortcake that was unbelievably delicious.


Variety
Every dining hall has a salad bar, some sort of soup, and at least three main courses to choose from for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is fairly standard (but still good): eggs, potatoes, waffles, omelets to order, pancakes, cereal, juice. For vegetarians and vegans, there are options at every meal. The same goes for celiacs, and if anyone does have an allergy, he or she can talk to a chef about tailored meals. In general, they're very good at taking care of students. Also, UVa Dining is very good at making meals catered to certain religious restrictions (Passover, Lent, Ramadan). The head chefs are also highly visible and love to hear feedback. I know that's how we had grilled salmon for dinner one night.

If you ever want to know what each dining hall is serving for each meal for a given week, just go to UVa's CampusDish website. The dining hall names (Newcomb, O Hill, and Runk) are on the far left side next to other on Grounds establishments. Click on each to see what they're offering. I'm not sure if the menu is open in the Summer, but it is definitely operational during the Fall and Spring.

Other Amenities Included in a Meal Plan
In addition to Plus Dollars, meal plans come with guest swipes. These extra meals come in handy if your family comes to visit, or if you run out of meals in a week. Typically, meals have about ten guest swipes per semester. I should note that the number of meals per week does not roll over; they will not accumulate. Plus Dollars roll over from Fall to Spring but not from Spring to the next Fall.


As for which meal to pick, I strongly suggest fifteen meals per week to start. It's a solid number that comes with a decent amount of Plus Dollars. Typically, a student won't go to three meals per day. Either they wake up too late for breakfast, skip lunch, or use Plus Dollars to grab a snack rather than use a meal swipe. Also, if you find out you don't have enough meals, you can upgrade your meal plan at any point (a perk of each plan costing the same price); however, you can only reduce the number of meals per week for the first two weeks of each semester.