One problem that many freshmen face is that since most of us do not have cars on campus, it is quite difficult to travel off campus. The school runs a great free student shuttle service that brings you to Downtown Rochester and places like Target, Walmart, Marketplace Mall, and Pittsford Plaza, but sometimes you may want to go somewhere else. One option would be finding a friend who owns a car to drive you around, but you can also go off campus on foot. Spring break was just here, and with nothing else better to do, my friend and I decided to walk around and explore the area around the campus, and I'll share with you some of the places we discovered.
1. Right across from Mount Hope Cemetery (and the College Town under construction) are eateries like Tim Hortons, Cold Stone Creamery, Chipotle, and Bruegger's Bagel Bakery. It takes only about twenty minutes to walk there from campus, so you can definitely go there if you do not have a project due or a mid-term the next day and you want to get something other than dining hall food. My favourite eat-out place for now is Chipotle with its reasonably priced and tasty burritos and tacos, and I believe that it is definitely worth the walk there.
2. If you are willing to walk for another five minutes or so, there are even more places for good food. Along Mount Hope Avenue you can find chain restaurants such as Dunkin' Donuts, Wendy's, McDonald's and Domino's, as well as other restaurants such as The Distillery (a sports bar and restaurant serving amazing chicken wings and burgers) and Mt Hope Family Diner.
3. Rest assured, there are more than just restaurants in the neighbourhood. There is a CVS pharmacy right next to the restaurants, so you never need to worry about not being able to get the daily necessities you need. And down the avenue near the Strong Memorial Hospital, you can find the Mount Hope Plaza, a small strip mall. In the mall, there are Family Dollar, and a laundry shop and several neat restaurants. And to all the Chinese students and students who enjoy Chinese food out there, there is also a Chinese restaurant and a small Asian grocery store!
That's all for now; I will definitely write more if I find out more about the neighbourhood. Just remember, you can still go off campus without a car, so don't ever worry about being stuck on campus!
-Florence