Summertime: A time when the shackles of education are thrown off and young people grab hold of the reigns to their lives. For those of us who stay in Charlottesville instead of going home, this freedom is often coupled with a debilitating ignorance about anything interesting to do here. But have no fear, gentle readers, for I have got the inside scoop on how to live in Charlottesville during the summer.
The first thing you probably think you should do is find a job to support your newly independent lifestyle -- this is incorrect. Despite no longer being legally responsible for your well being, your parents probably hold a residual attachment to you. They won't let you starve to death, at least not for the first month.
With that out of the way, you are ready to start enjoying your summer. First off is food. Without the placenta of dining halls to nourish you, this once simple activity takes on new levels of complexity. For breakfast, I recommend sleeping until noon, thus eliminating a wasteful meal. For lunch, you should stick with basics: ramen noodles, Hot Pockets and generic grocery store colas. Though you may develop a mild case of scurvy, these techniques will help you save enough money for dinner.
You probably can't eat out every night, so when you do, do it right. For great Chinese take-out, you can't beat First Wok on 14th Street (side note: I always thought that a great name for a Chinese restaurant in a college town would be Wok of Shame. Just something to think about). If you want a great pizza, Christian's is almost a religious experience. For desserts I recommend Kohr Brothers ice cream on Rte. 29, Splendora's Gelato on the Downtown Mall and, on the corner, the Sweet Spot (the White Spot's new sister store.) And don't forget, Thursdays are half-price IHOP on Rte. 29 for college students.
After dinner, there's no need to call it a night quite so soon. Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean the University Drama department is. In fact, Heritage Repertory Theatre has a full season of shows for you: "South Pacific," "Enchanted April," "Sunday in the Park with George," "Nunsense" and "Don't Hug Me."
But if you're like me and the idea of supporting your school chills you to the core, Live Arts will be presenting the musical "Urinetown," which, from what I understand of its description, is exactly what it sounds like.
If you're more of a fan of the fine arts, the Downtown Mall offers a monthly event known as First Fridays. On the first Friday of every month, galleries, restaurants and office buildings offer up their free space to local artists. It's a great time to soak in some of the flavor of the city, meet interesting people and mooch off some moderately priced wine and cheese. But don't just stay at one show all night because you happen to be friends with the artist. Remember: Friends come and go, but free food comes and goes faster.
Speaking of the Downtown Mall, it's a great place to go shopping with no money. With tons of used book stores, thrift shops and hippie bric-a-brac tables, this bizarre bazaar is a fun activity in itself. And all it takes is a quick step outside to watch some of Charlottesville's most well-meaning performers.
When you're tired of doing stuff, you can head on down the street to the Twisted Branch for some of that super-hip hookah. For those of you not in the know, hookah is a Middle Eastern device that makes it look like you are smoking illegal drugs, when in reality it's just fruitily flavored tobacco.
But what kind of nocturnal immersion into Charlottesville's cultural scene would be complete without hitting a few bars? I suggest Amigos (on 14th St.) for margaritas, Starr Hill (West Main) for microbrews and O'Neill's (on the Corner) for macrobrews. Unfortunately, the bars I really want to recommend I can't remember right now. That's how you know they're good.
After a night of such unproductivity, one might feel inclined to participate in a bit of edutainment. In that case, Monticello is just the ticket. For a mere six dollars, you can wander around our greatest president's house and look through all of his stuff. That's a better deal than the Louisiana Purchase!
Or, if you need some peace and quiet, head on down to the gardens by the Lawn. There you'll discover the real advantage to staying in town -- everybody else is gone. Now is the time to sit under your favorite tree, relax and read through your Judy Blume collection without fear of being shunned ... again.
These are just a few suggestions, though; the field is wide open to anything you might be looking for. You can go ice skating at Charlottesville Ice Park, bike along the Rivanna Trail or tube down the James River. Charlottesville is a rich tapestry of cultural and physical activities that has something for everyone if you're willing to go out and find it.
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