White House on Stewart Street

            There is an old white house on Stewart Street that people pass by everyday. From the outside, it looks like an average house in a college town. Every year it houses four men that are not your typical college students. They are all majoring in familiar programs at Ohio University such as education and engineering. The house throws late nights parties that bring the cops because of loud music. While these four men from year to year have very different personalities they have two important values in common, their love for Jesus and their love for others. Because of their values, the house has visitors at every hour of the day. Guests come for food, soda, games, meals together, and fellowship. 

            Almost all visitors share in the values in their love for Jesus and their love for others. Many visitors, myself included, have or are leaders in a ministry called Young Life. It desires to share the love of Christ with teenagers in one local middle school and six local high schools. Leaders volunteer to spend anywhere from one to three years building relationships, being mentors, and inviting teenagers to share in their love for Jesus. As you can see, from the outside this house may look like an ordinary house, but in the inside laughter is shared, bread is broken, walls are coming down, and there is more love than you can find anywhere in Athens. I was blessed to find this house my freshman year at Ohio University, and I am so grateful that I did.  

Lake Hope

Joe Pavlik, Steve Saraniti and I visited Lake Hope, which is just outside of Athens, a couple of days ago to go fishing. We really got a sense of the nature around us as we were surrounded by a variety of animals, trees, and the lake. We could see many pine trees lining the lake, along with a few maple and oak trees. We also came across different animals. Along with the many bass we caught, we were able to spot a few different types of birds, and even saw a snapping turtle and bullfrogs.

Lake Hope in the Summertime

After a couple hours of fishing, we put our fishing poles in the car and began to hike along the trails in the surrounding woods. There is always something better about getting on your feet and seeing your surroundings rather than out of a window of a car. We were able to see the little things, such as spider webs and deer prints, which is one of the great things about nature. After trekking around for quite some time, we came across a very old tree, that must have been knocked down by a summer storm. You could see how it was now a home to many different animals, and also how massive it had become over it's long life. It was also cool to think about how it's purpose had changed. It was once a home for all types of birds, squirrels, etc, but it now on the ground and home to raccoons, bugs, groundhogs, etc. The role-reversal was something that reminded me about the cycle that life has.


It was nice to get away from the everyday noise of Athens and be in a place that was quiet and peaceful. Joe commented that we should do these trips more often, because it was nice to be outdoors surrounded by hills and trees. Overall, it was a great time, and made us all appreciate what the Athens area has to offer as far as scenery goes. We can see why people such as those that live in the Appalachian areas appreciate their surroundings and its beauty.

The Front Room

Front Room is a place that I find myself spending much of my time during the week here in Athens. This comfortable little room has just the right environment for those who look to enjoy a coffee with friends or sit and cram for their next final. The room is full of tables and chairs meeting both the needs to sprawl out their notebooks or to simply just sit and chat in a nice cushioned chair. There is no doubt that the Front Room made sure this it was both comfortable and quite to bring in students every day.

            The front room normally attracts students who are interested in studying or getting an assignment done but it also allows for a bit of conversation. Front room has established an environment in which it is okay to talk and listen to your music but with an overall volume that is sure not to disrupt others. For me the front room is relaxing whenever I have a stressful assignment to complete it offers both a place to work and coffee to fuel me throughout the day.

            The Front Room provides people with a plethora of things starting most notably with coffee. As college students everyone is feeling the fatigue from the late nights studying, to wild weekends out with friends. The Front Room however, also serves a place for those who want the opportunity to perform in front of others. On Friday nights the Front Room offers an open mike night, which I have attended countless times. One of my closest friends has found his voice at open mike night and gained newfound confidence in front of others as a result of Front Room.

            The Front Room overall is a great example of what Athens is. This friendly little shop describes so much of what OU in Athens means. This shop is a place to meet, study, and relax the perfect combination describing the life of your typical college student. If ever a person is looking for a location to study for an exam or meet for a casual conversation this shop accommodates at every level.

Wild Wings and Weck

Known to many by their slogan, “wings, beer, sports,” Buffalo Wild Wings has an upbeat and friendly atmosphere, even on a Tuesday night. We arrived just in time to watch Team USA take on Jamaica in the World Cup Soccer qualifying match. As it was a weeknight, the bar was less rambunctious than we were used to, but a pretty good turn-out nonetheless. Chants of “USA! USA!” and “Gomie! The Herc!” intermingled with the clink of dinnerware and the snuffling of Colton's head cold.

Downtown, close to student dorms, right off a major city road, and accessible to all; it's the perfect location. Offering a multifunctional space, this Buffalo Wild Wings, or BW3, is at once both a sports bar and a casual dining environment. Split into two sides, one has the option of a quieter, family-friendly space, or a more rowdy bar section. BW3 supplies Athens and OU with a central meeting place for all ages, those that are 21 and those that are not. Students are able to talk, get a bite to eat, or grab a drink, all while watching their favorite sports team. With TVs wall-to-wall, you’re almost guaranteed to find the sporting event you’re looking for.

Athens is generally considered to be about half non-native undergraduate students, and half “townies,” all of whom could be found at BW3. On weekends, when the Ohio Bobcats tend to play American football, we've often noticed an older, more local crowd of fans and enthusiasts – even radio hosts occasionally utilize the space for their broadcasts. Soccer, or “futbol,” tends not to be as popular amongst rural mid-westerners, which we believe accounts for the student-heavy ratio we encountered that evening.

Interestingly, the game was being played in Columbus, which also happens to be the birthplace of this chain. Nearly ubiquitous nationwide, most Ohio University students have already been to another location, back home or otherwise. This is undoubtedly the main appeal of visiting a chain restaurant; it's comfortable. The Athens location is in fact so typical of the chain, its visage even appears on the wikipedia article (see attached picture). Our friend Scott considers the restaurant his “fave,” and cites the consistency of the menu as the main reason. “I always get mild, traditional wings,” he says, “because they're dope. Honestly, I don't even like sports.”

In some communities, the presence of national chains can be a point of pride, a justification of their importance as consumers. In rural south-eastern Ohio, families who often eat at home to save money might view this restaurant as a “big deal,” an example of “city dining”. Between the students who might care for a “taste of home” or some “dope chicken,” and families from the surrounding area on a night out, this location must see a lot of business. We certainly enjoyed ourselves, and will be back again soon.

by Colton B. Creal and Truman F. Hatch, Paris '09

Hocking River Study

First and foremost, I understood the guidelines for this assignment in that we were to choose a place and then write about the feelings that come to mind. I have been running along the Hocking River since my freshman year. Silly or not, I have very sentimental feelings towards this route. Army ROTC loves to wake up at the wee hours of the morning (0530) in order to conduct something called physical training. One place that has always stood out to me is the route we take when we conduct our long agility run. We start out at Pruitt Stadium with the lights of the football stadium blaring down on our tired, groggy faces. From there we form up in groups and run to the long bike path along the Hocking River. Since we all know running without music can be dreadful, I tried to come up with another way to run so I wouldn't constantly think about how tired I was or how bad I wanted to quit. What I found useful was to actually take in the atmosphere around me and to soak up the wonderful scenery set before me.

When I received this assignment, I figured I would get up early one morning and take a nice jog all the way down this lighted path to success. As I began my run, I noticed how quiet the world was. No automobile noises, no foot traffic, and nothing else to do except to look around the world we live in as I run and think about the nature that surrounds us every single day. The fact that most people go throughout the day thinking about all the tasks set before them and all the busywork that has been set before them for the day, I feel like it really takes some solitude to get inside your own mind and appreciate what we really have. As I continued to run down the lighted path, I admired the slow moving river flowing along side of me. I wondered about the river and how it has sustained living organisms for who knows how long. As I continued running and thinking, I encountered other joggers and bikers along the path which were all friendly people starting their day out just the way I do. I wondered whether they thought about the atmosphere around them or if they all had an agenda and were thinking about tasks that they needed to complete throughout the day. Most people don't like running but I do. I actually enjoy running in Athens while taking in the beautiful landscape that constantly changes every single day. The feeling one gets when connecting nature and human interaction has to be one of the best feelings one can acknowledge.

Jimmy John's

Jimmy John’s is a fast food style chain restaurant, and its aesthetic reflects that: tiled floors and painted walls with a minimal black, white, and red design. The seating is booth style with a mix of 4 and 2 person tables, with all chairs and tables arranged with easy access in mind and bolted to the floor to keep it that way, with green & faux wood grain designs. The front of the space (near the entrance) has some round tables with movable chairs, and the storefront is all glass.

Normally the walls have a variety of signs with humorous images and text on them, but today they seem to be gone, possibly due to new paint. Without the signs the space feels a little less friendly unique, and more like a formal and mass-produced chain restaurant, designed to a particular set of standards that stay the same no matter the location of the chain. Still, the popular music that plays over the speakers and the friendly attitude of the workers (who always greet you when you enter and wish you a nice day when you leave) keeps things lively. More often than not, however, the music plays a little too loudly, to the point that it can be difficult to speak over depending on where you sit.

There is a wide range of customers, both lone and with company, and they generally only stay long enough to eat and chat with friends before leaving, which is what the space seems to be designed to accommodate. There is one thing that breaks the usual fast food restaurant expectation, which is a bulletin board labeled “Community Events” near the drink machine where public flyers can be posted.

It’s not a huge change in scenery, but it gives some social and cultural connection to the area in which the establishment is located, something one might not generally expect of most fast food chains.

Oh, and the subs are delicious.

Passion Works Studios

     The purpose of Passion Works Studio is to allow everyone to express him or herself through creating art in collaboration with artists with and without disabilities. The studio is located on East State St. right by Domino's Pizza and has been a staple of Athens culture since it opened. The passion flowers, seen below, can be seen all around Athens in businesses and homes alike.

Being a regular volunteer at Passion Works, I have fallen in love with the place. As soon as you walk in, there is someone there to greet you and help you find exactly what you're looking for. The front part of the studio is the store, where there are items ranging from passion flowers, to jewelry, to stickers, to stamps, to tee shirts, and everything else you can imagine. All of this merchandise features art by the artists who come in and work with the staff of Passion Works. After walking through the store, you'll come to the studio part of the building. Here there are tables surrounded by shelves filled with a ton of different art supplies. When I go to volunteer, I head straight back to the studio and ask what we're working on today. The staff at Passion Works are all so nice and as we work on things such as bookmarks, passion flowers, fabric braids, and paintings, everyone just hangs out and chats. The atmosphere is so friendly and it is obvious to anyone who walks in the door that the people at Passion Works are all there because they truly care about the mission of Passion Works Studios. The friendly environment and the awesome message make Passion Works Studio one of my favorite places in Athens.

Union Street Diner; The perfect place to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Union Street Diner, off of Union Street, is a perfect place to go at any point in the day.  They serve breakfast 24/7 and their lunch/dinner options are good as well.  On top of being able to eat breakfast whenever you want,  USD is quite cheap.  I love that I can enjoy a delicious meal for such a small price.  It keeps me and other customers coming back.  When you walk into the diner, you are greeted with a genuine smile.  It's kind of nice.  I think the employees enjoy a lot of the people that come there.  There are always older adults from around here that eat there and you can tell they are regulars.  They strike up conversations with their waiter or waitress and the hostess as well.  The vibes are always good when you go.
You'll see college kids meeting up for lunch, businessmen meeting up for a cup of coffee, adults dressed casually getting their regular omelet and coffee (or something like it).  When you go to the diner, there is no specific crowd you come across.  Union Street Diner is a casual restaurant that welcomes anyone.  It's hard not to love this little hole in the wall place when the people are nice, the food is delicious (and cheap) and you can play music of your choice.

Union Street Diner is decorated with Ohio themed colors, words, signs, etc.  There are bobcat paws around the place, OHIO written on the walls, green walls, green booths.  It's a nice change of pace to eat somewhere that is themed according to our university.  It's welcoming to the college students and I bet the local citizens of Athens like it, too.  A place with welcoming decorations is never hard to dislike.  Union Street Diner is meant to make you feel at home, no matter what the hour.  It's open 24/7, you can get breakfast whenever (which I would recommend) and there are constantly customers.  

Courtside Pizza and Sports Bar

       Courtside is one place in Athens that I tend to visit more than others. I currently live in the apartments above Courtside, which makes it one of the first places I visit on nights out, on weekend afternoons to watch football, or even during the week to grab a bite to eat and play some casual pool. Every Wednesday Courtside hosts one of my favorite weekly events in Athens, "Slice Night," where you can get 50 cent slices of pizza and 5 dollar pitchers. I have chosen to tell of my experiences this past Saturday when I met some friends there in the afternoon to watch football, eat some pizza, and of course drink some beer. One of the first things that came to mind when I walked into Courtside was the sports centered environment. Everywhere you look there are flat panel televisions and Ohio Bobcats decorations. You can tell instantly that it is set up to be a restaurant and bar. There are tables off to one one side of the entire building for eating and gathering as well as an upper and lower bar.

       As I looked around, I began to notice many people dressed in their college football attire. Everyone there was enjoying themselves with their friends drinking beer and watching football. There was no shortage of loud noise including the music, laughter and shouting. Courtside represents Athens very well in that it is your classic "college town" drinking establishment. It is where students and the community outside of the university love to go to relax, and get away from the stresses of school and daily life. Courtside provides food and alcohol, along with great times and great fun.



   

Kiser's BBQ Shack

    The day after this assignment was assigned, I found myself in the car, heading to Kisers Barbeque Shack for a delicious lunch. Kisers is often seen around campus events giving away free pulled pork sandwiches at football games, and events like that. I’ve always thought their sandwiches were extremely tasty, but never had made it out to their actual location. They’re casually located inside of the mall, just a few feet away from the Dunham’s, with their doors swung wide open, ready for business. 

      I was greeted by a girl at the cashier, who sported a bit of a country accent. I couldn’t tell whether she was college aged, or still in high school. So, I placed my order, a pulled pork sandwich, of course, and made my way over to a table. The place was a little over half full, with all kinds of people. A couple families, a few older couples, and a splattering of middle aged men. I noticed a few of the middle aged men dressed in camouflage, which never fails to confuse and amuse me. It appeared to me that Kisers provided a place for a couple friends to meet up for some food. The food, which is absolutely delicious, and customers definitely represented the small town, countryside BBQ feel of Appalachian food. Since Kiser's is located out on East State Street, away from OU's campus, there's rarely many students there, which adds to their authenticity. Unlike most chains that serve similar food, the service felt unique because it was personable, and charming. 

-Sean Linstrom

Buffalo Wild Wings

              On a beautiful Tuesday night we entered Buffalo Wild Wings, a popular spot for hungry college students. The dim lighting and scattered television screens creates a world to view sports with fellow family members or friends. That night the air was filled with patriotism, as the United States played Jamaica in a World Cup qualifier. We began by ordering a few treats in order to enhance the soccer watching experience. Suddenly the restaurant broke out in U.S.A. chants, after watching America score the first and only goal of the game. But the underlying meaning of the chants wasn’t just out of excitement and joy for scoring, but in remembrance of those lost on 9/11.
              Aside from discounted top-notch wings and sports, Buffalo Wild Wings provides a place for families and friends to assemble. Due to the popularity of the joint, it’s not uncommon to run into old friends. While watching the game a friend approached us from across the room. “Kieren! Scott! Colton!” he yelled. We all responded with smiles. Without saying anything he knew we were happy to see him. We shared stories about our third year at Ohio University and remembered the good old days. Many families group together in booths to properly cheer their country to victory. Small kids enjoyed the time with their families, laughing and cheering along. I’m sure this scene of family closeness is not just on Tuesday nights or when the US soccer team is playing. This is probably a regular occurrence at this location. College kids drinking at the bar, or laughing around a table, families laughing and enjoying dinner together.
              While studying Appalachia and what these people cherish about their lives, we’ve learned about family. Families stick together and live together. In Appalachia most neighbors ask, “Who are you related to” instead of, “Where are you from.” These ideas were definitely represented in Buffalo Wild Wings. This nice restaurant allows families and friends to get out of the house and become closer, through bonds of sports and true American spirit.

Kieren Astall

Scott O'Lone

The Old Friend

Written By: Kieren Astall and Scott O'Lone

Court Street Coffee

       The second I walked into Court Street Coffee I was greeted by a friendly barista that was standing behind the counter. The tone of her voice automatically made me feel very welcome in this establishment. After sitting down and taking in the vibes of the coffee shop I really noticed that it had a very home-based feel to it. There are couches and chairs in the front where people can sit, relax and talk. Then there is a separate room in the back and to the side with tables and chairs where many OU students sit to study and do homework. These areas have more light than the front of the shop does; I speculate that this is due to people coming in to do work at the tables. Something that I found very interesting is that there is a family style table in the very back where a group of girls sat with coffee while working on some sort of group project.

       This place is very different from a Starbucks, yet it attracts the same base of people and serves the same purpose. These people, mostly students, are looking for a good cup of coffee and may be interested in getting some work done. The main difference between the two is that Court Street Coffee is very relaxed and the colors and paintings on the walls are filled with rich earth tones along with splashes of color that make you feel at home. Another difference is the mismatch of the furniture that gives each table you sit at a different feel. This shop existing in Athens shows the emphasis of the small noncommercial businesses existing in the town. This coffee shop offers a warm experience to anyone that comes in.

Donkey

For this inaugural blog post, I decided (like many others, I’m sure) to go to the Donkey Café and soak up the environment.  I went there in the evening time, and the first thing I noticed was the lighting.  It wasn’t incredibly bright inside the place; there was dim lighting, so you could see where you were and what you were doing, but not a tremendous amount more.  However, I also noticed that much of what you could see in the light was very brightly colored, thus adding a sense of warmth to the ambiance.  There are also several distinctive rooms.  The main sitting area as you walk in boasts a number of comfortable chairs and small tables on which to put your food and beverage of choice.  Moving deeper into the café, you come upon a large room separated from the shop with many more tables and chairs and a small stage.  This is what I call the open-mic night room.  The Donkey is known for having local musical groups, comedians, poets, and others perform on-stage for a smaller crowd.  There is also an upstairs where there is more seating and a cabinet full of games and such if you do not happen to be working during a given visit.  I think Donkey was designed like this so that any customer had the option of sitting and working comfortable, taking in a show, or just relaxing with some friends.

            The crowd at Donkey seems to be, predominantly, students who need a peaceful place to work away from their personal home environment.  The softly lit rooms appeal to a sense of calm for these students.  Everyone seems to be relaxed and focused.  Even the employees keep a certain chilled out demeanor as they take your orders and make your beverages.  Everything about Donkey, from the cozy chairs to the light music over the sound system lends itself to an air of tranquil study.

            In relation to the community, as I mentioned briefly, Donkey brings in an assorted array of musical, comic, and artistic performers on occasion.  This brings not only the community of performers in Athens together, but it also brings together the collective community of the audience.  It also makes a good meeting spot for student groups.  Any group can pick out a table and set to work without much interruption, if any.  What the existence of this place says about Athens is thought we may be known for such a grand party school, we know how to tone it down, study, and appreciate the finer things of our own area, be it music, poetry, comedy, or just quality food and drink.   

~ Kevin Snider

For this inaugural blog post, I decided (like many others, I’m sure) to go to the Donkey Café and soak up the environment.  I went there in the evening time, and the first thing I noticed was the lighting.  It wasn’t incredibly bright inside the place; there was dim lighting, so you could see where you were and what you were doing, but not a tremendous amount more.  However, I also noticed that much of what you could see in the light was very brightly colored, thus adding a sense of warmth to the ambiance.  There are also several distinctive rooms.  The main sitting area as you walk in boasts a number of comfortable chairs and small tables on which to put your food and beverage of choice.  Moving deeper into the café, you come upon a large room separated from the shop with many more tables and chairs and a small stage.  This is what I call the open-mic night room.  The Donkey is known for having local musical groups, comedians, poets, and others perform on-stage for a smaller crowd.  There is also an upstairs where there is more seating and a cabinet full of games and such if you do not happen to be working during a given visit.  I think Donkey was designed like this so that any customer had the option of sitting and working comfortable, taking in a show, or just relaxing with some friends.

            The crowd at Donkey seems to be, predominantly, students who need a peaceful place to work away from their personal home environment.  The softly lit rooms appeal to a sense of calm for these students.  Everyone seems to be relaxed and focused.  Even the employees keep a certain chilled out demeanor as they take your orders and make your beverages.  Everything about Donkey, from the cozy chairs to the light music over the sound system lends itself to an air of tranquil study.

            In relation to the community, as I mentioned briefly, Donkey brings in an assorted array of musical, comic, and artistic performers on occasion.  This brings not only the community of performers in Athens together, but it also brings together the collective community of the audience.  It also makes a good meeting spot for student groups.  Any group can pick out a table and set to work without much interruption, if any.  What the existence of this place says about Athens is thought we may be known for such a grand party school, we know how to tone it down, study, and appreciate the finer things of our own area, be it music, poetry, comedy, or just quality food and drink.   

~ Kevin Snider

LuiLui Sushi Tuesdays

One of the things that I appreciate about OU is its emphasis on the importance of local businesses. Although we do have a Quizno's and a Wendy's on Court St, most of the on campus eateries are not food chains. Over the past two years, I've developed special relationships with each of the local stores scattered on Court. But it wasn't until recently that I tried LuiLui.

On all days of the week, LuiLui's menu has a variety of soups, salads, lunches and dinners that would satisfy even the pickiest eaters. However, I didn't walk all the way down to Station St for just your average cheeseburger. I went for SUSHI, and man, it was worth it. On Tuesday's LuiLui offers 15 varieties of sushi. The only other place that I've had sushi in Athens is China Panda, which is all the way out on State St. LuiLui is a much more convenient walk, and is a lot cheaper than China Panda. A roll of sushi runs from 5-8 dollars.

LuiLui's decor is a sort of sad attempt of a fancy restaurant. Although the tables are covered with glass, and fancy curtains are strung along the windows, you can tell that it was decorated inexpensively. The walls are covered with chipped paint, and the store is sprinkled with tacky oriental knickknacks, even though sushi is only served on Tuesdays. Although I've heard it's pretty empty on most days, it was packed around 5 on sushi night. The customers were mostly older adults, but a few groups of students were also there. The atmosphere was fairly quiet, with soft, upbeat music playing in the background. I think Athens is always in need of more local, affordable sit-down restaurants, which is probably why LuiLui is still in business. I think it's the kind of place you could take your parents when they come to visit, or a good place to go for a first date. I know I always end up taking my parents to dinner at Casa when they come to visit, so I'm looking forward to showing them somewhere else. I would highly recommend sushi night to anyone looking to try something new. My last advice is to walk, not drive there, it's a perfect distance from uptown. By the time you're home, you aren't so stuffed anymore!

My Little Hike.

The other weekend I took a little hike over across highway 32, to a little hill that is mischievously named"Bong Hill".  The trip up the hill is a little tedious and can be tiring, but it isn't to terribly hard.  The path leads up a little dry creak bed riddled with loose rocks and underbrush everywhere, but it all pays off in the end.  Sitting on top of the hill looking out over Athens, Ohio is one of the best feelings in the world for me.  It reminds me of how nature and people can live together in a small little community and still look beautiful.  The rolling hills around OU's campus is a wondrous site, and can only be described as a true appalachian landscape.
The best part about sitting on top of the hill is watching the sunset though. It is something that can only be captured in painting, or in memory.  I love the surrounding area of Athens. It's just seems like a wild and untamed land filled with the adventure that Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer got into.

Casa Nueva

Casa Logo

This weekend I went to Casa for dinner with some friends. I always end up having a very interesting experience at Casa. My roommates love to go there not only for their food but also for their night scene. I will say that it's not exactly my "scene" but I don't mind going occasionally. The atmosphere at Casa is very different from most restaurants you'd see in a big city. The first thing I think of when I think of Casa is 'hippies'. You have the waiters with the hair down to the floor, the ones that don't shave their arm/legs, the one's with dreads and so on. I have absolutely nothing against 'hippies', their lifestyle is just different then mine. Casa attracts a wide variety of people, the college hippies, townies, families and college students looking for an affordable place to eat. You can have two very different experiences there, you can have the laid back, there for dinner and good conversation experience, or you could have the loud, at the bar, bands playing in the background experience. When I went there this weekend we were lucky enough to go there and just have dinner and not have to deal with loud annoying head banging metal bands playing.

Night Scene

I think that Casa provides a calm relaxed environment (depending on what time of day you go) for the most part. If you go there during the day its a nice place to go and relax and study and not have to be in the library. At night time it provides the atmosphere for friends to get together and have a good time. Aside from providing food and drinks it provides a safe environment. I know that I've been in bars/restaurants where I feel as though i'm being judged or looked at, but at Casa I never once get that feeling.

Workers

The main thing that Casa says about Athens and why it's good to the community is it buys all of its products locally (150 mile radius) and one of its main tasks is to give back to the community. I think that it is so great that they provide products that are not processed and are natural and healthy for you. It's hard to find good healthy food on a college campus and on top of that it's delicious!

        Last Wednesday night I went to Jackie-Os with some of my friends. Jackie-Os is a fun brewery turned restaurant located on Union Street on the Ohio University Campus. It has a fun atmosphere where locals and students can eat, drink, and listen to music. Along with a fantastic variety of local grown food people often go to drink. Jackie-Os brew their own beer and have special happy hours where you can get the special beer for great prices. Along with the unique drinks it is also a hot spot because of the live music. A few times a week they have local bands play sets for free. It is a fun place if one would want to relax and enjoy the easy going atmosphere. It has plenty of room and is very open so one is not cramped and crowded as it might feel in other bars around campus. It is unique in that there are not a lot of hyped up students and more of a young adult attraction. 

Friday Night at the Union Street Diner

            On Friday, after a show at the Union my friends and I went to the Union Street Diner so I could examine the environment and feel of the restaurant as it pertains to Appalachian lifestyle.  I always enjoy coming here, especially at one or two in the morning for a delicious cup of coffee.  The overall look and feel of the restaurant is like typical small town diners, very quant with a friendly and open atmosphere, but with so much more. I think it was designed as a very family friendly place to eat and converse with the local community over a cup of coffee. 

            The customers that come into the restaurant can vary.  Usually at one or two in the morning there are students like my friends, and myself but sometimes there are townies that come to relax and talk with the friendly staff running the restaurant.  The people that usually come here are hard working locals from the community and students looking for a good place to get some quality food with a laid back atmosphere. The great food and friendly space is what drives people to come and spend an hour or two here.  Its location from all the craziness of downtown Athens brings peace to the quant little diner that it is.

            Union Street Diner provides more than just great food, it provides a space where a community can come together to meet, converse, reflect upon their days, talk about the great music they saw from the night before, talk about shenanigans from the night before, and be more of growing community than it ever could be.  It brings the great small town and happy-go-lucky spirit that Athens has to offer every day. Union Street Diner proves that Athens is a great small town to be social and interact with people every day, whether their local townies from in town or in the mountains.  It’s a melting pot of Appalachian in every sense of the word.