Eat, see, free
My first weekend on campus, I walked out of my hall and saw something I had never seen at Lee before: parking spaces. Where had everyone gone? When I pulled up Instagram to solve the mystery of the empty parking lot, I discovered what I had suspected: the residents of Lee had ventured to Chattanooga looking for adventure.
Before I came to Lee, I lived in Chattanooga. I loved exploring the city and finding new coffee shops or venues I hadn't heard of before. Now that I am a resident of Cleveland, I am able to share all of my favorite places with my new friends, and it's like starting the adventures all over again.
Since I have a couple of years of experience, I thought it would be nice if I could share with you all a few of Chattanooga's greatest treasures. Through this column, we can find a new place to eat, a new place to see and a new place that's free for your weekend adventures. This weekend, we are going to be focusing on one of my favorite areas of Chattanooga, The Bluff View Arts District. This weekend, the only thing you'll need your wallet for is to grab a bite to eat.
EAT
Two great options for the arts district are Tony's and Rembrandt's Coffee House. Tony's is gourmet food on an Olive Garden budget. Rich, delicious, even-better-the-next-day Italian food you will dream about. Rembrandt's Coffee House is pretty well known around campus, but it is a classic. Rembrandt's is a European style cafe known for its chocolates, baked treats and signature coffee roasts. Pick just one, or treat yourself and try two of the best places Chattanooga has to offer. Either way, you are going to feel like your global perspectives trip just got a little closer to home.
SEE
Every first Sunday of the month, including this Sunday, Sept. 6, The Hunter Art Museum is free to the public. That's right, completely free. From noon to 4:30 p.m. you can see all of the Hunter's permanent collection for free. They have 40 exhibitions of American art ranging from colonial to modern eras. Not only is the inside of the museum beautiful on the inside, but the view from the museum overlooking the Tennessee River is reason enough to explore.
FREE
Finally, for this weekend, I thought I would let you in on a Chattanooga secret. If you do not already know this, it might just change your life. Meter parking is only enforced Monday through Friday on downtown meters between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Monday through Saturday on North Shore and Riverside Drive between 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. That means you can park in the street on the weekends downtown for free. If you are like me and $5 or even $2 for parking feels like something so tragic you could write slam poetry about it, fear not my friend, there is hope.
