Rollins College Home

R-Journals Home How to Apply 2007-08 Application
Meet Shannon Meet Michele Meet Steve Meet Kate Meet Robert
Admissions R-Journals Feedback Campus Web Cam Faculty Features Map & Tour of Campus More Rollins Profiles

R-Journals

Back to R-Journals home

"Weekend Fun"

November 2, 2006

A huge factor affecting my decision to come to Rollins was the surrounding community. Winter Park is enchanting. It’s eclectic, upbeat, artistic, clean and diverse. Park Avenue is the perfect microcosm of Winter Park…from the brick roads to the endless boutiques, it has a European edge. Park Avenue is my escape.

My favorite restaurant on Park Avenue is Chef Justin’s Park Avenue Plaza. With a quaint street-side set up, great service and the best salads east of the Mississippi, Chef Justin definitely found a loyal costumer in me. I can venture there mid-day for curried chicken salad, or in the afternoon for iced tea and fries, or after a late-night meeting for salmon and coffee. After eating the food at the student center for so long, it’s a nice change of pace to be able to run across the street and be waited on!

Every Saturday there is a Farmer’s Market on Park Avenue… where you can find the best cappuccinos this side of the Atlantic. There is also tons of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as baked goods, potted plants, and butterflies!
The clothing stores on Park Avenue are a bit intimidating, considering I am living the life of a poor college student. But I love designing and making my own clothes, so sometimes I walk down Park Avenue with a pad of paper and sketch ideas for dresses. The rose garden is a wonderful place to sit and enjoy a quiet afternoon, complete with squirrels and little girls in twirly dresses! The other night, the first cold night of the season, my friends and I got hot chocolate and lay in the rose garden, discussing books and music, until the train came by.

A while back, a group of us went down the road about a block to an Italian Restaurant called Popolo’s. I fell in love. Part of the building is a normal restaurant, and the other part is a full on Middle-Eastern-style lounge! We’re talking cushions on the floor, curtains around each table, exotic colors and music… it was incredible. I felt like I was back in Cairo. Just goes to show you the diversity around here! You’ll never want for a great Thai take-out place, or an Indian restaurant, or entertainment, for that matter. Not a week goes by that I don’t see a new poster for a show in the area. A lot of my friends attend UCF, and are in the theatre program, so I migrate over there from time to time to check out the shows. My taste runs more to Rollins productions, as they feel more student driven and fun. There is just something different about the atmosphere at Rollins… a sense of community that carries over into the surrounding neighborhoods.

The businesses on Park Avenue are so considerate of Rollins students. For example, we can order Dominoes Pizza on our meal plan and have it delivered to the dorm. As students, we get discounts at many entertainment venues.

In any case, I have tons of amazing memories already of good times spent with friends on Park Avenue and the area surrounding Rollins. It’s lovely to know that the campus extends into the community, and it’s also nice to always feel safe around here.

back to top

R-Journals is a program sponsored by the Offices of Admissions and Public Relations. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Click here to send your comments.

Kate's R-Journal archives: