<p>Hi all! Congratulations to all those who were accepted to UVA early action yesterday. This thread is for students and parents interested in UVA to learn more about the small city that surrounds the university grounds. I've lived in Charlottesville for over 15 years and would be happy to answer any questions.</p>
<p>Hey Stevie, there are a number of us who live here in the forum, too. You’ll find that there are lots of threads about things to do, places to eat, and how to get home in the UVa forum. :)</p>
<p>Thanks to you both.</p>
<p>My first question is about convenient places to stay. My son & I stayed at the Cavalier Inn when we did our exploratory visit, and liked it, especially the convenient location. Are there any other equally convenient, and not too expensive, places we should consider for future visits?</p>
<p>Second question is about restaurants outside of “campustown”. Where’s a good place (other than Yelp/Google, which are often unreliable) to get info about them? Are there specific ones you’d recommend in the general East Asian category (Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese)?</p>
<p>Finally, any info about whitewater clubs/activities in the area would be very helpful. I didn’t find a kayaking/canoeing club in the UVA list.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>There is a Red Roof Inn on Main St. practically across from the Rotunda, and a new Hampton Inn and Suites a little further down Main St. just past the hospital. I’m not sure how much they cost–the Hampton Inn is very nice and probably a bit pricy. There are cheap (Econo-Lodge) options on 29 just north of the University, a little further from grounds than the Cavalier Inn.</p>
<p>Charlottesville is full of Asian restaurants (and restaurants of many other kinds). Here are a few: Peter Chang’s, in North Barracks Rd., has imaginative Chinese food. There’s a sushi place, Sakura, in Collegetown, and an excellent, tiny Japanese restaurant, Now and Zen, close to downtown. There’s a Thai 99 on JPA within walking distance of Grounds and other Thai restaurants in the Barracks Rd. and Rio Hill shopping centers. Milan and Maharajah, both up 29 a bit, serve good Indian food.</p>
<p>The UVA Outdoors Club (mostly students) and the Charlottesville Outdoor Adventure Social Club (mostly adult Cville residents) do a fair number of whitewater kayaking and canoeing trips , especially in the spring when the water is running high. The Outdoors Club owns a lot of equipment so you don’t need your own boat. Dave Clark, the guy who teaches the roll classes and organizes/leads most of the trips for both clubs, is a terrific instructor. Locally you can find whitewater on the Rivanna, on the James River near Richmond, and on the Shenandoah River up near Elkton–probably other places too; that’s just where I’ve been. There’s wonderful whitewater rafting and kayaking in the New River Valley in West Virginia but it’s a bit of a drive.</p>
<p>The hotels in Cville fill up on peak weekends - including for the accepted student events. If you can’t find an affordable room in Cville, one option is Waynesboro, which is a quick drive on I-64 to the west with many affordable hotels. </p>
<p>Avoid the very cheapest motels in town. I’ve read that some have had bedbug problems.</p>
<p>There’s a Marriott Courtyard on University (the Corner) that’s super convenient; however, it fills up very fast and is more expensive than the Cavalier Inn. There’s another Courtyard on 29 that we’ve stayed at that’s not too far from campus. We also like the Doubletree but its a lot further away from campus (on 29).</p>
<p>Thai: Lemongrass on the Corner across from campus. I love the Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles. You can order dishes as spicy as you’d like (1-10).
Chinese: Second the rec for Peter Chang’s in Barracks.
Indian/Nepalese: Himalyayan Fusion in the Downtown Malll</p>
<p>Do a search for “hotel” here and on my blog for me. We talk about where to stay a lot! :)</p>
<p>I’ve never seen any report of bed bugs in Charlottesville. I once heard about a counselor on the road down south of here complaining of bed bugs. When she described then, they were clearly stink bugs. She just hadn’t seen them before. :)</p>
<p>We’ve had good stays at the Courtyard referenced above. Great location and the rooms are in terrific shape, but the garage is not fun to navigate and the rates are high for a Courtyard, though justified.</p>
<p>We also like the Residence Inn on Millmont in the Barracks Road area, which we found convenient to campus though not really walking distance. It’s clean and the rooms are in good shape.</p>
<p>For graduation 2014, we’re looking at renting a house in the area. There just don’t seem to be enough hotel rooms to go around.</p>
<p>My picks…</p>
<p>Best Japanese: Miyako and Ten on the Downtown Mall. Ten is expensive and awesome. The chef at Miyaho is wonderful and that place is more casual.</p>
<p>Best Thai: Thai 99 is a favorite of many. There’s another spot just called Pad Thai owned by a guy named Sante that’s nice. That’s over are Carlton Road. Most students don’t venture over there until they are 3rd or 4th years because it’s a little ways away from Grounds.</p>
<p>Best Indian: Himalayan Fusion. Owner is either Indian and great up in Nepal or Nepalese and grew up in India (I can never remember which). It’s fantastic.</p>
<p>Here are several links to threads that Dean J mentions:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/866305-visiting-university-va.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/866305-visiting-university-va.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/1122511-restaurants-cville.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/1122511-restaurants-cville.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/947199-fun-things-see-do-virginia.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/947199-fun-things-see-do-virginia.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/1068015-helpful-info-those-visiting-charlottesville.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-virginia/1068015-helpful-info-those-visiting-charlottesville.html</a></p>
<p>I’m sure there are many others, but these are the most up to date and ones that came to mind.</p>
<p>Aw, blueiguana linked to a thread started by UVAorBust. I haven’t heard from him this year. Hope he’s doing well. :)</p>
<p>I just realized how much I talk about food on here. Yikes. I hope I don’t come off as a glutton.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks everyone! I’m a bit amazed by the number of friendly & helpful responses here, and very grateful to you all.</p>
<p>I’m also greatly encouraged – clearly my son will be able to indulge both his addictions: noodles and ww kayaking!</p>
<p>DeanJ & Blue, thanks, will check out the info linked here & on the blog.</p>
<p>(Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese)?</p>
<p>Thai - Thai 99 (two locations - one is on JPA and one is near Rio Rd far from grounds) is hands down the best Thai restaurant in CVille. I have tried all of the others (Lemongrass, etc) but they do not compare.
Vietnamese - I don’t think we have a vietnamese or pho place… Add that to the Olive Garden and Cracker Barrel woes
Chinese - one of my roommates got food poisoning from the chinese restaurant across from the Emmet parking garage, so we never ordered from there after that. Yuan Ho is popular with the engineering department but I do not like it personally. I lived up near Target my 4th year and the Chinese place tucked into the Forest Lakes neighborhood there was excellent. Also, there is some mall chinese food that is better than other mall chinese food places. Finally, check out the little hole in the wall on the corner near Mellow Mushroom, I forget what it is called but you get a full meal for about $5 and it is great Chinese food.
Japanese - there is a place near KFC (other side of the road) that delivers Hibachi and some other chinese/japanese food. There is also a place called Sakura up near Target that does sushi and hibachi live.
There are also some really great middle east places, there is one on the way to downtown and there is a fast food type one on the Corner, along with one near the Emmet garage that I haven’t been to. Sticks is amazing, it is on the way to downtown the back way (behind the corner and frats). There are a variety of places down town that have ethnic cuisine also but they are always pricey.</p>
<p>
They closed. 
It’s now one of those self self yogurt places.</p>
<p>I forgot about the Pho! The guy who owns Zinc, Vu, opened a pho place across the street called Moto Pho Co.</p>
<p>You like the habachi at Sakura, Hazel? I’ve wondered about that place. I’ve only gone to Flaming Wok, but not in a few years. We’ve wondered about Sakura.</p>
<p>Thanks! Adding it to the list now …</p>
<p>HOW ABOUT THE PHO AND KOREAN RESTAURANTS? If these two foods aren’t in Cville then I will be deprived of some of my favorite foods to eat up here in NoVA…</p>
<p>I wrote about pho above…</p>
<p>The guy who owns Zinc, Vu, opened Moto Pho Co. It’s right on West Main Street.</p>
<p>Another hotel option is the Inn at Darden, at the business school. Stayed there this fall and it was very adequate.</p>
<p>If you like a smaller Inn/B&B type place The Dinsmore House Inn is lovely. It’s walking distance, right next to the Marriott. They serve a wonderful breakfast. </p>
<p><a href=“http://www.dinsmorehouse.com/[/url]”>http://www.dinsmorehouse.com/</a></p>
<p>
That is so sad, but their prices were too good to be true I guess</p>
<p>
I love hibachi. I even tired my fiance out of hibachi apparently Technically, the fact that people kept taking us because they know I like it is NOT my fault. 
I went to Sakura for my birthday 3rd year and for graduation. You and your husband should check it out.</p>
<p>Did anyone mention the japanese place on the corner across the street from subway? Is it still there or did that clothing store take it over? I ate there with the then-principal of Brown College and it was pretty good.</p>