<p>When it's January/February in Northfield, do students still walk downtown or do they prefer to stay on campus? I'm thinking about getting a gift certificate to one of the Northfield restaurants so that my DS can take a bunch of friends out to eat on his birthday, but not if that would be a bad idea for that time of year.</p>
<p>If anyone has any other bday ideas, I'm very open to suggestions.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Students still bundle up and walk the couple of blocks into town. If I remember correctly, Hogan Bros gives you a small sandwich on your birthday.</p>
<p>For some perspective: students living on the west side (townhouses, Musser, Burton, Sevy, Davis, interest houses) are closer to downtown Northfield than they are to much of east campus. There were only a couple of days each winter term when I was there that were so cold that I would immediately reject the idea of dinner in town. A Chapati gift certificate would be happily used by your son and his buds, I'm sure.</p>
<p>Agree Chapati's would be great but beware of rising costs if the "bunch" is grande sized.</p>
<p>Another less expensive option for brunch/lunch/post-dinner treats would be Sweet Lou's (waffles, ice cream, desserts, lattes, etc). I checked their web site and while not listed, I'm pretty certain I remember they do gift certificates. You can call or email them if interested:
Sweet</a> Lous Waffle Bar: Lous News</p>
<p>*Feel free to consider this a shameless plug for Carleton Professor "Lou" Newman's creatively welcome addition to the downtown scene.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the cold-weather insight and the restaurant tips!</p>
<p>On a visit to Carleton my son and I were standing outside Sweet Lou's reading the menu when a friendly gentleman talked us into going inside. The gentleman turned out to be Lou Newman, the owner. We did not regret our restaurant choice. Big thumbs up to Sweet Lou's and to Professor Newman.</p>
<p>I called Sweet Lou's last year and got a gift cert for my son so that he could go there on his birthday with his friends. Then I e-mailed one of his friends who rounded up the posse so that it could be a surprise. It worked out perfectly.</p>
<p>limner--That was nice ... but maybe next time you can get him a gift certificate for that quaint little Indian restaurant near campus. Put enough $ on it so your boy can take ALL of his friends for a bite to eat. :)</p>
<p>Hindoo, that is an excellent idea. ;) Actually, I think he'd prefer that--I discovered that waffles aren't his favorite, although he did have a good time (he said).</p>
<p>I would walk still....just get one of those expedition style down parkas an your good to go. haha
like the ones they use to climb everest with</p>
<p>Kids definitely still walk into town year around. Most places on Division street are a 5-10 minute walk from just about anywhere on campus, and remember, these are the same students who play hour long games of broomball at night in January and February. Northfield is cold, its not so cold that people don't leave the indoors.</p>
<p>I know my son walked to town, played broomball, etc., in Jan. and Feb. of last year--and he's not from a cold climate. I got the impression that winter didn't stop anyone from doing what they wanted--short of sunbathing.</p>
<p>I called my son one Wednesday evening when there were warnings out about how cold it was (I think zero was the high that day), and he was at Sayles for some activity--and he lived in the dorm furthest away.</p>