Planning to visit UVA and surrounding area next month with D22 who is an admitted student. We did the self directed tour last summer before applying using the map provided by the admissions office. I am wondering if there are any suggestions on how to approach the tour now with the perspective of an admitted student and the sites to visit.
I would contact UVA admissions to see if they are giving in person tours now.
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Thanks! UVA will do an event for admitted students in April I believe and we plan to attend it. This is more like we are going to be in the area so would want to check out the grounds on our own schedule and pace. Also we would be interested in checking out surrounding areas of relevance that are usually not part of the tours.
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Charlottesville is a small city with great food. I would visit the downtown mall, which is an outdoor walking mall primarily made up of eateries. “The corner” is another popular spot with the students as it has a few restaurants and watering holes, along with Mincer’s, a UVA apparel shop that has options different from the bookstore. The corner is just across University Ave from the Rotunda. Bodo’s Bagels and Roots Natural Kitchen are cheap eats on the corner and extremely popular with the students.
If they are still doing it, there are guided tours of the Rotunda and Lawn that are good. You get the history and a sense of how UVA is struggling with its ties to slavery. UVA’s outdoor Monument to Enslaved Workers is new within the past few years and worth the 20 minutes of so to walk around - in the vicinity of the Rotunda and the Corner.
Campus tours won’t go up to the athletic center, which is just north of grounds on Emmett St. This is where the outdoor non-football facilities are. Typically there is good parking to walk around if your potential Hoo might be interested in using those facilities. Another fraction of a mile north on Emmett St brings you to the Barrack’s Shopping center which has two grocery stores and numerous other restaurants and retailers. It’s probably where most students shop as it is the closest shopping to grounds.
“Tell Me About it Tours” in Charlottesville gives walking tours that leave from the downtown mall and walk through the historical parts of downtown and covers the early days of the city. I thought that it was excellent.
Finally, there is Riverview Park which has a walking/running trail along the Rivanna River. That is probably the most outdoorsy area within the city.
There are the historic sites outside of the city, (Monticello, Highland, Michie Tavern, etc.) and some very good wineries and brewpubs, but probably not easily accessible for the first year students.
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Thank you for the detailed response.
Thank you for this detailed response! Headed to Charlottesville to tour with my youngest. Unfortunately it will be spring break so it will be his second time there without an actual guided tour and with no students. First time he was not impressed😂. Although he had seen a lot of that stuff, the Charlottesville tour sounds like a good choice.
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