One of the many exciting and frightening aspects of going to college is finding yourself plopped into an unknown locality. Suddenly, finding the backroads, the restaurants, the stores, the scenic spots and the highways will not be second nature, as it was in your hometown.
Learning to navigate the local area quickly will make your transition smoother and make it easier for you to get away from the Big Green scene -- which can quickly become overly familiar.
First and foremost, you may want to get away from Dartmouth Dining Services. Most students admit DDS makes pretty good food -- as cafeteria fare goes -- but everybody gets tired of it eventually. And most agree that the prices are equal to those of many nearby restaurants. For virtually the same price, you can get a good meal off-campus.
A car is necessary to get to Foodee's, located on the northern outskirts of Hanover. For lovers of truly adventurous and exotic pizza, this is the place to go. Their pies, which range from $4 to $17, won the Best Pizza in New England Contest in 1990.
C&A's is for people from New York, Boston or Chicago who do not feel the need for fancy artistry or frills with their pizza. There is grease in the air, exposed brick walls and all the hot grinders, gyros and submarine sandwichs you are used to.
The prices are low, ranging from $4.50 for a small pizza to $7.50 for a large.
But make no mistake about it, EBA's is the Dartmouth pizza institution. Located in the epicenter of Hanover and open until 2:00 a.m., EBA's is cheap and fast enough to satisfy late night munchies, but pleasant and classy enough for a date. Their salad bar is renowned and their pizza can only be described as "different, but good."
Prices range from $4 for a personal pizza to $50 for a giant 24-incher. They serve a wide variety of appetizers, soups, and interesting contemporary entrees.
All three pizzerias deliver to your dorm room.
The Bagel Basement offers just what its name suggests, in addition to croissants and other pastries. Unless you come from New York City and bleed cream cheese, you should find the bagels excellent.
For dates, parties of friends and visiting parents, Hanover offers a range of restaurants to serve everybody's appetite and wallet. Most of them are on Main Street, no more than a five minute walk from the center of campus.
For breakfast, Lou's reigns supreme. If you're looking for eggs, French toast, pancakes or almost any other hearty, continental style breakfast staple, Lou's serves breakfast all day and is located smack in the middle of town on Main.
They also have a donut and pastry counter so you can grab a bite then run off to class.
For lunch they serve traditional soups, salads and burgers. Meals can be purchased for less than $10.
Specializing in Mexican food, Molly's Balloon also serves pastas, soups and stir fries at $8 to $15.
The Irish pub ambience of Murphy's On the Green invites you to stay and enjoy its soups, fajitas, sandwiches, steaks and seafood, priced from $5 to $13. Since Murphy's is Hanover's primary watering hole, minors are not admitted on some nights. The tavern is on Main St. (See a trend?).
When weather permits, Old Pete's Tavern serves its traditional tavern food on a quaint outdoor porch which looks out over Main St. and is shaded by elms. In the winter, its heavy wooden door opens to an underground, medieval-type dining area. Old Pete's serves sandwiches for lunch, $3 to $6, and dinner can be had for about $10 a person.
Five Olde Nugget Alley is another underground restaurant, with a slightly more refined atmosphere than Old Pete's. A collection of antiques and dim lighting add romance to the many interconnected rooms in which diners are seated. Dinners are about $10.
Jewel of India is not directly in the middle of town, but is certainly within easy walking distance. This establishment offers a vast array of Indian cuisine.
For Chinese food, Hanover offers two good restaurants, Panda House and Mrs. Ou's, both located in the heart of town. Both are somewhat upscale, but maintain good prices -- dinner for around $15. Panda House serves excellent sushi.
For those special events where you won't be footing the bill, downtown Hanover offers two distinguished choices.
Cafe Buon Gustaio, on 72 South Main St., is known for its Italian cuisine and intimate ambiance. It offers pastas, salads and an extensive wine list. Reservations are recommended.
The only restaurant in New Hampshire to receive the AAA Four Diamond Award, The Daniel Webster Room is in the Hanover Inn, located next to the Hopkins Center at the southeast corner of the Dartmouth Green.
Their continental breakfast buffet on Sunday is a favorite for those weekends when parents are in town.
Dartmouth students universally agree that one quick and easy way to make and maintain friendships here at the College is by owning a car. Whether you want to go rock climbing, hit McDonald's, or road trip to Boston, cars are invaluable assets when it comes to escaping from Hanover.
West Lebanon is a small town -- with a large strip mall -- 10 minutes away from Hanover by car. Just get on Main St. and drive south and you will eventually find yourself in West Leb.
Besides McDonald's, the two most popular eating destinations in West Leb are Lui Lui's and Shorty's.
Lui Lui's serves reasonable priced Italian cuisine and pizza in a usually loud and energetic atmosphere. Expect to see at least a few people you know there on any given night.
Shorty's is the area's glitzy Tex-Mex location. The menu includes tacos, burritoes and fajitas, and, best of all, their drinks include free refills. Shorty's atmosphere is also energetic -- glamourized by the shiny, vintage motorcycle near the front of the restaurant.
Students can easily leave both Shorty's and Lui Lui's with about a $15 hole in their pockets.
As you leave your beloved home and parents and embark on your journey to College, you will surely feel confident that during the 10 days you and your mom spent packing, you could not have forgotten anything.
And then you will arrive at College, and realize you forgot almost everything -- like a pencil holder, or a mug, or a bath robe so that creep down the hall won't get a kick out of seeing you pass by his door in a towel.
For all these needs, there is one place: K-Mart. Located in West Lebanon, it can be a hassle for freshmen to reach. Since you will probably throw away most of your room "stuff" come spring, it is always good to buy cheap.
For Dartmouth paraphernalia, the Dartmouth Co-Op and the Dartmouth Bookstore both sell a huge variety of clothing with "Dartmouth" written in every conceivable place.
Text books and school supplies can be bought at the Dartmouth Bookstore. If you open an account with the Bookstore's business desk, you can charge both books and supplies to your college account without opening your wallet.
But often less expensive and a little more friendly, Wheelock Books is the only other place in town to find textbooks.
For outdoor sporting needs and warm clothing, Eastern Mountain Sports opened this summer in West Leb and will stock everything from climbing ropes to North Face jackets.
In case you want to visit your parents, or are wanted by the Hanover Police, you will need to know the relatively simple highway system that connects Hanover to the rest of the world.
There are basically only four destinations most Dartmouth students need to know about.
To go to Boston, take Interstate 89 South to Interstate 93 South.
To go to New York City take Interstate 91 South.
To get to Burlington, Vermont, home of University of Vermont, some great bars, clubs and a famous rock-and-roll scene, take Interstate 89 North.
To go to Manchester or Concord, take Interstate 89 South.
Of course you should have a map to get more precise directions, but this should give you a good idea of the lay of the land. Dartmouth may feel remote, but the College is really only two and a half hours from Boston and four hours from New York City -- distances which make weekend trips easy and practical.
If you do not have a car, commercial buses, which leave from both Hanover and West Lebanon, can take you anywhere you need to go. During periods of heavy travel, the College runs a shuttle service to Logan Airport in Boston.
Lebanon also has a small commercial airport, which features shuttle flights to and from Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
