Underrated Places in Champaign-Urbana

By Christina Oehler on July 27, 2014

Freshman year came with a lot of adjustments: living in a room with a stranger, challenging classes and making an entirely new set of friends. Throughout the early stages, my occasional homesickness and loneliness lead me to discover outlets to help escape these moments. Champaign-Urbana is a beautiful and underrated campus, often overlooked because of its location amidst all of the surrounding farmland. Initially, I thought the only places to see were the dining hall and Joe’s, but as I branched further and further out of my shell, I realized all of the beauty around me and all of the interesting places the University of Illinois campus has to offer.

The University of Illinois Plant Biology Greenhouses

My favorite place on campus, which unfortunately I discovered late second semester, is the University of Illinois greenhouses. Located in the Plant Sciences Lab, the greenhouses are open to any student all year long, and are completely free of charge to visit. Filled with a beautiful array of exotic plants, the multi-room greenhouses are one of my favorite places to escape to when I want to warm up and appreciate the beauty that the university gives to students. Rooms bursting with tropical trees and cacti are part of the amazing exhibit, and students are allowed to enjoy the beauty for as long as they desire.

http://sib.illinois.edu/headlines/iView.htm

The Krannert Art Museum

As a Chicagoan, I have always appreciated my trips to the city to stroll the Art Institute of Chicago where I have the chance to view amazing modern art exhibits. At school, I found the Krannert Art Museum was a wonderful replacement, filled with student artwork and interesting pieces from collections all over the world. It is a peaceful place to go alone or with friends, and an interesting way to take a break from the everyday stressors of college life. Best of all, especially for us broke college kids, admission is free.

Timpone’s

Green Street is generally the center for all shopping and eating on campus. As the year progressed, I got increasingly tired of eating at the same chain restaurants as a break from dorm food. I discovered Timpone’s, a tiny Italian restaurant located next to the Canopy Club on Goodwin Avenue. This quaint restaurant transforms into a romantic atmosphere at night, and is a great place for a date or a dinner with friends.  The pizza is incredible, and although Champaign can sometimes be filled with rowdy, partying students, this change of pace in Urbana is a hidden gem.

Aroma Café

Students lucky enough to have a car on campus are able to experience the unique environment of downtown Champaign more often than those needing to use MTD to get there. Downtown Champaign has an array of interesting restaurants and bars, but one of my favorite hidden places is a little coffee shop called Aroma Café. This café offers a different vibe while studying, and is much less crowded than the Green Street Starbucks or Espresso Royale. It also offers a variety of organic and locally grown ingredients that are used in their sandwiches and wraps.  This is a venue for someone who loves that chill coffee shop ambiance.

https://www.noshfolio.com/restaurants/22-aroma-cafe-downtown-champaign

Law Library

Formally known as the Albert E. Jenner Jr. Library, this is a great spot to go around finals when the UGL starts getting crowded.  With its professional feel, this library was always much quieter than any other place to study, helping me through the intense reading I was doing. I highly recommend this library for any student, not only those pursuing a law degree.

There are plenty of other great places for students to spend their days and nights at U of I; I always liked to escape to these places when I needed a moment away from the hustle and bustle of college life. Although I am sure these places already have plenty of fans, I wanted to shed some light on those spots that are often overlooked by students.

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