Table of Contents Features Editor: Ashley Bianco
• Best Coffee............................................................4 • Best Bar.................................................................4 • Best Food Truck....................................................5 • Best Place to Party.................................................5 • Best Emory Social Media Page.............................6 • Best Campus Event................................................6 • Best Boutique at Emory Point................................7 • Best Sports Team in Atlanta...................................7 • Best Undergraduate Housing.................................8 • Best Off-Campus Housing.....................................9 • Best Film................................................................10 • Best Desert Place...................................................10 Couresy of Emory University
• Best Concert Venue................................................11 • Best Study Spot......................................................11 • An Ode to Zaya......................................................12
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF (FROM TOP LEFT TO BOTTOM RIGHT): HTTP://WWW.STARBUCKS.COM, HTTP://WWW.BRICKSTOREPUB.COM/INTRO, WWW.ATLANTA.KINGOFPOPS.NET, HTTP://ATLANTA.BRAVES.MLB.COM/INDEX.JSP?C_ID=ATL, HTTP://WWW.SHOPAMERICANTHREADS.COM, HTTP://TABERNACLEATL.COM, HTTP://EMORY-POINT.COM
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Best Coffee
Photos Courtesy of The Emory Wheel
Starbucks is a classic. While it doesn’t have the hipster/indie vibe that ChocoLate or Java Monkey has, it’s warm atmosphere and soft background music make it a number one choice for studying and getting good coffee. Currently there are two locations near campus, one in the bookstore and one in Emory Village. While it might be hard to grab a spot to study at one of the highly coveted tables, its convenient location next to Barnes and Noble allows for you to still grab a nice seat. Plus, with the recent upgrade of Starbucks now selling pastries from La Boulange Café & Bakery, there are plenty of new tasty options. Such options range from a variety of croissants (chocolate, ham & cheese, you name it) to cookies. Additionally, Starbucks’ hot drinks like White Mocha or Peppermint Mocha are good for cold days and those pesky early morning classes.
Best Bar
Photo Courtesy of www.brickstorepub.com
Brick Store Pub is a popular dining option and bar for many Atlanta residents and Emory students. This niche bar is located in a bustling area in a beautiful and historic building in Decatur. Brick Store’s major attraction is its collection of non-major, domestic draft beers, including American, German and English specialty beers. The restaurant rotates a meticulously chosen selection of 17 draught and 75 bottled beers. The collection is unparalleled. Patrons of Brick Store may come for the draft beer, but they stay for the German-inspired menu, including cured meats and cheeses, burgers and bratwurst sandwiches. Don’t forget to also try the decadent buttermilk crème brulee. But that’s not all. Brick Store every so often hosts wine and cheese tasting events. Upcoming events include a wine versus beer cheese pairing on April 7 and a Three Taverns Beer and cheese event on May 5. Stop by Brick Store Pub for a superb ambiance, excellent draft beer, a unique menu and to support your local brewery. Survey Results: Brick Store Pub.......33% Maggies...................23% Los Loros................15% Hand in Hand..........9% Park Bench..............6% Scoreboards.............4% No Response............9%
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Best Food Truck
Photo Courtesy of www.atlanta.kingofpops.net
Frat Row
Photo Courtesy of The Emory Wheel
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The guys of King of Pops always seem to appear just when you need them most. You’ve probably stumbled across King of Pops at Tuesday farmers’ markets, Wonderful Wednesdays, concerts on McDonough Field, Homecoming Week and Dooley’s Week. But part of what really makes King of Pops so special is its lack of an actual brick-and-mortar location: they exist solely through carts, food trucks, farmers’ markets and other special events. And there’s their complete disregard for traditional popsicle flavors, instead deferring to a list that includes names like Blackberry Ginger Lemonade, Creamy Avocado, Tangerine Basil and Grapefruit Mint. Some pops are seasonal, some are year-round, but you can always find a couple of fruity flavors, a couple of sweet flavors and a couple of flavors that just mix a little bit of everything. And if you’re really, really craving a pop(sicle) or two one day, you can always check the cart’s whereabouts online, but part of the true King of Pops experience is their element of surprise and unpredictability.
Survey Results:
Frat Row..................... 22% MJQ...........................14% Tongue and Groove.............14% Clermont Lounge...............13% Opera ........................12%
“It’s ya boy Suga Shane. We throwin’ down right here, Saturday night.” — noted rapper Suga Shane on Eagle Row. If it’s good enough for mediocre rappers, it should be good enough for you. In a mild upset over Maggie’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, Frat Row takes home the coveted title of best place for Emory students to party. Pleasantly (and strategically?) sandwiched between Emory Village and the food trucks, the row is always buzzing with bushels of students on any given Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and others ending in “-day.” It’s been home to many seminal moments in Emory University history, such as the aforementioned appearance from Mr. Shane and that one time that I’m Shmacked called us a good party school. All jokes aside, there’s always plenty happening on the Row, from registered parties to formals and date parties to avoiding overzealous cab drivers. Emory students should feel privileged to have a strong, active Greek community that they can access without even getting in a car. Everyone likes to complain about the lack of variety on the Row and many prefer to go to bars, but there’s no other place at Emory where students are encouraged rather than socially ostracized for dressing up as flappers and animals, and that is certainly something to be admired.
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Best Social Media
Emory Secrets has been blowing up the Facebook feed of nearly every student for months. The similarly named NYU Secrets page inspired the concept behind the Emory Secrets page. The general idea is that students, via Facebook message or email, submit “secrets” — a loose term, as the page has evolved from simply posting secrets — to the creator, who remains anonymous. The creator, or whoever runs the page now, then posts the secret, without reference to the submitter, to the page for all to see. Emory Secrets started gaining momentum in the beginning of this school year and has, since then, amassed more than 4,800 page likes, which is well more than half of Emory’s student body, and more than 3,600 posted secrets. The secrets range widely. Many secrets are about individuals’ problems with their personal relationships or their quests for love in their undergraduate years. Some are more general, lamenting social issues, such as race, culture or sexuality. Some tell hilarious stories about crazy nights or fun adventures. Some are sweet, bringing a smile to readers’ faces. And a few are downright bizarre. This eclectic variety of secrets is perhaps a testament to Emory’s diverse student body. The page is a great idea, many would agree, because it creates something akin to a forum for students to pour out their pent up feelings. If anything, Emory Secrets provides for some great daily entertainment.
Best Event Photo Courtesy of The Emory Wheel With days of fun events and a feeling of school spirit, Dooley’s Week — named after Emory’s unofficial (but favorite) mascot Lord Dooley — is inevitably the best on campus event. Some annual events include Taste of Emory, where many local restaurants kick-off the week with samples of their most delicious menu items; Dooley’s Ball, an electrifying rave party to ring in the weekend; and Spring Band Party, a great end to the week with a concert featuring a popular artist. On Monday, students were able to sample great food from favorites such as Saba, Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, Pyng Ho Restaurant, Osteria Cibo Rustico and Yogli Mogli Frozen Yogurt, among many others. The large variety ensured that there was something for even the pickiest eater. With the theme “Dooley and the Chocolate Factory,” this Dooley’s Week had a “Wonka Speakeasy” (featuring The Asia Project) on Tuesday, a particularly festive Wonderful Wednesday and “Wonka’s Chocolate Fall” (featuring comedian Chris D’Elia) on Thursday. There’s nothing quite like the weekend concerts, though. With past artists like Alesso, Kendrick Lamar and Milkman, this year’s 5 & A Dime and Chance the Rapper will be in good company. The first week of April is often a bittersweet time because the end of the school year is quickly approaching, but Dooley’s Week certainly lifts everyone’s spirits.
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Best Team The Braves are undisputedly the best sports team in Atlanta. Since 1990, they have appeared in the playoffs 17 times, while the Hawks have the fourth most playoff appearances of all time with 43. However, one third of baseball teams make it to MLB compared to over half of baseketball teams that make it to the NBA. The Hawks haven’t made it to the Championship since 1961, when they played in St. Louis. The Braves stand out in baseball, too. Their pitching rotation of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Steve AvPhoto Courtesy of www.atlanta.braves.mlb.com ery and Kent Mercker in the 1990s has been called the greatest of all time. Throughout that decade, led by the brilliant manager Bobby Cox, the Braves played in the World Series five times, while the famous Yankee dynasty of the time only played three times. The 2013 Braves, who spent the majority of the season with the best record in baseball, finished the season tied for the third most wins in MLB. Despite losing pitchers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy, they’re projected by CBS Sports to finish second in the strong NL East in 2014. Returning All Stars will include 2013 breakout first baseman Freddie Freeman, who finished fifth in NL Most Valuable Player voting, and one of the best closers in baseball, Craig Kimbrel. Meanwhile, Jason Heyward and Justin Upton will return to the outfield. Heyward, who missed much of the 2013 season due to injuries, has unparalleled arm strength in right field.
Best Boutique
Photo Courtesy of www.shopamericanthreads.com
Emory Point has many quaint boutiques for young women, ranging from “hipster” to girly to professional. American Threads, voted the best Emory Point boutique, has a great balance of both. When you enter the store, you’ll fall in love with the simple, yet impressive décor and set-up. Featured clothing is found on racks near the front, while a neatly organized and color-coded selection is found toward the back. Nearly everything is wooden and beautifully decorated, echoing a natural yet distinctly feminine vibe. The clothes are just as appealing as the shop. American Threads carries the latest styles for nearly all occasions. It has flirty tops and skirts for going out; sophisticated dresses for more formal events, such as a date night or casual gala; blazers to bring together an interview outfit; comfortable tops and flattering jeans for class; and fun crop tops and distressed shorts for the music festival junkies out there. Although it carries mostly clothes for the “free spirit,” there’s something there for almost every girl. The best part? Although it’s a boutique, its clothes are affordably priced. So, the next time you feel like splurging a little on a new outfit or just need something to wear to an event, consider checking out American Threads at Emory Point. You won’t be disappointed.
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It’s common knowledge among Emory students that freshmen have the best residence halls, so that means Longstreet-Means, voted best undergraduate housing, is the best of the best. The hall, opened a little more than 3 years ago in Fall 2010, is the largest freshmen dorm, with some of the largest rooms as well. It’s known diverse residence body, doing justice to its theme “Global Cultures”. Probably due to its diverse range of people, many students living in other halls have close friends in Longstreet-Means and like to visit. Students can have group review sessions in one of the many study spaces found on each floor. The study spaces are perfect, with their comfortable sofa-like chairs, nice window views and large whiteboards. Students can also hang out in the Great Room, found when you first walk into the hall. Boasting a large fireplace, plump sofas and an annexed TV room, the Great Room is reminiscent of a luxurious hotel lobby. Longstreet-Means is a convenient location for any occasion, sitting right in the center of campus. Any freshman is lucky to be living in Longstreet-Means now or next year. Although, who knows, it may see some competition from the newly constructed Raoul Hall next door.
Photo Courtesy of The Emory Wheel
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Emory Point has the perfect combination of restaurants, retail stores and amenities for a college student. Walking distance from main campus, the apartments boast a workout room, study space and a pool. The experience is a hybrid between dorm life and apartment style living: the majority of its residents are Emory students and Emory Point has a leasing and maintenance team. The 433 rental apartments feature front loading washers and dryers, quartz countertops, stainless steel and are fully furnished. The shopping opportunities are varied and diverse at Emory Point. They include a variety of casual and boutique-like apparel shops, including American Threads, fab’rik and Francesca’s, recently opened fitness boutique Pink Barre and upcoming fitness boutique Orange Theory Fitness, as well as retail stores for amenities like CVS and Carriage Cleaners. After a day of shopping, exhausted customers can also relax at Jazmin Spa or Solar Dimensions tanning salon. But it doesn’t stop there. As the day draws to a close, the dining options are assorted and delicious. Go for a pitcher of margaritas (for 21+ only) and a bowl of queso at Tin Lizzy’s Cantina or indulge in a plate of spicy biryani at Paradise Biryani Pointe and then pass through BurgerFi for a custardbased shake. The possibilities are endless. Emory Point offers a unique college living experience that is sure to leave you satisfied. Photo Courtesy of The Emory Wheel
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Photo Courtesy of The Emory Wheel
Best Package Store
“Pitch and putt is an amateur sport similar to golf but where the hole length is typically less than 70 metres (80 yd)” – Wikipedia This raises so many questions. Why not just play mini golf? Why is Wikipedia using a weird spelling of “meters?” And most importantly, what does golf for bad golfers have to do with the best darn liquor package store in the suburban Atlanta area? I have no idea, honestly, but I figured everyone should know the origins of the name of the most visited establishment within a 15 minute radius of Emory not named Maggie’s. “But Rocky’s has a bigger selection!” you say. “Pitch and Putt is for freshmen.” Get off your high horse. You’ve made memories at Pitch and Putt. The cashier knows you at Pitch and Putt. You could navigate Pitch and Putt in your sleep, and chances are that you have before. Seriously, what is there not to love? The location is ideal, just a quick five minute trip from campus. There’s a drive through that has likely never been used, ever. There’s probably a shady yet friendly guy chilling in the parking lot. Pitch and Putt is your second home, and you should never outgrow it. In a cruel world where love and youth are fleeting, Pitch and Putt will always be there for you.
If you must study in the Woodruff Library, however, the stacks are the place to go. Camp out for the night in a study carrel on the seventh, eighth or ninth floor, and you can practically write a novel with the newfound concentration you’ll likely find. It’s much less frantic than the lower floors, more scenic (de-stress by looking out the windows at the greenery) and more, to put it delicately, scholarly feeling. The stacks are particularly ideal for research projects, since you’re right near all the library’s subject matter books. Come at me, 15-page paper!
Best Study Spot
Photo Courtesy of The Emory Wheel
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Best Concert Venue
In the midst of Atlanta’s downtown, just east of Centennial Olympic Park and around the corner from the CNN Center, you’ll find the wonderful, untraditional concert venue, The Tabernacle. From the outside, The Tabernacle may not look like one of Atlanta’s main hubs for rock music ... because it looks like a church. Well, the site was originally a church for nearly a century, but eventually got sold in anticipation of the 1996 Olympics. It then functioned as a House of Blues club throughout that summer, but changed owners and was officially dubbed The Tabernacle in 1998, as an ode to its past as a religious site. And the rest is history. For the past 15 years, Atlantans have been flocking to this Luckie Street location on weekend nights to experience its Photo Courtesy of The Emory Wheel range of performances, which often appeal to allages but never sugarcoated. (I mean, Conan hosted a series of shows there.) The Tabernacle’s shows are always sold as general admission, so you can properly experience, regardless of where you’re seated, the get-up-and-dance vibe that the venue offers. Concerts have included appearances by The Script, Flogging Molly, Vampire Weekend, Kings of Leon and many, many more.
No matter who you are, you saw and loved the first chapter of The Hunger Games. Maybe it was because of the dystopian future, maybe it was because of Katniss’s bow-and-arrow-wielding awesomeness, maybe it was because of the love triangle (I don’t care what Suzanne Collins says, I will never give up on Team Gale) or maybe it was because we just can’t get enough Jennifer Lawrence. So when it turned out that the series’ second installment, “Catching Fire,” would be filming in Atlanta, it seemed almost too good to be true. Shoots were set up at Executive Park, the Goat Farm Arts Center and the historic Swan House, sites which now lend themselves to the fun game of “spot the Atlanta landmark” in “Catching Fire” (Hint: the Swan House is the mansion where Katniss and Peeta attend the party for tributes). Plus, the “Hunger Games” team is now back for part three: “Mockingjay: Part One” (because, just like “Harry Potter” and “Twilight,” we must always split the final installment in a series of two). The movie began filming at the downtown Marriott Marquis in December. Crews have also been spotted in more rural areas of Georgia, including Rockmart and Newnan. Any word on whether they’re looking for extras? Because I definitely volunteer as tribute.
Best Film
Photo Courtesy of www.imbd.com
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An Ode to ‘Zaya’s’
It’s late at night. You’ve had a long day in the library. You desperately need something to eat. The DUC and Cox Hall, unfortunately, have been closed for hours, and the Woodruff WReC Room is too far away. You’re too ashamed to order an entire Domino’s pizza for yourself, and your friends are being a real pain. They don’t want to order take-out with you, and they don’t want to walk anywhere with you either. Your friends’ apathetic reactions to your plight have really let you down. The day has let you down. Even you have let yourself down with your poor dining habits. You know who will never let you down, though? Zaya’s. Yes, I know, technically Zaya’s is “Zaya at Dooley’s Den at the Depot,” but really Emory? Really? The name is ridiculous and counter-intuitive. It’s like saying “James W. Dooley, Lord of Misrule and the Spirit of Emory,” rather than simple and sweet “Dooley.” We students of Emory like our abbreviations and shortcuts. This staple stop for hungry, late-night study-ers (and party-goers) is Emory’s favorite for so many reasons. 1. Zaya’s is always there for you. Until the hours of 2 a.m. on weekdays and 2:30 a.m. on weekends, Zaya’s is open for no purpose other than to serve delicious meals to YOU, a crotchety and/or inebriated Emory student. Think about that. Zaya’s will make you an array of food to satiate your grumbling tummy and provide you with the comfort of a cozy setting during a time when most other dining establishments are closed for the day. I bet none of your friends have that kind of commitment or can offer those flexible hours. 2. Zaya’s has great music. You literally never know what type of musical journey you’ll be embarking on when you step foot into Zaya’s. Yesterday, it was Top 40 Hits. Today, Turkish hip hop. Tomorrow, it will likely be an upbeat, yet slightly alarming, electronic dance mix. The Emory community holds diversity as one of its core values, and the musical selection at Zaya’s is a beacon of acceptance and openness that all other Emory departments should learn from. 3. Those chicken tenders and fries. Zaya’s chicken tenders and fries are a campus staple. The tenders are crispy yet succulent, while the fries are warm and salty. The honey mustard too, oh, the honey mustard. It is comparable only to the nectar of the gods. The entire tenders-and-fries experience leaves one in a state of euphoria and pleasant indigestion. It’s an experience no Emory student should miss out on (and for Emory’s vegetarians, there’s nothing that hits the spot quite like Zaya’s falafel and fries or late-night pancakes).