Visitor’s centers

What to explore on Kirkwood

By Lana Salahieh

lsalahie@iu.edu

After a week of deadlines, a heavy course load and perhaps a lack of sleep, figuring out how to spend Friday night may be a challenge. For many students, Kirkwood Avenue offers the solution: a lively nightlife, various restaurants and shops and everything that lies in between.

Kirkwood Avenue was named after Daniel Kirkwood, a former IU professor and astronomer. Kirkwood made significant contributions to astronomical science for his discovery of “Kirkwood Gaps.” To honor his legacy, IU constructed what we now know as Kirkwood Observatory, Kirkwood Avenue and Kirkwood Hall.

Today, Kirkwood Avenue stands as a gathering place for students, staff and community members to unwind, socialize, eat and shop.

There are many places to purchase IU merchandise in Bloomington. Tracks is a popular spot on Kirkwood. among students to buy apparel, music and gifts.

“What I enjoy most about working here on Kirkwood is witnessing school spirit through game day traditions, even while I’m working,” Erin Matos, IU junior and Tracks employee, said.

The street’s personality differs during various points in the year. Matos feels the highest level of energy on game days.

“It’s really different seeing the two sides of Kirkwood, the hustling and bustling versus when school is out of session and the street is a calm and serene place,” Matos said. “The town outside of IU is so interconnected with the school that even during slow periods,

Kirkwood Avenue is seen Sept. 12, 2020.

IDS FILE PHOTO BY ETHAN LEVY

SEE KIRKWOOD, PAGE 15

Explore Bloomington’s visitors centers

By Braydyn Lents

bglents@iu.edu | @LentsBraydyn

It is important to know the basic resources around Monroe County, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bloomington has lots of resources for planning a trip packed with activities.

If you are from Bloomington, a visitor or an IU student, these resources in the town and on campus will help you get organized.

The Bloomington Visitors Center resides on North Walnut Street. It’s a one-stop shop for information about Bloomington and Monroe County. They also have pamphlets about towns in the Monroe County area. Visitors can seek guidance on information about Columbus, Edinburgh, Indianapolis and Bedford.

The staff can help direct visitors to community resources, give directions and inform on activities across the city. Anyone can grab a gift inside the Bloomington Visitors Center gift shop.

For more information about the Bloomington Visitors Center, visit their website or call 812334-8900.

The IU Visitors Center offers tours and provides services to prospective IU students and their families. The center specializes in providing Q&A sessions which can help students navigate the IU campus during the regular school year. During the summer time, the center is open for the general public.

The IU Visitors Center – which is located inside Indiana Memorial Union – provides self-guided virtual campus tours, online links that track on-campus events, hotel reservation opportunities, dining options and maps for directions and parking. The Visitors Center values providing information for all individuals. Anyone can grab a souvenir and find helpful resources.

In addition, the IU visitors center hires paid IU student bloggers to write about anything from Lake Monroe to IU athletic venues on their website.

For more information about visiting the IU Visitor Information Center contact iuvis@ iu.edu.

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you can still feel how strong the school pride is.”

Other popular stores on the street include Greetings, Urban Outfitters and Pitaya.

In terms of food, Kirkwood Avenue has a range of dining options to choose from. For breakfast and lunch, students flock to daytime diner Village Deli.

“Village Deli’s breakfast food is my favorite in town,” Matos said. “I recently had their cheesy potatoes for the first time, which were amazing, but my favorite thing to order is their pumpkin pancakes in the fall.”

Located near Village Deli is Nick’s English Hut, a sports bar and eatery.

“Their chicken fingers are really good and they probably have the best fries in town,” IU alumnus Connor Meyer said. “You can get them in giant buckets. The outdoor seating during the summer was really nice too.”

For those looking to escape the social scene and find a more mellow space, the Monroe County Public Library offers study areas for students. Within it is the Friends of the Library Bookstore, a nonprofit created to support the library’s programs. Pricing for items include hardcovers for $3 and paperbacks for $1.50.

“The library is really big and welcoming,” Joey Hale, IU freshman and Friends of the Library employee, said. “There are areas for everyone, so we have a lot of regulars and local traffic.”

IDS FILE PHOTO BY ETHAN MOORE The marquee of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater is seen on April 20, 2021, on Kirkwood Avenue.

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