Collegiate Times

Many Tech students would agree that there are few things more satisfying than finishing classes for the week on Friday afternoon and later heading to Sharkey's for a beer and sports highlights on ESPN or Lazy Parrot for some good music and dancing. But Main Street is short, and sometimes you can only walk up and down past the same bars and restaurants so many times before it starts to get a little monotonous. If you are adventurous, looking to try something new and have access to a car, consider spending some time in downtown Roanoke this weekend.

Roanoke is only a 45–55 minute drive from Blacksburg, depending on traffic and how seriously you take the 65 mph speed limit on I–81. If that seems like quite a trek for one night of partying, consider making an entire weekend out of it or just an extended all-day trip; there is plenty to keep you entertained all day and well into the night.

Roanoke is a small city, so don't go expecting huge, designer-brand carrying malls or a raging club scene. What it can offer is a fresh and interesting variation on the typical, sometimes tedious, Blacksburg weekend.

If you do decide to spend a day there or just happen to arrive before the bars open, there's plenty to keep you occupied in the afternoon.

Valley View Mall is located in the heart of Roanoke and is very easy to find from I-81. It might not have every store you're missing from home, but it is much larger than the New River Valley Mall and boasts two stories and a much wider variety of stores, including the clothing stores The Limited, Eddie Bauer, Macy's and Hollister Co. If you get through Valley View, and the sun is still out, in a small town like Roanoke there are always a lot of local cultural events taking place. Try visiting www.downtownroanoke.org/events and looking for any interesting upcoming art or theatre shows. Roanoke even has several museums, including the Art Museum of Western Virginia. It often has free exhibits and events, including film viewings, and about once a month it hosts a "Free Friday" where patrons can enjoy all the galleries free of charge, from noon to 5 p.m.

If the sun is sinking and your feet are sore, it's probably time to take a break for dinner. If you do get to dine in Roanoke, you'll be glad you made the trip if only to be free of the drive to Christiansburg if you have any desire to "go out" for dinner and the hassle of choosing between Red Robin, Red Lobster or Outback.

Downtown Roanoke offers many different restaurants and bars, and includes some Blacksburg favorites. You can find a wide variety of regional cuisine, from Cuban to Mediterranean to Indian to Japanese. For the less adventurous, they even have a Macado's and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Nawab, an Indian restaurant located on Campbell Avenue, offers lots of traditional Indian dishes, including curry in a variety of spices and an entire section of the menu devoted to Tandoori-prepared dishes. They also have an extensive wine list, which includes sparkling and rose wines in addition to the average white and red. Their mixed drink menu includes martinis, mai tais and a pink mojito, among many others, and is reasonably priced.

Campbell Avenue is the main street for nightlife in downtown Roanoke.

Dolce, located on Campbell Avenue, is very popular with Roanoke residents and local students alike. It is only two-years-old, and the décor, as well as the music and drink selection, is current and upscale.

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