Hi everyone! It’s hard to believe it’s already May! We’re just about at the halfway point in the term, and this coming Thursday will mark the beginning of reading period, our extended weekend following midterms. As the weather has gotten nicer, I’ve been able to spend a lot more time outside, which has been so rejuvenating and quite beautiful, since flowers are starting to bloom and trees are getting their leaves back. What I particularly love to do this time of year is take a (very short) walk into Downtown Appleton and visit some of my favorite businesses, restaurants, and friends! During my time at Lawrence, I have gotten to know Downtown Appleton very well, and I think the city of Appleton, particularly the downtown district, is incredibly vibrant and exciting, with so many fabulous options in the way of dining, shopping, and culture. After growing up in a large metropolitan area like Los Angeles, I have found the smaller, close-knit community of Appleton so refreshing and truly exciting to be a part of, and the very close proximity (practically three steps!) between Lawrence and Downtown Appleton makes for a mutually supportive and engaged community on so many levels.
A beautiful sunny day in downtown!
When I was first interested in applying to Lawrence, I knew absolutely nothing about Appleton, and I was worried that this seemingly small city wouldn’t really match what I was looking for in a college city/town in terms of cultural attractions and general bustle and activity. But as my dad and I drove into Appleton for my first visit to Lawrence, I was absolutely amazed at what Appleton was really like! The downtown business district was teeming with activity; there was a concert going on in the downtown plaza, people were shuffling in and out of restaurants, shops, and boutiques, and all of this, along with the tall buildings that line each side of the street in the center of downtown, made me realize that Appleton was by no means small and sleepy; Appleton was (and is) an exciting and popular destination! This vibrancy, along with the friendly atmosphere and extreme walkability of downtown, really makes Appleton the quintessential college town (in my opinion, at least!).
An early evening view of Downtown Appleton!
I got to know Appleton particularly well last summer, when I was an intern for a local non-profit called Appleton Downtown, Inc. Appleton Downtown, Inc. (ADI) plays a vital role in keeping downtown vibrant and accessible, by implementing planning and growth initiatives, partnering with local businesses to develop strategies for increasing revenue and foot-traffic, and executing community-oriented special events. One of my main projects during my internship was developing a program in which Lawrence students and faculty could receive discounts and special offers at downtown businesses by showing their campus ID card, and a motivating goal of this program was to help Lawrence students break outside of the “Lawrence bubble” and become more aware of the wide array of offerings downtown. I spent a considerable amount of time over the summer calling and speaking to local business owners, “pitching” the program to them, and helping them determine a deal or discount that made sense for their business. The program, known officially as Downtown Deals Plus, was such a fantastic project to work on, and was a huge success; there are now over 30 downtown businesses that are offering discounts and special offers to the Lawrence community, and that number is ever-growing!
During my internship, I also helped plan and operate ADI’s beloved events, including the farmers market, Art on the Town, which is an event in which downtown businesses open their doors at night and showcase artwork by local artists, and Chalk on the Town, which is the night every year that dozens of local chalk artists claim a piece of sidewalk along College Avenue and create stunning chalk drawings all through downtown! Working on these community and business-oriented projects at ADI really opened my eyes to what an incredible community Appleton is. There is such loyalty and commitment from all sides towards making Downtown (and all of) Appleton a truly special place, and events like the farmers market and Art on the Town have become such an integral part of this community. From my end, it was so wonderful to make a connection to the greater community I live in beyond Lawrence, and I still love getting to go visit the farmers market or my favorite sandwich shop and saying hi to my wonderful downtown friends!
Here is one of the chalk drawings from last summer’s Chalk on the Town! The sidewalks of College Avenue were lined with dozens of chalk drawings like these after the event! The theme of last summer was Dr. Seuss, which is why it’s a drawing of Horton.
Before I end the longest blog post ever, I just thought I would give my recommendations on a few of my favorite places to go/see/eat in downtown Appleton! I’ve included some pictures below of some of my favorite places, but my favorites that aren’t pictured include: Bagelicious (a fabulous bagel and sandwich shop!), Victoria’s Restaurant (a lovely Italian restaurant that serves HUGE portions!), and The History Museum at the Castle (they have an exhibit on Harry Houdini, as well as other fantastic exhibits on local history!).
This is the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, which is located right in downtown! They have an amazing roster of concerts and shows each year, including traveling Broadway musicals! I often go to the performing arts center to hear the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra perform, and Lawrence students sometimes get the opportunity to perform at the performing arts center for various occasions!
This is the Copper Rock, which is a very popular coffee shop and hangout spot!
This is the Trout Museum of Art, Appleton’s main art museum. They have really great exhibits throughout the year, and I actually volunteered there last summer when I wasn’t working at Appleton Downtown! The Trout’s theme last summer was Dr. Seuss (just as it was with Chalk on the Town!), which is why there is a “Cat in the Hat” hat above the museum sign.
This is me in front of my favorite downtown eatery, The Green Gecko. They serve an amazing variety of meats, cheeses, and sandwiches, but I always get their delicious meatball sub! It’s a wonderful place!
Photos courtesy of Nathan Lawrence ’15