College guides and Reddit threads can only go so far when getting the inside scoop about what a school is really like. That’s why The Emory Wheel’s Opinion editors are bringing new and returning students a candid back-to-school guide that answers all of your burning questions. From the cheapest ways to explore Atlanta to the best eats near campus, editors answer incoming first-year students’ questions, sharing tidbits every Emory University student should know before stepping foot on campus.
Q: Are there any hidden gems on campus?
Madeline Shapiro: In the first few weeks of college, you will quickly learn that Emory’s Atlanta campus is small — really small. If you walk at a brisk enough pace, you can get from the Freshman Quadrangle to Emory Village in about 10 minutes. After a few weeks at Emory, you will have explored pretty much every building and pathway there is to see. For the exploratory student, however, there are several hidden spots around campus that I wish I had discovered sooner.
Be sure to go visit Lullwater Preserve, a park off of Clifton Road near the Woodruff Residential Center, as often as you can, especially in the fall. With paths that wind around a small reservoir, it’s the perfect spot to clear your mind on a walk or run or to hold an impromptu picnic during a stressful week. You can also walk along Peavine Creek off of Eagle Row for a short escape from the center of campus.
If you are looking for a cozy, quiet and rarely-crowded study spot, I suggest the third floor of Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum, where there is a new coffee shop and a few tables hidden away from the University Quadrangle. Additionally, even though it’s not a place you can study, everyone should take at least one trip to the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. It is on the 10th floor of the Robert W. Woodruff Library and contains rare books, manuscripts and other archival materials. Besides being a cool place to look at old letters, on a clear day, it’s got the best views of campus and Atlanta’s skyline above the expansive canopy.
Q: What are the most accessible and cheap transportation methods to explore Atlanta?
MS: It’s no secret that Atlanta’s public transit system — the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) — is not the most efficient or robust in the country. For incoming students hoping to traipse around Atlanta with ease like on New York’s subway system or “the T” in Boston, you will quickly learn that this will not be the case given Emory’s suburban location in Druid Hills.
This is not meant to discourage you from using MARTA — it is by far the cheapest way to get around Atlanta, with $2.50 for basic one-way tickets, buses and rail lines able to take you all across Atlanta’s sprawling metro area. If you have any concerns or questions about taking MARTA, I suggest reading our writer Josselyn St. Clair’s op-ed in favor of the public transit system as the best way to explore the city.
For Emory students, there is also another option for getting around select parts of the city in addition to MARTA and rideshares: the Emory shuttles. Don’t get too wrapped up in your daily commute — the shuttles can take you much further than across campus. Despite not always being the most prompt or easy to track, the Emory shuttle system, which is centered at Woodruff Circle on the Atlanta campus, can bring students places like the Toco Hills Shopping Center, downtown Decatur, Ga., and Ponce City Market, a special weekend route Emory Student Government Association launched last semester to the popular food and retail hall. Even if you’re just getting groceries at Toco Hills, I recommend making use of the shuttles on campus, especially if you don’t have a car.
Q: What are the best restaurants near Emory?
Ethan Jacobs: As a freshman, you automatically get $150 Dooley Dollars with your meal plan. If you like coffee, the best places to spend your Dooley Dollars on campus are at Kaldi’s Coffee and Costa Coffee. If coffee is not your style, you can also go to Cox Hall’s food court, where every student can find their favorites after the remodel. You can also walk 10 minutes from the Freshman Quadrangle to Emory Village, where you will find staples including Chipotle, Cava, Falafel King (my favorite), Summit Coffee and tons of other restaurants bustling with students and community members.
While there are plenty of options close to home, we urge you to venture off campus whenever possible! Try Buena Gente Cuban Bakery, which is a 25 minute walk down North Decatur Road. This small bakery sells out quickly, so arrive early in the morning to get amazing cortaditos, heavenly guava cream cheese pastries and the best cubanos. If you can’t decide what cuisine you are interested in, sampling the incredible food halls nearby is a right of passage for all Emory students. Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market sit along the Atlanta Beltline, a 22-mile loop housing restaurants, shops and apartments, some of which are my favorite eateries in Atlanta.
Stop by Botiwalla by Chai Pani in Ponce for excellent Indian street food or Varuni Napoli in Krog for one of the best pizzas in Atlanta. I highly recommend the lamb burgers from Botiwalla by Chai Pani and Porrecca Picante pizza from Varuni Napoli. Gu’s Dumplings in Krog is also a must-eat spot in Atlanta, and a favorite of the Wheel staff on late production nights. If you’ve already met someone special, or just want to get a fun dinner with friends, my favorite date spot is in Inman Park, which is close to Krog. At Bartaco, which boasts upscale street food, any taco you try will be delicious. And for dessert, walk only 50 feet over to Voga Italian Gelato for amazing crepes.
To our Oxford College new students, we have not forgotten you — despite its scale compared to Atlanta, there are plenty of great spots to check out in Covington. If you’re in the mood to sip and study, check out either Bread and Butter Bakery or @Local Coffee House, both located conveniently in Covington Square, which is only a shuttle ride away from the Oxford campus. For “The Vampire Diaries” fans, snagging a table at the Mystic Grill is also a must. For a casual lunch or dinner, Your Pie Pizza is also a great choice for fast and fresh pizza on a budget.
No matter what you are interested in, my most crucial recommendation is to explore. Atlanta, including the Oxford area and its restaurants, is a big place, overflowing with culture and personality. Go see for yourself and find your own favorites.
Q: What is school spirit like at Emory?
MS: If you are attending Emory this fall, you likely already know that we do not have a football team. We have other things: an R1 research status, top liberal arts, nursing and business programs and a skeleton as a mascot. But alas, no packed stadiums with crazy fans decked in their school colors or intense rivalries with other southeast football fanbases. As a result, Emory school spirit suffers, and, throughout your first year, you may look wistfully at the Instagram posts of your friends at other colleges on game day.
A relative lack of athletics-based school spirit compared to other schools may not be a bad thing, though. It teaches you to cherish the moments when Emory does have spirit and when students come together with a common sense of pride in the university. The Coke Toast, for example, which happens at the beginning of a student's time at Emory and at the end, is the perfect Emory tradition to mark entering and exiting your four years here. Despite how inconvenient or tiresome the practices may be, the Atlanta campus’ Songfest is another moment worth savoring, as it may be the height of competitive spirit on campus.
Don’t sleep on Emory Athletics, either. As recent winners of the Learfield Directors’ Cup, Emory has some of the best Division III athletics. With the gym and sports arena both so close to the center of campus, make sure to check out soccer and volleyball games in the fall and some Friday night basketball games. Even though we do not have a football team, I am confident that a series of small moments throughout your time at Emory will culminate in your own unique sense of school spirit.
Contact Madeline Shapiro at madeline.shapiro@emory.edu and Ethan Jacobs at ethan.jacobs@emory.edu
Madeline Shapiro (she/her) (26C) is from Stamford, Conn., majoring in creative writing and classic civilizations. She manages the Wheel’s opinion section. Outside of the Wheel, Shapiro can be found playing low-stakes games of soccer, spending time outdoors and watching as many Premier League games as possible.
