My son will be living in the area for the forsee able future, so any up to date recs for stores and bars would be appreciated. Thanks.
UConn based? Honestly, while I was there, it was a little dry. There are a few stores around the area but I found them to be expensive. Pub 32 always has a decent tap list and its not far off campus. Otherwise, I found myself heading over to Willimantic Brewing Company most of the time. Decent food and large tap list with a lot of guest pours too. Depending on how you get to UConn, there are plenty of shops/breweries along the way that are a quick shot off the highway.
Yeah, you guessed it, and thanks for that. As to our route, we're coming from north NJ, so I assume it'll be I-91 to I-94.
No problem! You are in luck that there are plenty of nice breweries off of 95 and 91 that shouldn't be too much of a detour on your way too or from UConn. In my opinion, you wouldn't have too much trouble just choosing a brewery off the list that's easiest for you to get to. You start to run out of options when you get past Manchester though.
You'll probably find that it will be be better to avoid the 95/91 route and take the Tapenzee to get up to 84 in NY. As for breweries, Willimantic is the answer, one of our offices is up that way and I always enjoy my visits there. Other than that, it's a pretty desolate area beer-wise.
U C O N N UCONN UCONN UCONN! 2009 grad myself, and I'm not of much help as my craft fandom didn't kick in until after, and I'm back in central CT, but just couldn't pass the opportunity. Congrats to you and the family. God knows the admissions nowadays are on a different level than they were 10 years ago... If you ever want to meet up for a men's basketball game, I'll bring Treehouse, Fox Farm and Counterweight. Let me know.
"On" campus bars are divey. "Downtown Storrs" is pretty limited for craft beer. The one place that opened with a pretty decent effort had a fire and, I think, hasnt reopened small, regional chain Hop Knot opened over winter break, just off campus. Decent craft list. Pretzel themed snacks/sandwiches. Still working out some kinks. Camille's Pizza, just off 84 at the 195 exit to Storrs, has great thin crust pizza, sandwiches, and frequently has gems in their small taplist. Turnover is fast. They do a great job. As mentioned, Willibrew is super. Just won "best beer bar in CT" other than that, TH is 35 minutes up the road. Worcester is 55 minutes. The I91 corridor between Hartford and NH has many, many solid options
One time we were running late for the yearly UConn women's game and my wife suggested Geno's Grille right in Storrs for a quick dinner. Good if pricey food, but they definitely had rotating craft taps: CT Valley, Two Roads, Grey Sail, Stubborn Beauty amongst others.
Thanks a lot, everybody, you've all given me a great head start! We'll probably start looking for apartments in May or June, and it'll be real nice to have some places to check out right off the bat. Thanks for the congrats and offer. My son's been accepted into the science PhD program, so he gets all the credit . I'm definitely really proud, naturally, and happy to see all of his hard work paid off. I'll definitely keep this thread in mind when the time comes.
FYI, cheapest housing options are in Willimantic. Speculators, investors, and international cash have caused housing prices in the greater Storrs/Mansfield area to explode. Almost every time a small house near Storrs hits the market, it's snatched by one property management firm or another, almost immediately. The next semester, there's at least 4 cars in the driveway. It's very rural. If your son will have a car, the options expand exponentially. There's a bus that runs Willi to Storrs. Other than that, and to go anywhere, he'll need a car.
Yeesh! Thankfully the apartments he's considering seem to be within his budget, but we'll have to keep that in mind for the future in case rents start to increase. And thanks for the tip regarding transportation, he'll definitely have a car to get around and will be looking at places within a 15 minute radius.
