A Guide to Town
By: Lauren Kim, Anvi Bhate, Michael Yang, Reilly Piersimoni
Cheers and whoops erupted across the Academy Building lawn on May 7, as Principal William Rawson announced the return of unchaperoned trips into town for boarding students.
In the past week, many students have enjoyed this opportunity by strolling into town with friends, picking up dinners at their favorite restaurants or checking out the Farmers’ Market, a weekly occurrence on Swasey from 2:15 to 5:30 p.m. on Thursdays. Whether they’re eating Sichuan dumplings at Szechuan Taste or exploring a lively farmer’s market, students enjoy spending their increasingly sunny afternoons exploring the Town of Exeter’s various highlights.
Students shared tips for those visiting town for the first time.
Lower Lydia Osei encouraged minorities and women to be especially cautious when going into town. “I would recommend [walking with a friend] for anyone, especially if you are a minority or a woman or… you feel as though certain elements of town can't be safe for you. I've heard of a lot of students who have been yelled at by a lot of townspeople recently,” Osei said.
Upper Coco Lipe gave similar advice. “If you’re walking into town after dark, make sure to bring at least two other people and a charged phone: you never know who you will encounter after the sun sets, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
For those who are venturing into town for the first time this year, the best brunch places or gift shops still remain a mystery. Some new students look forward to getting to know the town better and discovering their own favorite spots. “I want to try out new foods and also get advice from the people who have gone to town countless times on which restaurants are the best,” lower Franklin Chow said.
More seasoned Exonians shared their opinions on the best of Exeter.
The town offers a wide variety of restaurants to pick and choose from. Lower David Kim enjoys visiting Las Olas Taqueria on the weekends. “I love going to Las Olas, located right as you turn left from High street onto Portsmouth Avenue, every Friday night,” Kim said. “I get the steak quesadilla every time, a dish I would highly recommend to any new student.”
Osei shared her love for Lexie’s Exeter. “They have the best food there and they also have vegetarian options and a lot of really creative fries,” she said enthusiastically. “The food quality is just so good.”
Senior Aren Mizuno suggested visiting the nearby Dunkin’ while on a run. “I highly recommend [running to] Dunkin’, which is located a bit past Las Olas and Walgreens, at night. It’s great leaving campus at 9:45 and jogging to Dunkin and barely making it on time before it closes at 10. The satisfaction of making it on time makes the donuts and coffee ten times better,” Mizuno said.
For a weekend morning, students listed their favorite breakfast spots.
“My favorite restaurant is Trackside because the food for breakfast is amazing, while it [is] close and cheap,” senior Thomas Guo said.
Lipe recommended her favorite menu items in town. “Definitely Me & Ollie’s—their pesto veggie panini is to die for. D2 [Java] also has incredible London Fogs,” she said.
Senior William Huang gave a few quick shoutouts. “The iced chai at St. Anthony’s is legendary, and when the weather gets hot, ordering an iced hot chocolate at D2 is the bomb,” he said.
While each student had a favorite restaurant or menu item, they encouraged Exonians to actively explore the town’s locations. “There are a lot of options in town, so do not limit yourself to only the ones you have tried out, as almost all places are decent,” Kim explained. “I know a lot of students that only have certain foods they go to, and have not tried out what the entire town has to offer.”
Outside of restaurants, many Exonians love the convenience of the Walgreens down Portsmouth Avenue.
Prep Mihir Shrestha said, “I enjoy the easy access to Walgreens whenever I am in need of household items.”
Senior James McKenna described one of his preferred routines into town. “My favorite combo is walking with my friends to Walgreens to grab supplies if we were low on things, and then heading to Las Olas for dinner,” McKenna said.
Osei recommended for students to organize their schedule before visiting places farther off campus. “Make sure that you're doing it at a time where you can really just, like, be able to let loose a little bit and relax...If you're gonna go relatively far off campus, like to Walgreens, chunk out enough time to be able to do so—two hours is what I do.”
Senior Daniel Cui offered different options. “I definitely recommend checking out the Water Street Bookstore and Whirligigs, both located on High Street.
Additionally, many students enjoy visiting the Farmer’s Market, where local vendors offer fresh groceries, baked goods, maple syrup, hot food and other amenities.
Prep Jack Gordon said, “I love the Farmer’s Market, which has a wide variety of great fresh foods every Thursday on the River.”
Shrestha added, “I bought delicious sourdough bread, and know others who bought eggs to cook. It was a great and nearby event.”
New students are eager to continue exploring the different offerings the Town of Exeter has. Next week, students anticipate enjoying the Exeter Arts & Music Festival at Swasey Parkway, which will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 22. Students have enjoyed the new privilege of entering town, and have described it as a significant step in restoring the coveted sense of normalcy that Exonians have been seeking all year.