By Verla Roberts
It’s Friday night and you don’t have a clue what you want to do. You’d rather not go to the bars around campus and you’ve watched all of the movies in your DVD collection. So just what is out there to do on the weekends?
Although the city lies a train ride away, there are many places to go around Nassau and Suffolk counties on the weekends besides Bogart’s or McHebe’s. Many restaurants and movie theatres are located at the Roosevelt Field and the Source Mall.
“On the weekends I like to play poker and pool in the dorm with a group of friends when I’m not out at Applebee’s for those half-price appetizers,” junior Mark Denny said. “On Sundays I look forward to NASCAR racing.”
A big attraction near the University is the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum a quarter-mile away. The Coliseum offers events including concerts, car shows, college fairs, the circus and Disney on Ice. The New York Islanders and the New York Dragons, an Arena Football League (AFL) team, play there as well. Whatever a person wants to go see, they can go see it at the Coliseum. NHL players are currently locked out, but students should be able to catch a few Islanders games when the lockout is over.
“I go to Islander games at the Coliseum since I’m a big Islander fan,” Denny said. “It helps having them right next door.”
In the meantime, students can check out AutoExpo 2005 from Oct. 21 to Oct. 24. Tickets are $9.50 per person.
If you are into a certain type of food, Nassau County offers choices from authentic Italian cuisine to Asian food to Thai food. If you’re just looking for American food, there are places such as T.G.I. Friday’s on Merrick Avenue in Westbury, Tin Alley Grill on Stewart Avenue in Garden City, and Hooters on Hempstead Turnpike in East Meadow. Nassau County offers everything that your heart or your stomach could ask for.
One place in particular that serves authentic Italian cuisine is Café Baci. Café Baci has been around for 18 years and has been a hot spot ever since. Every night is usually a busy night for them, but they usually have the biggest turnout on Saturday nights. Café Baci serves normal appetizers, pasta, pizza, seafood specials, full desserts, coffee and cappuccino. The restaurant also employs a good amount of University students and graduates.
“One of the reasons Café Baci is so popular is because the price of the food is very reasonable and they are given in big portions,” Eric Kramer, a manger at Café Baci, said. “Also the service is very friendly and it’s a very nice looking place.”
Borrelli’s is another great place for Italian cuisine. Borrelli’s has been around for as long as anyone from the University can remember. It has been recognized as a University landmark because it’s the first thing that drivers see coming off of the Meadowbrook Parkway. Besides that, it has achieved a name for itself by serving delicious food.
An ideal place to take your large group of friends is Jillian’s at the Source Mall on Old Country Road in Westbury. Jillian’s offers various entertainment from video games, virtual games and even a real bowling alley. Jillian’s also offers a few different places to sit down and eat. It is basically an oversized arcade for big kids.
“Jillian’s is a fun place to go because they have a bit of everything: food, games, pool tables, bowling,” sophomore Kate Peterson said. “I go there on an occasion once every couple of months.”
Besides some great places to eat, there is one place to go just for its great atmosphere. Witches’ Brew in West Hempstead is a little coffee shop that offers all kinds of desserts and interesting coffee blends. The café is a great place to go with your friends and just chill out and relax. Instead of having normal tables and chairs, Witches’ Brew offers couches, comfortable chairs and coffee tables.
“Witches’ Brew is a very relaxing environment and everything is very unique and artistic,” senior Amanda Ruter said. “Even down to their [various] drink creations.”
If you’re someone who just wants to go out and dance, there are a few different dance clubs around Long Island that are not too far away from campus. The different clubs that are around are Blue Tequila at 135 Old Country Rd. in Carle Place, Tabu at 514 Hempstead Turnpike in West Hempstead and Shamrock at 138 New York Ave. in Halesite. Manhattan clubs include Flow at 150 Varick St. and Avalon at 16 East 32nd St. All the clubs play techno, house and hip-hop.
There are a ton of activities for University students to do on Long Island other than bar-hopping. Long Island does offer things to do without having to consume alcohol at the same time.
“I wish there were closer activities nearby Hofstra that were more accessible to everyone on campus,” Ruter said.