The Best Spots Downtown

Campus is absolutely beautiful today! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and I’m even wearing shorts. A walk outside entails seeing a sea of Carleton students anxious to soak up the vitamin D and finally being able to toss a frisbee around on the Bald Spot. But as much as I love the campus that I call home—and I do really truly love it—the biggest plus of a day as sunny as today is feeling the rays on your back on the walk downtown.

That’s right! Carleton students win twice! Not only is our campus perfect, but we are just a 5-10 minute walk away from downtown Northfield MN, one of my favorite places in the entire world. Town has everything: good eats, cozy coffee shops, and connection with the local community. Here are some of my favorite places to go downtown, and how they’ve snuck themselves into my Carleton lifestyle.

Goodbye Blue Monday

As you’ll know if you’ve been reading my blogs for a while, my bio highlights my true love for the crowning jewel of Division Street: Goodbye Blue Monday. Blue Monday (AKA GBM, Gblumday, or whatever you want to call it) is a popular spot for Carleton students to grab a coffee and study. The couches have been there since at least the early 2000s, the baristas are kind and play fun music, and their giant cookies are one of my favorite snacks ever. I’ve built a Friday morning stop at Blue Monday into my weekly routine this term, and it’s the perfect time to destress and get some last-minute work done before the weekend.

Now, I must disclaim here that Blue Monday is not the only beloved coffee spot in Northfield. There’s many, such as the Raven’s Nest, known for their crepes, the Tea Room, which is tucked away and has lovely popovers, Hideaway is great if you want a sandwich, or Bread People for unbelievably delicious donuts. There’s also Blue Monday’s top competitor for student competition, the always-packed Little Joy Coffee. They’ve gone viral recently for sharing their Raspberry Danish Latte recipe with coffee shops around the world. Their vibe is very indie and their drinks are always photogenic, but I’m still a firm believer that Blue Monday is the way to go for pure warmth and heart. I guess the only way to decide is to try both and take your side in the Northfield coffee wars!

Desi Diner

Having dinner in town is sort of a rarity for Carleton students, especially since the food at Burton and LDC is decently good and has already been paid for in your tuition (check the menus here to find out what I’ll be eating today). But for your friend’s birthday, a third date, or when your parents are in town, Desi Diner quite simply can’t be beat. It’s delightfully low-priced Indian food served by some really kind locals and I’m actually obsessed with it.

My recommendation is the Paneer Makhani with white rice and garlic naan. It’s truly something special. People also go nuts for the samosas and mango lassi. Even though it’s nothing fancy, I think it’s one of the best spots to debrief after a long week and grow even closer by sharing a meal.

Homebody Refill Market

Are you in need of orange-scented laundry detergent or a locally made wool dryer ball? Head to Homebody Refill Market! This place is not as popular among Carleton students as I think it should be. It’s an easy way to stalk up on essentials without having to make the walk to the grocery store and staying environmentally conscious. They also have a really nice student discount and the employees are super nice! I’ve made a nice habit of stopping by with my metal bottles once every few weeks. The products are great too: my hair at Carleton is always silky smooth!

Northfield Dance Academy

My last shout out is especially niche—I only know one other Carleton student who frequents this spot. Northfield Dance Academy is one of my many places of employment in the Northfield. It’s a wonderful community of local kids, parents, and adult dancers alike. I make the trek, rain or shine, down to NDA every weekend to teach an adult tap class. One of my favorite Carleton professors, Daphne McCoy in the Dance department, actually runs this studio.

Going to the studio is one of my favorite parts of my week because it allows me to get in touch with the Northfield community. The stress of Carleton means that it often feels pretty all-consuming, but getting downtown is such a wonderful reminder that non-students exist and that there’s a whole community right outside of campus. I highly recommend that Carleton students make an effort to get involved in town, whether it’s through the community outreach programs at the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, yoga classes at one of the many studios downtown, or working in town like I do.

In Summary…

…Downtown Northfield is the absolutely most perfect place to be a college student. There’s plenty of things to do without getting entirely overwhelmed, and I love connecting with the community. Even still, there are plenty of places that I love and didn’t touch upon here, like The Blast—an amazingly cheap ice cream shop, Contented Cow—a popular late-night spot with students, and even the public library. The only way to really experience Northfield is to explore it yourself. If you have recommendations, please send them my way—I’m serious!

Emma (she/her/hers) is a sophomore Art History major/European Studies minor from Attleboro, Massachusetts. When she’s not in class, you can probably find Emma engrossed in a terribly long conversation in Burton Dining Hall, knitting at a Bald Spot picnic table, or perusing the museum studies stacks on third libe. Beyond blogging, she works for the Registrar’s Office, teaches adult tap dance classes downtown, and loves submitting to student publications like babyteeth and No Fidelity. She loves Carleton for the number of opportunities it offers and the close connections she’s formed with professors, not to mention proximity to coffee from Goodbye Blue Monday and early morning walks through the neighborhoods.