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Behrend Beacon
You'll never be 'barred' from
this local lounge
1 hree of the four J's present their work of college art, a bar in their apartment
Rumor has it that their place is a relaxation haven.
by Kristen Schrum
staff writer
Ever feel the need to meet more
new and exciting people? Well,
Jason Wachter, Jim Busa, Jake Schade,
and Jeff Hughes not only did, but did
something about it. They raised the
bar for comfortable apartment living.
The four Js' place is very different
from the standard issue apartment.
As for comfort, the guys at this
On the Road Again...
Chagrins even better the second time around
by Melody Sherosky
staff writer
I told you all I would return to
Chagrin Falls, Ohio. How couldn't
I'' The first time I visited I saw many
things that I did not have a chance
to investigate, so I returned to dig a
little deeper into this busy Ohio
town.
First, I must say that Chagrin Falls
is a rich place. It is full of people
who are, well, probably more well
off than you and I (put together).
What that means for us visitors is
that we can enjoy top notch food and
shopping with people dressed much
better than we are. And they are also
people who must have very le to do!
Every time I have visited Chagrin,
whether it is winter or summer, day
or night, the main streets and the
park along the Chagrin River are
always full of people, children, and
dogs. The dogs are incredibly well
behaved in Chagrin Falls, too.
The downtown area of Chagrin
Falls is based on a triangle-shaped
park. If it looks sort of familiar, you
may remember it from the back of a
Calvin and Hobbes book where
Calvin is a giant crushing the town.
Bill Watterson is originally from
Chagrin, and you can often find
signed copies of Calvin and Hobbes
books at the Fireside Bookstore on
the triangle. You will also find a lot
df other hooks from local authors.
As you walk 1111(1110 the triangle,
you will get to the bridge that goes
apartment have gone above and
beyond the call of duty. Every
college student's apartment needs
a little decoration to make it feel
more like home, but the guys in
this apartment have added a little
something extra...their apartment
has a bar.
That's right. they built a bar in the
middle of their kitchen. And
what's more, it's legal because they
are all at least 21 years old. This
The majestic beauty of Chagrin Falls
over Chagrin Falls, and the Chagrin
River. You can walk down to the
boardwalk to get a better view of the
falls. And if one is very careful, one
can walk up under the bridge and get
a view of the falls.
Directly above the falls is the
popcorn shop, an old building that
looks like it init!ht 1:111 into the river
at inv iwcaase of its
~lf'C.':ti I1~1!
Friday, December 7, 2001
bar is about eight feet long and
includes many features such as a
black-and-white checkerboard
top, wood paneling, a dishwasher,
and barstools.
Surrounding the bar are a variety
of decorative "bar lights." The
bar was built during the summer
over a two-week period, with the
total cost for the wooden structure
of the bar and the tabletop being
$9O.
The living room of the four Js'
apartment has a totally different
atmosphere from the "bar room".
This room is the lounge area of
the apartment and it has a comfy,
warm, and appealing ambience.
Where most apartments only have
a plant or two in a room, there are
five live plants that surround this
living room. The plants make
visitors feel as though they have
just walked into a jungle. Also, a
comfortable couch is a necessity
when having guests stay the night.
Apartment member Wachter says
that their couch, affectionately
named "Old Brown", has seen its
share of "crashers".
"Upwards of 20 people have
slept comfortably here after
nights of fun," Wachter said.
Needless to say, these guys know
how to accommodate the comforts
of their visitors.
"One of the things that draws
people to the apartment is the four
guys who live there all have
charismatic personalities and they
make their visitors feel welcome,"
said Stephanie, a student who did
not give her last name.
"You never know what to expect
when you go there," said Kim,
another frequent visitor who did not
give her last name. "It keeps things
interesting."
The popcorn shop has many treats,
like ice cream and chocolate, that
will give one energy for continuing
a walk around Chagrin Falls. It will,
however, be packed with the
children of wealthy shoppers.
The shops in Chagrin are
interesting, to say the least. If
someone doesn't have the money for
a $5,000 wardrobe made in East
Timor, one can at least walk around
, d ,t
Hot Spots in Erie
The Millcreek Mall
by Karl Benacci
features editor
Let's face it: Erie doesn't have a lot
of places to shop. When the Christ
mas season is in full swing, an indi
vidual must often run from store to
store, buying presents for everyone on
his or her list.
This can be quite hectic for it takes
up time! What can one do to cut down
the time needed to shop?
All one needs to do is go to the
Millcreek Mall. After all, it boasts of
such stores as American Eagle, the
Gap and the Limited.
The mall looks like a tacky eyesore
eleven months out of the year; how
ever, it looks halfway decent during
the Christmas months for a number of
reasons
The mall goes crazy on decorating
it appreciating how big, beautiful and
expensive it is. Then again, there are
also some shops that do not cater
only to loaded people. The Chagrin
Falls hardware store is really a
hardware store, but has some strange
old things scattered throughout. I
found a 1953 version of Monopoly
in great condition for only $5. I also
saw stamps and sealing wax, old
furniture, and every hardware need
Karl Benacci, Features Editor
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
behrcolls@aol.com
the interior; yet pulls it off, transform
ing itself into a festival of lights and
cheer
Santa Claus is even at the Millcreek
Mall, along with his kingdom of
elves
Perhaps the best thing about visit
ing the mall during the holidays is
purchasing a gift certificate which can
be used at any store in the mall. There
are also booths set up throughout the
mall where employees graciously
wrap presents - for free!
Finally, for us Erieites, a great facet
of going to the mall during the holi
days is that we see many people from
our past, including old friends and
classmates.
Gifts and holiday cheer definitely
go hand-in-hand, making the
Millcreek Mall a fun and festive Ho)
Spot in Erie.
you can think of. There is also a great
little toy store on the triangle, packed
to the gills with wooden and modern
toys of all sorts.
Coming out of the stores, you may
notice that the music gets louder. In
fact, it may be the first time one
realizes that there is music, pumped
in to the town over several P.A.
speakers in the downtown area.
From now until Christmas,
townsfolk will hear holiday music on
the streets while they walk around
doing shopping in Chagrin,
something one may not be used to
unless one is in a mall.
When hunger strikes, or when the
music gets too loud, I highly
recommend Dink's Restaurant,
across the triangle from the book and
toy stores. It serves breakfast all day,
but has lunch and dinner options,
too. Prices were decent, and their
chocolate cream pie was to die for.
Whether there's some Christmas
shopping to do, or you are a big
Calvin fan, or just need a break from
Erie, Chagrin Falls is a great little
place with friendly people. Until
next time...
From Erie to Chagrin Falls, OH
(appx. 1 1/2 hrs.): Take 1-90 West to
the Mentor Exit #193 (Rt. 306), go
left/South on Rt. 306 for about 25
miles to Bell Rd, GO right on Bell
for about 5 miles until you hit main
street, turn left and you are there.