Come May, there is an annual exodus from Charlottesville of the 23,721 undergrad and grad students who are enrolled at UVA. Some stragglers remain, but summer in the city, especially on the Corner, is quiet in comparison to the fall, winter, and early spring. The emptiness of University Avenue highlights the complex relationship between the university and the Corner.
Many businesses set up shop on the Corner because of UVA and its vast associated population. Paul Collinge, owner of Heartwood Books, has been there since 1975. “I chose the location because I was looking for something near a university,” he says.
His store appeals to an educated, yet bohemian clientele, the post-adolescents that the university harbors. The summer calmness, though, changes his business. Focus shifts from students to locals.
Rahul Patel is one of the newest business owners on the Corner. Hoos are regulars at his shop, the 7 Days Jr. Convenience Store. Patel, who is building a franchise, has two locations in Charlottesville, and came to the Corner because of the hyper activity.
“The Corner is the center of life at UVA,” he says. “I’ve been in that area for almost two-and-a-half years.” Patel hasn’t experienced a summer on the Corner yet, but he’s anticipating a lower volume. Still, he thinks the Corner is a good spot to build his franchise, “I’m building my 7-days-Jr. Chain. … I love this area, and that is a really good spot, and I strive to stay in the longer run.”
Laureen Megariotis’ only child just finished her first year at the university. While in Charlottesville for Days on the Lawn last summer, she was impressed by the serenity. “It reminded me of the quiet towns of New Jersey,” Megariotis says. “It was one of the things I loved about UVA the most for my child. It wasn’t crowded or overwhelming like city schools.”
Her impression completely changed during a November visit. “I was shocked,” she says. “We were staying at The Draftsman, and walking our daughter back to her dorm on that Friday night, we saw so many students out wearing microscopic tops. We could hear the frat music from our hotel.” The partying young adults, though, support the bars, and late-night restaurants on the Corner.
Corner cafés, such as Corner Juice and Grit Coffee, are day-time watering holes for students and faculty. According to student Alex Vorbyeva, who is taking summer classes, the ambiance is completely different between the two times of year. “Finals season, you couldn’t even get a seat at Corner Juice. Sure, ordering was no problem, but you had to sit in the park, on the Lawn, or in 1515. … I don’t have any problems getting a seat now.”
Despite providing patrons to Corner businesses, UVA independently competes against the popular shopping and dining district. While he signed a non-compete agreement, Collinge recalls that “the university switched policies, and they decided to sell everything they could make money on the Grounds of the university.” A change in merchandise for Collinge followed.
“Universities now don’t sell a lot of books, but a lot of imprinted and actual sportswear, and the various restaurants that are in Newcomb Hall, and they opened a travel agency, and a barbershop there,” he says. “They opened all these things that are designed to compete with private enterprises in the City of Charlottesville, and that really did have an impact on the Corner. It really knocked the supports out from underneath a lot of business.”