Favorite Spots in Claremont
Ah, Claremont–it seems so small and yet there’s a thing to do everywhere you look. Something an upperclassman said to me my first year that I’ve never forgotten: “If you’re bored in Claremont, it’s your fault,” and so far I’ve found it to be pretty true: when someone isn’t throwing a party on campus, your friends are having a movie night, or there’s a trivia competition/jazz concert–you can get up to any number of activities, just within the one square mile of campus. But off-campus, one quick 10-minute walk southwards, there’s even more to discover.
The first place you’ll run into walking into the Claremont Village is Bert & Rocky’s, a very adorable ice cream shop that feels very Mom & Pop soda shoppe. They’ve got the classics, chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, but they’ve also got crazy flavors like butterscotch and lavender. All homemade, all delicious (and while ice cream is their main gig, you have got to try their caramel apples).
Walking past Bert & Rocky’s, past the video store and past the hot dog shop, you’ll find the Laemmle, Claremont’s movie theater! My friends and I go here at least once a month to catch whatever goofy-sounding flick we heard is playing. It makes for a delightful Friday evening, and guarantees inside jokes about whatever we saw for at least the next month.
And tucked in a back corner, behind Some Crust bakery (which is a must visit–their apricot pinwheels and chocolate raspberry croissants are insane) is the hidden gem of the Claremont Village: CK Cafe, a tiny little tea shop. Don’t let its unassuming plain white exterior fool you–inside CK Cafe you will find literally wall-to-wall tea flavors, glass jars full of the coolest kinds of tea you’ve ever–and never–heard of. They’ve got classic leaf tea, iced tea, bubble tea, and other ones I’m forgetting. And all four walls are decorated with a stunning Alice in Wonderland mural. It’s truly a magical, mad place in there.
Of course, these are only a few Village treasures: there’s also Vintage Paradise and Deelux, some delightful vintage stores that never fail to deliver on crazy finds; Pepo Melo and Ubatuba, extremely yummy açai bowl spots; and of course the train station that can get you to L.A. in 50 minutes. Life is good here.