As we travel, college towns are among my favorite stops, providing long-established traditions with an exciting vibe of youth. With the exception of newly-added Missouri, I’ve been to every SEC campus for football games, and also traveled to other college towns in each state I’ve visited. However, one college town holds a greater place in my heart than any other, my alma mater, Auburn, Alabama, nestled on I-85 between Atlanta and Montgomery.
Known as the loveliest village on the plains, the town’s nickname has been repeated since it was deemed by Oliver Goldsmith in an 1800s poem. Auburn was incorporated in 1839 and the university was founded in 1856. The main portion of campus is now intertwined with the town’s center and is quite pedestrian friendly.
Our favorite places
Opelika
Nearby Opelika has become a shopping mecca for the area lately, with Tigertown on I-85 at Exit 58 (offering free shuttles to football games) and a revitalized historic downtown area with popular spots including Irish Bred Company and Café 123.
Toomer’s Corner
Unfortunately, the most well-known spot, Auburn’s old oaks at Toomer’s Corner were recently cut down after being poisoned by an eccentric fan of an opposing team.
Chewacla State Park
For a nice Saturday picnic, look for Chewacla State Park. Golfers will find one of the nation’s top golf courses at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.
Auburn University
When you view the famous horses of Kentucky, as we did when we saw Street Sense win at the 2007 Kentucky Derby, most are treated by Auburn veterinarians. This is because Kentucky has no in-state vet school of its own so a reciprocal agreement with Auburn gives AU the designation of Kentucky’s vet school. As you drive off of the main campus and past the Greek community onto Wire Road, you will see the portion of campus that rose from the original agricultural college, leading Alabama legend Bear Bryant to refer to Auburn as that “cow college.” Across this part of the extended campus, Kentucky license plates are everywhere with aspiring veterinarians attending school at in-state rates.
Many Auburn students fall in love with the area and elect to remain, working either at the university or for an area business, such as Briggs & Stratton, Kia, GE Aviation and several automobile part suppliers.
Samford Hall
A walk from Toomer’s Corner on the edge of downtown to Samford Hall is recommended and picturesque. Stop at Toomer’s Drugs, the namesake drugstore from long ago and grab a famous lemonade to stay refreshed as you walk.
Lovelace Athletic Museum
Nestled on the side of the new coliseum is the Lovelace Athletic Museum, home to several athletic national championship trophies along with text on the history of Auburn athletics, quotes from Auburn stars and coaches, and recordings of screaming fans while the late Jim Fyffe yells “Touchdown Auburn” in the manner of a South American soccer broadcast. Auburn fans will definitely want to make a stop. Just be sure to stop and pick up a visitor pass from the police department if you want to avoid a parking citation.
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Towering above the arena is Jordan-Hare Stadium, the nation’s 10th largest on-campus stadium with seating capacity for more than 87,000 and statues of three Heisman trophy winners standing out front facing Haley Center, the campus’ tallest building. Whenever possible, we attend the Auburn-Georgia game. I wear my orange and blue while Monica wears the red and black of her home state. An SEC football game is likely the greatest cultural experience for a tourist to witness while in the southeastern United States. Obviously, Auburn fans have a certain bias toward their own stadium and rituals, so I will allow the description to come from a writer from Syracuse, Monica’s graduate school, after his first visit to the Auburn campus.
Bud Poliquin of Syracuse: “Believe me on this. Please. I have descended into college football’s Grand Canyon. I have stood in its Alps. I have gazed at its ocean sunset. I have attended a game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. And I’ve been changed forever.”
Eats
In downtown, you’ll find typical southeastern college eateries such as Mellow Mushroom and Cheeburger Cheeburger along with a constantly changing landscape of bars and nightclubs, which have always struggled to maintain a lengthy stay under one name due to Auburn’s laws requiring a certain percentage of sales to be food rather than drinks. The popular Bodega Bar sold hotdogs at lunch time during my tenure at AU to try to meet this requirement. It, too, couldn’t last and is now known as The Bank Vault. One alcohol establishment has remained throughout the years, The War Eagle Supper Club, a small dump on College Street, which has been ranked by Playboy Magazine as one of the nation’s top 50 college bars and is renowned for concerts over the past several decades. This bar even gives you a ride home in “The Drunk Bus,” a van sporting a license plate that reads “NO DUI.”
Creole and Seafood Shack remains ESPN’s favorite recommendation. Anything New Orleans style sounds good to us. Niffer’s burgers and fishbowl drinks are legendary across campus. A second location has also now opened in downtown Opelika; there you can find half-price burgers Wednesday evenings. And while on campus, walk past all of the Chick-Fil-A locations and head to Momma Goldberg’s, the original Jewish deli location that has now begun franchising, and order a “Momma’s Love.”
For barbecue, the traditional choice is The Barbecue House (also serving breakfast for early Saturday morning football games) although Mike and Ed’s is also now wildly popular. And at night, the top choice for most Auburn locals would be Amsterdam Café.
If the town of Auburn is a bit more city-like than you prefer or to escape the game day crowds, you can quickly make it to the country for a dinner at Good Ol’ Boys in a portion of Auburn that was one of the last areas annexed, and is still surrounded by pastures.
Working in Auburn
“Job opportunities are numerous and keep growing with the continued expansion of the technology and industrial parks,” says Joe McAdory, the former editorial page editor of the Opelika-Auburn News who is now serving as the communications editor for the Auburn University College of Business, about working in Auburn. “It’s a progressive, academic city with an eye on the economic future, security of its residents and overall quality of life.”
Joe says Auburn is attractive for its simplicity with working commutes averaging around 15 minutes without the traffic jams witnessed in more metropolitan areas. Working professionals also have plenty options for lunch with less than a 10-minute commute to and from a variety of restaurants.
A drawback is the lack in variety of recreation venues. “Auburn does not offer a multitude of entertainment opportunities like larger cities,” says Joe. “Probably the largest area attraction revolves around Auburn University athletics and four public area 18-hole championship golf courses and three private courses.”
All and all, though, Joe says he enjoys “the small-town feel and ease in commuting that working in Auburn offers.”
How do I rate Auburn? On any given day of the year it is about a seven out of 10, standing as one of my favorite places to be but offering no competition to world landmarks we often visit. However, on a nice autumn day on the Plains when the town suddenly transforms into a metropolitan area with 90,000 screaming fans and more who make the drive just to sit outside where normal open container laws are suspended for the day, I’d take Bud Poliquin’s assessment and give it a 10.
-Chris
