When I first moved to Kingston, I mistakenly assumed most of my time at Queens would be spent on campus.
Well, that assumption was true for my first year. Moving away from home was a big change that I minimized by staying put. After I settled on campus, I struggled to picture what life looked like beyond it. The most fun I had during my first semester were dorm events hosted by my Residence Don hosted. Eventually, I gained the courage to explore. I have since created all my favourite memories off campus, off the beaten path, and off exploring what our limestone city has to offer.
Study Spots
During my first year, I became frustrated with the lack of study spots on campus during exam season. My breaking point was searching through Stauffer and not finding a single empty seat. Once I reached the fourth floor, I got fed up, left, hopped on the bus, and for the first time, I went downtown by myself.
As I explored every café along Princess Street, I looked like a lost puppy, but now, I know my way around.
Crave‘s designated workspace has enough room to fit laptops, textbooks, sweet treats, and lots of coffee. For a cozy, quiet study space, upstairs at ChitChat Café is a must. However, nothing beats Juniper‘s view of Lake Ontario with one of their iconic Bride-L-Ts sitting in front of you.
Ditching dining halls
Dining hall meals get repetitive real quick, and there are only so many Loco sandwiches humans can safely consume in one week.
Luckily for Queen’s students, Kingston is one of Canada’s foodie capitals. Locals boast the city holds the most restaurants per capita in the country. When you’re tired of Lenny pizza, try local cuisine instead.
Miss Bāo is a sustainable Asian fusion restaurant and cocktail bar situated downtown. Look out for their trivia events on Friday nights!
Closer to City Hall, the Kingston Brewing Company is Ontario’s oldest brew pub, featuring over 28 different craft beers on tap — perfect for your performative beer drinking needs.
Entertainment
Laptops and Twin XLs aren’t meant for movie nights with friends. For my first birthday away from home, I collected my friends to watch Bottoms in theatres. Unbeknownst to me, this downtown excursion would lead to discovering one of my favorite spots in Kingston.
Loved by all Kingstonians, The Screening Room is an independent movie theatre that screens every movie from new releases to classic cinema to underrated indie gems. Cineplex seems less appealing when you can snack on old-fashioned popcorn, topped with real butter, with a cup of tea while attending a screening with a ticket that only costs $14 dollars — even cheaper if you have a membership card.
Nature
One of my orientation’s rite of passage moments was jumping into the Gord Edgar Downie Pier, a swimming pier that hangs onto the playful spirit of summer even in autumn. While Queen’s is one of Canada’s lucky campuses that has a waterfront, not too many students take advantage of the waterfront trail.
Along the lakeshore trail, I love sitting in the blue bandstand in MacDonald Park, examining the rocks to discover fossilized sea life, and watching the sunset by Richardson Beach without crowds.
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When my first year began, I should have made more of an effort to explore the off-campus side of Kingston while getting the hang of university life. Discovering its small-town charm, downtown core, and hidden gems is why moving away will be even harder than trying to find my footing here.
Tags
Gord Downie pier, hidden gems, The Screening Room
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