As the Claremont campuses become alive once again with fresh, wide-eyed faces and eager, returning upperclassmen, the thought of leaving the 5Cs is far from anyone’s mind. Yet week after week, students may find themselves yearning for a more diverse nightlife, craving a home-cooked or restaurant meal, and/or searching for a mere change of scenery. It’s no surprise that one of the largest selling points at the 5C admissions offices is the amazing location of the colleges and their proximity to one of the most dynamic cities in the world: Los Angeles. The area beyond Claremont offers a plethora of exciting activities for the thrill seeker, delicious food for the epicure, a myriad of concerts for the music fan, trendy stores and boutiques for the shopping expert, and everything in between. Let’s face it: everyone needs a little break from Claremont once in awhile, so why not make the best of it?

Nature Calls

Claremont students love to take advantage of the great outdoors, and the breathtaking mountains bordering the 5Cs provide ample opportunities to do so. "I like to go skiing at Mt. Baldy when the snow is good,” says David Cook (CMC ’11). “It’s about 30 minutes from school, but it doesn’t get that much snow."

Indeed, an adept skier would wince at the amount of snow Mt. Baldy receives, but it is a convenient place to go when students don’t have time to travel for good powder. On warmer days, Mt. Baldy also has great trails to go biking or hiking. “Potato Mountain is one of the best kept secrets in the area,” says Riley Lewis (CMC ’11). Potato Mountain sits above Claremont right next to Mt. Baldy. While it has been recovering from a devastating wildfire in 2002, it still offers a rewarding hike with views of Los Angeles and the Channel Islands on clear days.

Yet for busy and hard-working college students, finding time to organize trips off campus is difficult. That’s where On the Loose (OTL), Pomona’s outdoors club, which serves all of the Claremont Colleges, comes in.

“I highly recommend OTL for those without cars,” says Teija Mortvedt (SC ’11). “I've been to Joshua Tree which is so close to us, considering how far others come to go there.” According to its website (www.on-the-loose.org), OTL “dispatches student-led trips to destinations across California and the Southwestern states…[They] welcome students of all ability levels, from the most hardened sherpas to the freshest greenhorns.”

Scott Berkley (PO ’09), an OTL leader, says, “OTL is the group for outdoor activities at the 5Cs. Trips range from quick day hikes on the weekends to week-long treks through Utah for spring break. The best part about OTL is that it provides a place to meet other outdoor enthusiasts and gets you all the gear you need for your trips (for free!). It is by far one of the best ways to get off campus.” By signing up on the mailing list, students receive notification of upcoming trips.

But students don’t necessarily have to travel far off campus to get a small taste of nature—the Claremont campuses and surrounding area possess their own natural gems that any outdoor lover would appreciate.

“Local places to go are the Botanical Gardens, the Claremont Wilderness, and the Pitzer Outback,” suggests Ben Rubin (PZ ’10). The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden is specifically dedicated to the conservation of the state’s native plants. One of the largest botanical gardens in California, it’s located on North College Avenue across from the 5Cs. The Claremont Hills Wilderness Park, another popular trail for hiking and biking, begins at the north end of Mills Ave. “The Outback,” located on Pitzer’s campus, is characterized by its unique plant life and small pit stops marked by stone benches along the way. It’s a great place to go for a mid-day study break or for some pre-finals meditation or post-finals relaxation.

Feeling Beach-y

Many prefer to lounge around, play some beach volleyball, and work on their tans, rather than roughing it outdoors. Sick of the Scripps pool? Fortunately, California has an expansive list of beaches, all about an hour ‘s car ride from campus

Santa Monica, one of the most popular (and crowded) beaches in SoCal, attracts throngs of families, couples, and tourists daily, especially to visit the historic Santa Monica Pier. The Pier houses a variety of restaurants and food stands, a ferris-wheel and mini rollercoaster, kiosks full of toys and trinkets, and quirky street performers.

Besides Santa Monica, several other beaches are worth noting. “Some of the best beaches are Newport, which has great shopping and restaurants; Huntington, the surf capital and closest beach to Claremont; and Laguna, the small artsy town,” says Lewis.

Venice Beach is a favorite of local surfers and has a thriving art culture with great galleries and theatres in the area. Andy Moerer (SC ’11) loves to drive to Venice beach in her free time. “Not only is it fun to play in the ocean and lie out in the sun, but there are some great sidewalk vendors and cheap eats close to the shore,” she says.

Manhattan Beach tops Erin Krikorian’s (SC ’11) list. “It has the prettiest oceanfront around and is the best for swimming because it’s pretty much all sand with no rocks,” she notes. “It has a great town for snacks and shopping and has a long pier that’s great to watch the sunset from.” For more incentive, Manhattan Beach is the filming location for “Weeds” and “CSI: Miami.”

A little farther off campus near El Segundo lies Dockweiler Beach, one of the few that permit bonfires. It’s great place to have a beach BBQ in the early evening, but make sure to reserve a fire pit early because they go fast, especially on weekends.

Don't Stop the Music

Los Angeles is known for its multifarious music scene, so big music fans should make a point of attending a concert or two in the city. However, the Glass House in Pomona is a trendy venue located closer the colleges.

“A lot of cool bands like Wolf Parade and The Black Keys performed at The Glass House last school year,” says Margot Buermann (SC ’11). “I like it because if you’re in the front row, you can get really close to the stage and the artists, which makes the show even better.”

For other smaller and more intimate venues in LA, check out the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood and in Anaheim, located a bit closer to campus. The House of Blues was originally founded as a venue for live music and southern-inspired cuisine and recently featured performers such as Lil Wayne.

Sam Cheng (SC ’09) prefers the Henry Fonda Theatre in West Hollywood, where she saw Andrew Bird two years ago. “It’s pretty good for smaller shows for people who are more into alternative music,” she says.

For larger venues that headline more mainstream artists, The Wiltern and the Staples Center are excellent spots. The Wiltern Theatre is not only a great place for music, but is also considered one of the finest examples of Art Deco architecture in the United States. It has hosted a vast range of artists and bands including Citizen Cope, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Killers, and Peaches. The late September and early October performance schedule includes artists such as Hot Chip, Atmosphere, and The Dandy Warhols.

The Staples Center is a world-class arena for sports (as recently featured on television during the NBA Championships) and entertainment events. Tickets here are more expensive, but certainly worth the money. Past performers include Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, the Rolling Stones, and other entertainment icons.

Shop 'Til You Drop

You can’t get better shopping than in Los Angeles, so save up those allowances and paychecks! Although the American Apparel in the Village will suffice for the first few months, students will be eager for new shopping locales when everyone’s wearing the same grey v-neck or metallic swimwear around campus.

Jordan Kopstein (SC ’11), confesses she is “the absolute LA shopper,” and provides some helpful tips. “In West Hollywood, popular shopping streets include Robertson Boulevard and Melrose Avenue,” she says. “Beverly Hills has Rodeo Drive, which features more high-end and expensive stores and boutiques. The Grove in Los Angeles is also a great shopping center with amazing restaurants. And the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica has tons of shops.”

“Victoria Gardens is a very fun place to go to take a little break from campus life and do a little shopping,” says Reny Partain (SC ’11). Victoria Gardens, an outdoor shopping center, is located about 30 minutes off-campus in Rancho Cucamonga and has large department stores such as Macy’s; big-chain stores such as Anthropologie, Gap, and Urban Outfitters; AMC Theatres; and a variety of restaurants.

Granted, shopping on a college budget is no easy feat, so to avoid spending the big bucks, opt for flea markets instead. For the adventurous shopper who doesn’t mind some used clothing, flea markets are an excellent alternative for finding cute and cheap apparel. The famous Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena has the most unique merchandise, featuring over 2,500 vendors of vintage clothing, jewelry, antiques, and other unusual finds. The Rose Bowl Flea Market only happens on the first Sunday of each month, costs eight dollars for admission, and although parking is free, plan on arriving early as spaces fill up quickly.

Another flea market worth visiting is The Fairfax Flea Market, held every Sunday at Fairfax High School near Melrose Ave. It’s further from campus and not as large as the one in Pasadena (with only about 200 vendors) but also has fantastic finds, including vintage sunglasses, belts, and purses for $10 or less. The entry fee is also much cheaper at $2, and students get in for $1 with a student ID. The best thing about flea markets: persuasion counts so everything is negotiable!

Good Eats

Los Angeles has just too many amazing restaurants and eateries to name them all here. But when Claremont students venture off campus for a bite to eat, they know exactly where to go to satisfy their taste buds.

“Urth Caffé in Los Angeles has great food and good iced tea,” says Maggie Braine (SC ’11). “It’s all organic and really delicious.” Urth Caffé was awarded the “#1 Coffee Restaurant in Los Angeles” by Los Angeles Magazine and has locations in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Santa Monica. It’s known for its organic coffee and fine teas, but also serves as a great lunch spot with a tasty array of salads, sandwiches, and desserts at relatively reasonable prices (for LA, that is).

“My favorite restaurant is Koi,” Kopstein remarks, “which is on La Cienega, right around the corner from North Melrose.” Koi is a posh restaurant with Japanese-inspired cuisine on the pricier side. It’s great for a birthday dinner with the girls or an intimate date for two, and reservations are highly recommended. Koi, along with Urth Caffé, has an extensive celebrity clientele, so be on the lookout for big-name stars.

As excellent as the food in LA may be, some prefer to stay local and take advantage of the restaurants closer to the 5Cs. Alexander Reichert (CMC ’11) says ,“LA has some of the best restaurants in the world; I love going into town to get a good meal. But more frequently, I like to go to Kinya Sushi in the Village for sake bombing trips, which are cheaper and usually more intoxicating.” Kinya Sushi has a large customer base of Claremont students and is ideal for big and potentially rowdy groups. Other notable restaurants and eateries in the area include Some Crust Bakery for pastries and sandwiches, Tutti Mangia for Italian food, Casablanca for Lebanese cuisine and hookah, and Bua Thai.

You Can Find Me In Da Club

As much as students love and thank TNC and other 5C parties for providing entertainment and free beer every weekend, it tends to get repetitive over time and some weekends on campus are just plain slow. Although most students don’t go off campus too often to party, there are some great opportunities to seek a more exciting nightlife elsewhere.

“During the fall, two spectacular events happen in Southern California,” says Moerer. “For the trance music fan, you must go to Monster Massive at the LA Sports Arena downtown.” Monster Massive is an annual electronic music and dance festival, more commonly known as a rave, held the weekend of or prior to the night of Halloween. (This year, it occurs on Saturday, October 25). “But beware,” Moerer cautions, “this rave can leave you with a ringing buzz in your ear after listening and dancing to deafening beats for more than three hours straight.” Monster Massive begins at 7 p.m. and keeps the music going until 4 a.m., drawing crowds from all over the country. The festival was sold out last year and tickets start at $40.

“Halloween in Santa Barbara is also exciting for college students from all over SoCal,” Moerer says. “House parties are just as entertaining as people-watching at this event, because trust me, you will see the most creative Halloween costumes ever.” Claremont’s own Harwood Halloween is an event not to be missed, but a trip up to UCSB for Halloween weekend provides an opportunity to party with other students from all over California.

Los Angeles is also known for its trendy nightlife. Unfortunately, most clubs and bars are reserved for the 21-and-over crowd. Don’t bother with a fake ID unless you’re sure it will work because LA clubs are strict when it comes to admission. The Sunset Strip represents the ultimate LA party scene, scattered with bars and clubs on each side of the street and huge, lit-up billboards towering from above. One of LA’s hottest nightclubs is Les Deux in Hollywood, featured on MTV’s reality hit show, “The Hills.”

“Westwood is also worth checking out too,” suggests Mortvedt. “There are a lot of nice and not-creepy nighclubs around there.” Not to mention Habibi’s, a great hookah joint on Broxton Avenue, as well.

Just For Fun

Who wouldn’t want to go to the happiest place on Earth? For most out-of-state Claremont students, visiting Disneyland is one of the first things on their list when they arrive in California. “I’ve gone twice this past year just for fun,” admits Partain. Embrace your inner child at this famous theme park, or ride Space Mountain and the Matterhorn for a guaranteed adrenaline rush.

For the sports fan, watching a baseball game is a fun and inexpensive way to spend an afternoon. “A great place to go is Angels or Dodgers Stadium for a game,” suggests Cheng. “Dodgers Stadium has all-you-can-eat (unfortunately, not all-you-can-drink) bleacher seats that you can look up online and they’re pretty cheap.”

For the art connoisseur, Los Angeles is home to many well-respected museums. “My absolute favorite place in Los Angeles is The Getty Museum,” says Kopstein. “It is the most amazing place and structure ever; you need to see it!”

The Getty presents stunning exhibitions and features a breathtaking garden. Admission to the Getty is free but guests have to dish out $8 for parking. There is also the Getty Villa, an extension of the Getty Museum, located in Malibu. It opened three years ago and is dedicated to the study of the arts and cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etrucia. Although admission to the Getty Villa is also free, the museum only issues advanced, timed tickets. There’s a waitlist to obtain tickets, but call or check online for ticket availability (http://www.getty.edu/visit/).

Home Sweet Home

For several, nothing beats relieving homesickness by paying a visit to family. “Sadly, my life in L.A. is not too interesting,” says Stan Berrin (PZ ’10). “My favorite thing to do in L.A. is to go visit my grandparents who live in Encino. They always spoil me with a good meal.”

Undeniably, traveling off campus to experience the best of Los Angeles is not always easy. “I think a lot of stuff off campus requires a car, which makes it hard for people without one,” says Rubin.

However, there are helpful alternatives. The Flex Car program, a recent development at the 5Cs, allows students to rent out hybrid cars. Students can also take advantage of the train, since the station is located right outside the Village.

So, when the 5Cs start to feel a little cramped, don’t be afraid to pop the Claremont bubble and step outside. It is refreshing to know that there are more good times to be had on the other side.