I think you can approach a review of a college in a couple of different ways, as a student most…read moreobviously, maybe also as an employee and/or professor or as a parent. I'm coming at this as merely a visitor. My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality at VA Tech asked me to accompany her on a campus visit last week, her first time back since her graduation roughly a quarter century ago. She's always spoken very fondly of her time here and just unfortunately hasn't had the opportunity to return until now. Just for context, I went to NYU, which doesn't really have a campus - Washington Square Park is the closest comp to that, but one of the bigger selling points of that school is that NYC is your campus and you're not really cordoned off in your own little world. Pros and cons to both scenarios. I preferred to be dropped in the middle of a chaotic city but I can see the appeal of this type of college living as well. We spent roughly a day here, arriving by car late Tuesday morning and leaving the following day after checking out of The Inn at VA Tech. We were blessed with sunny skies but it was pretty toasty during our visit, in the 90s during the afternoon. For our main tour/walk, we went from The Inn down Perry Street, curving around Stanger Street until we hit the vaunted Drillfield and then visited the Duck Pond. Then we walked up West Campus Drive and down Washington before cutting back into the campus again to see some of her old dorms (I think Newman was one?) before hitting up the University Bookstore and walking into the downtown area for lunch. Especially with the nicer weather, the Drillfield was a great optic - just a gorgeous, lush lawn, and a cool homage (at least in name) to VA Tech's military background. The imposing structure of Burruss Hall was a cool sight right next to it, and right behind a very classy tribute to the VA Tech shooting - we were both wondering as we walked around if we'd see something acknowledging that tragedy from 2007. Initially we thought it was literally just a small kiosk, until turning around and realizing it was a much larger setup with an acknowledgment of each specific victim. My chum graduated several years before that shooting occurred but was obviously/understandably impacted by it in her own way, so that was a nice moment. She was a little disappointed (probably the right word) at how many new buildings had been erected since she'd graduated in 2001. On one hand, that's literally a generation ago so it's not surprising that there have been significant changes in the interim. But it WAS striking how many areas were just flat-out unrecognizable and new to her, particularly in the Perry Street section. I'm assuming that the student population has expanded significantly to accommodate all of the new buildings, but it's just not the same college she left. Not a negative, but probably not a positive either - is what it is. My two cents as a humble outsider is that everything just seems very monotonous - pretty much all of the buildings are constructed of this Hokie Stone, a specific time of rock that's mined nearby, I believe. A couple of buildings composed of that would have been pretty cool; it's got an old school gothic vibe to a certain extent, but after seeing the same building over and over again, I'd politely suggest a little more variety. Again, this school has its roots as a military institute so you definitely got that impression from the architecture as well, but to me it came up short compared to, say, their ACC rival Duke's campus and its buildings, or West Point. Definitely a cool experience to see this, especially through the lens of my top-tier chum and her formative years here. Go Hokies.

Driving over the mountains north of VT, this marker points out the amazing history of this world…read morerenowned education institution. It is on the side of a busy road but there is a wide breakdown lane if you're interested in risking your life to see and read the marker like me. As it says, this is FIVE MILES from the university so please don't merge it. The marker reads, "Five miles south lies the main campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, founded in 1872 as a land-grant college specializing in agriculture and mechanical arts. The land-grant college system initiated scientific agricultural and industrial instruction in the Commonwealth. Over the next century, Virginia Tech became nationally recognized as a comprehensive research university with a broad range of scientific, technological, business, and liberal arts instruction. The 3,000-acre campus includes the site of Draper's Meadow, where Shawnee Indians attacked settlers on 30 July 1755 at the beginning of the French and Indian War." This is marker number I-2-a and was erected by the Department of Historic Resources in 1998. [Review 19579 overall - 1417 in Virginia - 550 of 2023.]

Love this place and these ladies so much!! I made 3 bowls my first class, and had so much fun i…read morepurchased a punch card, and I just signed up for a 4 week class!

From the owner: Motel Studios is a dynamic creative space hosting a lounge, pottery studio, and flexible workspace…read more From classes & workshops, to private events such as birthday parties, team building workshops, showers, and more, Motel Studios can offer a one of a kind experience for you and your guests.

Art camp for summer campers is a great way to spend a week. Campers toured the Bedford Get Together…read moremural and learned from the artists who painted it. So many things to learn and do at the Bower Center for the Arts.

A very nice selection of posted art in an interesting facility. The artists working in their…read morestudios were a pleasure to chat with. We'll return with guests in a few weeks.

LOVED this place! The owner and other employees are so kind and friendly, they really made the…read moreexperience go above and beyond. There are so many options to paint so everyone will be sure to find something they love. Really a great time

It's amazing the customer service is always great and they always come check on you help you give…read moreyou tips niw the fire kiln is a little slow but they always have a lot to do so I get it and if there late they always apologize

My wife and I went for date night on a Friday evening. The class was really fun, and we wound up…read morewith several nice items, which we'll be taking home after they're fired. Hannah, the owner and instructor, is a really remarkable young woman who built the school from scratch after graduating college. She has a has a real easy instruction style that just makes the whole evening a lot of fun. We highly recommend Common Clay Pottery for a fun evening or longer term classes (which we'll probably come back and attend).

Attended an art opening here recently, a beautiful space that has several exhibition rooms and…read morespaces. Two levels, accessed by a staircase. Friendly and kind staff, the night of my visit. There is a wide array of art of display and exhibition here, 2d and 3d works, textiles, pottery and ceramics, cards and jewelry too. I purchased a new photo piece the night of my visit on opening night. Just retrieved my new piece at the end of the show, a very unique photograph beautifully framed and matted it was very reasonably priced. 4.5 Stars a great community asset rounded up for the kind staff. 01041

I did my yoga certification at "In balance". The "Kunga" methodology, by which the classes were…read moretaught, was a lifetime bonus in compassionate communication and kindness. In three months of classes, you get to really know Nicole and her staff! Practiced in their studio too; You'll be hard pressed to find another yoga facility that measures up to In Balance. Just Go. Barrett

I practiced at In Balance Studio off and on for two years while attending graduate school at…read moreVirginia Tech. Nicole and Keala are wonderful people, and I will greatly miss In Balance's community. I also love that a primary focus of their studio is geared toward supporting the community either through donation flows or making yoga accessible for those on tight budgets. They also handled their response to COVID-19 responsibility and ethically by quickly moving their classes to Zoom. I highly recommend this studio for anyone looking for a community that's focused on supporting your personal growth, giving back, and having fun!