Staci Self grocery shopping at Wildberries, Arcata
Arcata’s Minor Theatre is the oldest continuously-running movie theatre in America. The Minor has regaled locals with a quirky mix of independent and Hollywood blockbusters since 1914. It’s also one of four movie theaters within 10 miles of campus. Fresh blackberries, locally-harvested honey, some odd, lumpy-looking squash that’s brimming with all that important stuff you just can’t get from a pint of Haagen-Dazs…The Arcata Farmer’s Market is a great source of fresh, locally-grown food. Just head down to the Arcata Plaza every Saturday morning, from April through November. H.G. Wells once wrote that he felt a renewed sense of hope for mankind every time he saw an adult riding a bicycle. Well, Einstein would have been an out-of-control optimist if he’d visited our campus. HSU students ride to school in droves, and with good reason: our campus is close to town, there’s hardly any traffic, and riding to school beats paying for gas. Something different always seems to be happening at the University Center Quad—the site of numerous festivals, rallies, concerts and, as you can see here, the random convergence point of bubbles and juggling. The Quad’s central location (just a few steps away from coffee, bagels, burritos, and so on) makes it a great place to meet friends for lunch or a study break. No one ever gets giddy over the prospect of shopping at Target. Still, it’s always reassuring to know that there is a store nearby, where you can pick up a bottle of bleach, a lampshade and an answering machine. Along the same lines, we also have a Costco, Sears, Mervyns, Gottshalks, Borders, Ross and…well, you get the idea. Chinese? You bet. Mexican. Sure. Thai, Italian and Foo-Foo Continental Cuisine? Check, check and, if you feel like impressing your date, check. Arcata and nearby Eureka boast restaurants of every stripe and persuasion. You can find everything—from donuts to dim sum—just a few blocks from campus. Get plenty of sleep, eat your brussel sprouts, never co-sign a lease with anyone named “Mookie”… By now you’ve probably received plenty of tips on how to succeed in college. While we’re not about to contradict such advice, allow us to make yet another recommendation: a little caffeine can do a lot of good when mid-terms roll around. Rest assured, we have countless coffee houses to help you triumph over the occasional all-nighter. Living on campus is a great way to meet new friends and get connected with campus culture. If you choose to live on campus, you have all sorts of options: single rooms, double rooms, apartments, suites and residence halls. This is a photo from Creekview, a group of apartments located on the border of campus and the Community Forest. There are all sorts of employment opportunities in Humboldt County. Just looking to earn a bit of spending cash? A part-time position at a place like Ramone’s Bakery (shown here) fits the bill nicely. Interested in a job that more closely tracks your career aspirations? There are a surprising number of paid internships and jobs in the area—everything from programming work at the local TV station to field research with local environmental consultants. Getting up at eight A.M. on a Saturday probably doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, but the feeling you get from helping others far outweighs any benefit you might receive from drooling on your pillow past nine in the morning. The smiles on these two roommates’ faces prove that point (they spent this particular Saturday morning painting a local food bank). HSU students make a positive difference in our community. No one would confuse downtown Arcata with Rodeo Drive. We don’t have nearly as many Chihuahua-toting celebrities sauntering about. Still, we’re home to a great mix of boutiques, book stores, record shops, outdoor stores and restaurants. And, if you can’t find what you’re looking for in Arcata, there are still more opportunities to shop in nearby Eureka and McKinleyville. Studying doesn’t require squirreling yourself away in some kind of sensory deprivation tank. There are plenty of great places to study in town. If you’re up for a little multi-tasking, you can surf the web while you wash your socks at Emerald City Laundry, just one of several spots in town where you can access free, high-speed wireless Internet. What’s life like on campus? Well, we have exams, study groups and all the serious, intellectual-inquiry business you’d expect from an institute of higher learning: that, however, is just the beginning. On-campus concerts, rallies, festivals, free movies, clubs…there’s always something interesting happening here. Old Town Chocolates serves a mean espresso and the wireless Internet is free. Next door, you’ll find The Works, a great source of new and used CDs and DVDs. A few steps to the left is Bon Boniere, an amazing gourmet ice cream parlor that will have you swearing off Baskins and Robbins for good…You’ll find all that and more in less than half a block of Old Town Eureka.

living here

Looking for tasty, organic goods at prices that won’t burn a hole in your pocket? There are plenty of options in Arcata. The selection at both Wildberries (pictured here) and our local Co-op is truly staggering. You’ll find everything from grass-fed beef to locally-grown zucchini to natural skin cleansers in these aisles.