By Daisy C. ’26, B.S. in Biology

It may seem overwhelming coming to College Station as a student with all of the new things in your life — a new apartment, new restaurants, new friends, new grocery stores, etc.

Since I now spend almost 100% of my year in the Bryan-College Station area, I have picked up a few favorite places in this area. Visiting all of these places, regardless of the reason, always provides me comfort and might help you feel integrated into the community as you begin classes here!

An on-campus gem is the Texas A&M Gardens. These gardens are located behind the Wildlife and Fisheries building on main campus. Different styles of gardens are sectioned off for both practical and educational purposes. Spanish-inspired gardens with stone fountains and Mexican tiles encompass a large first section that alone make your trip worthwhile. Separate butterfly, bee, and bird watching gardens bring an interactive aspect to the space.

The Gardens also hosts a variety of community activities, including a spring celebration and butterfly release events. String lights located all around The Gardens allow for night-time visits as well. The Gardens is very versatile, serving as a fun date spot or great outdoor study space.

However, if you are looking for some more lively entertainment, there are plenty of other awesome places. The Palace, located in Bryan’s downtown area (about a 20-minute drive from campus) is an old movie theatre-turned-entertainment center. I recently went to see a country band cover old-school country songs, including George Straight and Robert Earl Keen. The large stage allows for band performances every weekend that are sure to entertain. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.

After a concert at The Palace, you might be interested in grabbing a bite to eat, which tends to be my favorite part! As far as restaurants go, downtown Bryan has many to choose from that are a little less well-known than the College Station ones. Rx Pizza is a small-town-feel pizza place in the middle of Bryan’s town center that has become one of my favorite places to eat. It has a quaint, outdoor seating area that neighbors busy sidewalks on weekend nights.

For breakfast, Snooze in College Station would have to be my most loved spot. Because of the unique seating and the most perfect eggs Benedict you will ever have, this is my favorite place for brunch. The only downside is that is also seems to be everyone else’s favorite place as well. On weekend mornings, they typically have a line out the door, but I personally think it is worth the wait!

For lunch or dinner, my friends and I love to play dominos at Dixie Chicken. Get me a set of dominos at the counter and a basket of onion rings and I am set for the night!

Despite grocery shopping normally being a chore for most people, I enjoy it here because of the places available to shop! Farm Patch, a small produce center in Bryan, is a rare gem that’s easy to miss. It is an open-air produce market and garden center with locally sourced items, and I always enjoy shopping here to support my community and get fresh produce. If you enjoy both of those things, the Aggieland Famers Market opens on Saturday mornings and is full of both produce and local artisans. My roommates and I enjoy spending Saturday mornings together looking at the local artisans’ work and grabbing a coffee!

The list of places I enjoy here at Texas A&M both on and off campus is endless. However, I have found that regardless of the physical place that you are at, the people here make you feel included in the community. This alone makes my time here at Texas A&M invaluable.