"So what is there to do in this town?"

This question has been asked by countless new arrivals to this campus, who on their first true weekend in college are left wondering how to enjoy their newfound freedom and their new home for the next several years.

With any new surrounding, there is certain level of comfort that needs to be obtained. For most people, the search begins with where to eat, then where to hang out and finally where to spend a night out. For Knoxville, one of the oldest cities in the state, the options are nearly endless.

For campus life, however, the scope of activities rarely goes past the downtown bubble of the Cumberland Avenue, campus, Downtown, the Old City and Market Square. But in this short radius, more than four years worth of Knoxville's and to a greater extent a global fare of entertainment, food arts and culture can be found.

For some students, like Sarah Mixon, a senior in Chemistry, the crux of their freshman year was spent near campus on Cumberland Avenue, also known as "the Strip."

"You can walk to just so many places on the Stirp," she said. "Copper Cellar, Moe's, almost everywhere is within walking distance from the dorms."

Mixon is not alone with her fond memories, as for many reminiscing upperclassmen, the Strip provides fond flashbacks.

"I didn't really go anywhere past the Strip until my second year here," said Trevor Guydon, a senior in Industrial and Information Engineering. "It's affordable, convenient and it was in walking distance, which was great because I didn't have a car."

One of the Strip's main appeals is that convenience its location and businesses offer to its guests.

"Everything is in a small location and there's so many options," said Zach Valenti, a senior in Accounting. "You don't really need to have an idea about where you're going to begin the night, but still end up going somewhere... Anything you want is there."

But the Strip is more than just a four lane road with restaurants, several competing bookstores and a couple bars thro-wn haphazardly along it, it is also one of the student body's biggest meeting places.

"The thing about the Strip is that it's a social place too," Guydon said. "I used to go there sometimes just to meet people, or I'd go for food for myself and just run into someone I knew and hang out with them instead."

Knoxville's entertainment side does not just stay close to campus, but instead it radiates out and towards downtown as well.

From Market Square, and its cornucopia of food choices and venues, to the Old City, located at the intersection of Central and Jackson Avenues, or even Gay Street, where comfy cafes are nestled near a multiplex movie theatre and large stage venues, there are nights where downtown can offer more than even campus' combined.

"As a freshman I looked for unique places that I wouldn't have been able to experience when I was in high school," said Nick Love, a senior in Marketing. "So I turned towards downtown and that's where I found the Knoxville Pearl. It's a cereal bar, and it was a very unique place for me to hang out with friends in a fun environment."

For Love, the downtown area has actually allowed him to continue to grow and expand his nighttime horizons.

"I always try and go somewhere knew at least once a week," he said. "Whether it's a restaurant or anywhere, I'm looking for a new place and Knoxville's downtown has allowed me to do that.

"Knoxville surprised me my freshman year."

Like its student body, Knoxville's nightlife scene is not done evolving. In the ever-changing landscape of locally-owned bars, clubs and restaurants and the ever-present introduction of national chains, the face of this city's entertainment and culture is a diverse and growing entity.

"I feel like the city has grown a lot since I was a freshman," said Love. "And with that it's become a much more fun place to live... And it has definitely impressed me."