The Corner (UVA)
Encyclopedia
The Corner is a seven-block collection of bars, restaurants, bookstores, and night spots on University Avenue in Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...

, extending from 12 Street Southwest to Chancellor Street. located across the street from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...

. It is bounded by the Red Roof Inn on the east and Bank of America on the west.
While the university is in session, The Corner is especially active at lunchtime, when faculty, staff, and students adjourn there for the midday meal. Patrons of the Corner's sidewalk cafés can be found spending time over a good book or simply sipping coffee and people watching
People watching
People watching or crowd watching is the act of observing people and their interactions, usually without their knowledge. This differs from voyeurism in that it does not relate to sex or sexual gratification...

. Of the 67 businesses in the district, all but sixteen are locally-owned, though there has been an increase in chain stores recently. The Corner is encompassed by a Charlottesville historic district, limiting redevelopment and demolition.

As of 2000, The Corner had 26 restaurants, eleven bars, three coffee shops, one hotel, and one apartment building.

History

The district was originally a literal corner, where the university's main entrance intersected with Three Chopt Road
Three Notch'd Road
Three Notch'd Road was a colonial-era major east-west route across central Virginia. It is believed to have taken its name from a distinctive marking of three notches cut into trees to blaze the trail...

 (now Main Street), which was the major route between Staunton
Staunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....

 and Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

. UVa was established at a distance of a mile from Charlottesville, and was its own town by the name of "University." A significant commercial district developed to serve the needs of university students and employees, with a railroad stop, a post office, restaurants and shops. As downtown Charlottesville developed, followed by the corridor of Route 29
U.S. Route 29 in Virginia
U.S. Route 29 is a major north–south route in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It covers from the North Carolina border at the city of Danville to the Key Bridge in Washington, D.C....

North in the mid-1900s, the Corner district came to consist more of small shops and bars, losing its movie theater, post office, train depot, etc.

Further reading

  • Barefoot, Coy. "The Corner: A History of Student Life at the University of Virginia." Howell Press Inc.; Charlottesville, VA; 2001. ISBN 157427113X.

External links

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