Go-To Places After School

Molly Schweickhardt

There are so many cute places around Academic Magnet to go to after school if you want to hang out with friends, study, or want some really good food and desserts. All these places take around 5 minutes to get to and they are so close by you can easily walk to any of them after school. I highly recommend checking these places out!

Orange Spot

The coffee shop, Orange Spot, is a classic Magnet go to, both before and after school. Orange Spot is a really cute coffee shop and is very well decorated. It’s address is 1011 E Montague Ave and is located right next to a gym. The many windows, plants, and warm colors make it feel really inviting and a good place to get some homework and studying done. They have some really good drinks as well as some really good food. I really like their muffins and lemon bread, although after school they do not have much food left, which is understandable because they do sell a lot of breakfast food. The staff is also very friendly and nice which makes it a very inviting cafe. Sarah Baer commented that the “Thai tea is so good with oat milk but heard that whole milk is also really good” so she recommends getting the “whole milk.” Li Li Thornley also agreed that the Thai tea is really good and she always “gets the cold one.”

Park Pizza Co.

If you are hungry and want something to eat, I highly recommend Park Pizza Co. Its address is 1028 E Montague Ave and it is the very small box-shaped building right next to the Irish Pub. It is my favorite pizza place in Park Circle. My friend, Radhika Pandey, and I are basically regulars at Park Pizza Co. because it is our go-to place to eat after school. They mostly do to-go orders because the inside does not have any seating. Although they have plenty of outdoor seating that is shaded, so on a nice day it is very refreshing to sit outside eating some pizza after a long day of being inside school. My go-to pizza I order is the Basil Louise Pizza, it is really yummy and I highly recommend getting that if you go there. They also have other options beside pizza like sandwiches. The people who work there are very friendly and nice. The service is also amazing, the pizza comes out really fast and is always hot right out of the oven. The crust on all of their pizzas are amazing and super crunchy and delicious. I highly recommend checking out Park Pizza Co. if you are hungry after school.

Itinerant Literate Bookstore

Usually after Radhika and I finish up at Park Pizza Co. we walk around Park Circle and head to the Itinerant Literate Bookstore. It is located on Chateau Avenue, right off of the main street if you take a right or left (depending on which way you are going) from Basil. It is a cute little independent bookstore that has a great selection of books. They have a bunch of books made by local authors as well as newer books, the classics, history books, they basically have everything. I love to take my time here and walk around and look at all the books and each time I go, I find something new that I buy. At the front of the store, they have a bunch of books that are wrapped up so you can not see the cover, so you can buy a mystery book. I think that it is a fun idea where you can get out of your reading comfort zone. Some of my favorite books I have read are random books I have blindly picked from the shelves of Barnes and Noble, so I really like the idea of it. Also, when I went last year there was a cute Corgi in the store, although I must admit I have not seen him since.

Choice’s Gourmet Market and Deli

Choice’s Gourmet Market and Deli is another great place to get some good food from. Its address is 4831 Mixson Ave and it is right next to the CVS. They have lots of options including sandwiches, pizza, French fries, etc. I got the pizza once and it was good, although most times I get the French fries because they give a very big serving size. They also have a huge dessert section that all look handmade. I have never tried their desserts but they all look very pretty and delicious. Choice’s Gourmet Market and Deli is a very good choice to go to if you want somewhere to walk to. It’s not that far from school and you don’t have to cross any big roads to get there. I highly recommend checking it out if you are looking for good and quick food.

Park Circle Creamery

Park Circle Creamery is another great stop after school. Its address is 1069 E Montague Ave and it is right across the street from Basil and next to the restaurant the Three Sirens. If you are looking for a dessert or want a treat after going to a restaurant, this is a great place to check out. Their ice cream is really good and one of my favorite ice cream places in the Charleston area. They have tons of options and my current favorite flavor is mint chocolate chip. The staff are really nice and it’s never crowded after school so I recommend checking it out.

I hope you try some of these places out! They are all really good and convenient places to go after school. Although, not too many people go because I still want to get my pizza without having to wait a while.