West Virginia University’s campus is anything but easy to navigate. With rolling mountains and staircases that seem to lead into the clouds, it can be discouraging to want to explore and discover cute places to take someone out on a date—or even to just hang out with friends.
One thing you could try is searching the web for cool locations around campus that would suit a date night or a girls’ night out. However, this may not be the most efficient way of doing things, considering you should really visit/know the place before you attempt to bring a date there.
One date idea that could also double as a GNO idea is the WVU Bowling Alley located in the Mountainlair Games Area in the basement of the Mountainlair Student Union. They are open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and if you are able to get there any time prior to 4 p.m., your game will cost a total of $4 per person. BOOM—$8 date!
Another fun idea while you are in the Mountainlair Games Area is a competitive ping pong tournament. You and your date/girlfriends can even make a bracket or keep score for extra rivalry. Each paddle and each ball costs only 50 cents a piece, giving you an even cheaper option than bowling.
Did I mention the Games Area takes Mounty Bounty? Because they do!
With the money you saved taking your date—or girlfriends—bowling, you can try something a little fancier like a dinner date (don’t worry, your wallet will survive this). One restaurant that you could fake being fancy at is Hill & Hollow located on Beechurst Avenue across from the Seneca Center. The plates are a little more pricey but you can pair a few different $5-$7 appetizers together and share everything. For $20 you could have a pretty nice array of food and sharing everything forces you and your date to interact in a way you may have been too shy for before.
Another great restaurant to try is Fusion Japanese Steakhouse over by the University Town Centre. This is a quick car ride or simple bus ride from campus. They have an extensive menu with endless options for appetizers, sushi and hibachi (highly recommended). And it is all fairly priced so you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank.
If you still want to take someone out but don’t want to spend a lot of money, a great and classic option is grabbing a cup of coffee at The Grind WV. The Grind is a local coffee shop located right on the edge of campus on Willey Street and happens to be a very walkable distance from any downtown location. They have a lovely interior and it is also a great place to bring your laptop and study with your significant other while watching life buzz all around campus.
All of these date ideas seem great, but what is there to do when you have absolutely zero money to send on a night out? Ask someone to go to the WVU Student Recreation Center with you. It sounds cheesy, but a lot of people go to the gym and exercise anyway, so you might as well become workout partners. You can learn a lot about a person by working out with them, and the gym is a great environment to casually chat and get to know one another. All you need is your WVU student ID.
Whether it is a special someone or you and your girlfriends, there is always something to do for everyone no matter the cost or distance from campus. There are plenty of great places in and around Morgantown’s campus to take people out and make some outstanding memories.