Beyond Downtown: Your Fruitville Pike Game Plan includes Golf

Downtown Lancaster is fantastic, and we will have plenty to say about its restaurants, bars, hotels, entertainment, arts and shopping. It is where you go when you have time to wander, try somewhere new and make Lancaster part of the weekend.

But where do you go when you need to accomplish six things in two hours?

Maybe it’s move-in day. Maybe you’re visiting for a fall scrimmage and need to restock the snack supply. Or perhaps your son has suddenly decided that several of the things he confidently declared he would never need are, in fact, essential to his continued academic success.

That is when you head to Fruitville Pike.

It is easy to reach from campus and offers an impressive number of stores, restaurants and activities in one general area. Owen tells us that many of the players head straight to the Shoppes at Belmont because it is quick and convenient. We thought the parents should know the game plan, too.

Start at the Shoppes at Belmont

Belmont is the easiest place to begin when you have a list and several members of the family with very different priorities.

At Target, you can pick up dorm supplies, toiletries, storage bins, groceries and the fan your son insisted he would not need in August. Whole Foods is in the same complex when you want more grocery choices, prepared food or something reasonably healthy to place beside the energy drinks in the dorm refrigerator.

Belmont also offers plenty of quick, familiar dining options. We won’t spend too much time listing chains you already know, but you’ll find choices such as Chick-fil-A, CAVA, MOD Pizza, Jersey Mike’s and P.F. Chang’s.

In other words, it is a useful destination when everyone is hungry but no two people want the same thing.

A More Relaxed Option: Harvest

When parents are ready to sit down for a real meal, and perhaps order a drink before returning to the dorm-room assembly project, try Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar.

Harvest is a regional restaurant with a seasonally changing menu and plenty of lighter options. It is a nice middle ground when you want something more interesting than fast food but do not have the time or energy for a full downtown dining expedition. It is also one of our favorite choices for families managing food allergies or dietary restrictions. The servers routinely ask about allergies and are exceptionally accommodating when helping guests navigate the menu.

Cross the Street to Red Rose Commons

If Target did not solve every move-in-day problem, cross Fruitville Pike to Red Rose Commons.

This is where you’ll find:

• HomeGoods for lamps, pillows, organizers and the decorative touches your son claims not to notice

• Weis Markets for a traditional grocery trip

• Best Buy for chargers, cords, headphones or whatever important piece of technology was left at home

• Home Depot for the problem that somehow requires actual tools

You’ll also find Plaza Azteca here, which is a dependable choice when the family wants Mexican food, generous portions and a menu broad enough to keep everyone happy.

A small warning about HomeGoods: every item you carry into the dorm in August will eventually need to come back out. Shop accordingly.

Keep Going North

Do not assume Belmont and Red Rose Commons are the end of the Fruitville Pike story. Continue north past Route 30 and you’ll find even more stores and familiar restaurants, including places such as Mission BBQ, Chipotle, Buffalo Wild Wings, Duck Donuts and Walmart.

This entire corridor may eventually become your son’s answer to:

“Where can I get shampoo?”

“Where should we order dinner?”

“Do you know where I can buy a phone charger?”

“Can you stop somewhere before you come to campus?”

Fortunately, there are also a few more local options worth seeking out.

A Few Dips Local Finds

Savemart Complex

Savemart is a local discount drugstore that carries all of the usual toiletries, household basics and health-and-beauty items—plus a rotating collection of unexpected things you did not know you wanted.

I have somehow left with several extra pairs of reading glasses over the years - always good to have when I loose another pair at the tailgate.

Savemart is worth a stop when your son wants a change of pace from the CVS just off campus, or when you need one basic item and are willing to accept the possibility that you’ll leave with five.

In the same complex as Savemart is The Grille. The Grille is casual and unpretentious, with burgers, sandwiches, subs and comfort food. It is the kind of neighborhood place you could easily drive past without noticing, which is exactly why we want to point it out.

Next door you'll find the Beer & Beverage Shoppe - a specialty craft beer store that locals love. Remember that craft beer you loved from that brewery in Vermont and haven't seen since, you might find it here.

Silantra Asian Street Kitchen

Silantra Asian Street Kitchen is a Lancaster-born fast-casual restaurant offering customizable bowls, salads and its signature Bing —a warm scallion-pancake wrap filled with your choice of protein, vegetables and sauces.

It is quick, fresh and a welcome alternative after a weekend filled with pizza, burgers and concession-stand food.

It also allows every member of the family to customize a meal without requiring another group discussion. At certain points during move-in weekend, that alone is a major selling point.

Oola Bowls

For smoothies, açaí bowls and lighter fare, stop at Oola Bowls, another business with Lancaster roots. Its Fruitville Pike location even has a drive-through, which becomes increasingly appealing after you have already visited three stores and no one wants to get out of the car again.

Sometimes the best dining amenity is simply remaining seated.

Save Time for Overlook

Keep heading north and you will reach what may be our favorite part of the Fruitville Pike corridor: Overlook Community Campus.

Overlook covers approximately 140 acres and includes walking trails, athletic fields, playgrounds, pools, disc golf, miniature golf, a public golf course, a driving range, a skate park and an indoor roller-skating rink.

Yes, a roller rink.

For those of us of a certain age, this raises important questions: Do they dim the lights? Is there a couples skate? Can we request Journey? And will our knees survive one enthusiastic lap around the floor?

Eat, Then Hit a Few Balls

Stop at Stoner Grille for a casual meal overlooking the golf course. Then keep the golf clubs in the car and walk over to the driving range after you eat.

Overlook also has an 18-hole public golf course, so we are confident that players who enjoy golf will find their way here eventually.

In fact, Owen has been known to make a quick trip to the driving range after a tough test.....and still get back to campus in time for lift and practice. Apparently, a bucket of golf balls can serve as both stress relief and time management training.

Parents may want to conduct a little advance research at the range. Strictly so you can offer informed guidance later.

Your Fruitville Pike Game Plan

When you have time to explore, head downtown.

When you need dorm supplies, groceries, electronics, lunch, several different dinner choices and perhaps a little recreational therapy after assembling furniture, head to Fruitville Pike.

You can restock the room, feed the family, pick up a 6-pack to enjoy later, buy the charger that was definitely packed but has mysteriously disappeared, and finish the trip with a stress relieving session at the driving range or even an ’80s-style roller-skating comeback.

Whether it’s move-in day or a busy fall scrimmage weekend, we call that a win.