I remember the first semester at UMass Lowell I didn’t really leave campus much. I was new to the area and didn’t know what the city had to offer me. Using the deductive reasoning skills I gained from watching countless episodes of Columbo I am going to assume most of you are in the same boat as I was. For those of you who don’t know what Columbo is it is a TV show that is kind of like the movie Toy Story 3 except completely different. What I am going to tell you all about is some fun things to do around Lowell that are off campus that I wish I knew about sooner.
This is Columbo not Buzz Lightyear
Fun Place #1: Showcase Cinemas Lowell
Location: 32 Reiss Avenue, Lowell, MA 01853
What is not only relaxing but also exciting? Seeing a movie! Showcase Cinemas Lowell is probably the closest and easiest movie theater to get to in Lowell. It is right off of exit three on the Lowell connector and when you get to the rotary take the second exit then you’re at the theater. There are also two restaurants right next to the theater which makes it a primo convenient date night extravaganza location. You have your choice between Chili’s and the Outback Steakhouse. I prefer the Outback strictly for their Bloomin’ Onions and the delicious Chicken Caesar Salad. If you want to hear about how delicious the Chicken Caesar Salad is email Tim, he is a Chicken Caesar Salad aficionado of sorts and can tell you all of the best locations around Lowell for Chicken Caesar Salads. The big thing about Showcase Cinemas Lowell is that on Tuesday nights they have this thing called “bargain Tuesdays” where admission is $7 and for IMAX and 3D it is $9, yeah boom. The Cinema also offers a good variety of food such as the standard theater popcorn that is delicious, freshly-baked cookies that are delicious, pretzels and pretzel nuggets, hot dogs but you already know those are delicious because they are hot dogs, nachos, ICEE’s, and much more! Unfortunately Showcase Cinemas Lowell does not accept UCash, I should know I am a Tim Brown appointed genius of UCash.
Fun Fact about Showcase Cinemas Lowell: This is where Tim and I saw the English Patient, it is a great movie to watch if you have ten hours to spare and an attention span far greater than mine. Something special happened when Tim and I were approaching the 25th hour of the movie and the credits started to roll. Tim looked at me and said “Brady, when I go to the movie theater, I want to be hit on every level I can. I want to laugh, I want to cry, and I want to think. This movie just hit me in the deepest way possible, it made me cry. This movie made me realize what I really want in life and that is to love another with all my heart and soul.” Tim realized at that moment that he was just a common man with common thoughts and that there are no monuments dedicated to him. That was when I realized that Tim is like an onion except when you start peeling away at the many layers of Tim Brown the center of him isn’t a super oniony center it is the nexus of everything cute. A little sugar, spice, and everything nice. I like to picture it as a giant ball of kittens snuggling up on each other.
Maybe he was the one that loved another with all his heart and soul stuff…
Fun Place #2: Brunswick Zone
Location: 647 Pawtucket Boulevard Lowell, MA 01854
Phone: 978-454-0476
So you’ve been at school for a month and all you’ve done is go to class and play Wii Bowling. You think you’re pretty good huh? That don’t impress me much. Take your skills to the alley and prove it. Looking for a place to bowl? Look no further than the Brunswick Zone! Located on the same side of the river as North Campus the Brunswick Zone offers you a place to bowl and play arcade games. They offer a different deal every day of the week! On Monday nights from 9PM – 11PM bowling and shoe rental is $1.50 each and the hotdogs are $1. On Wednesday nights they have this thing called Bowlapalooza which is kind of like an all you can eat buffet except for bowling. You pay $11.99 and can bowl as much as you want from the hours of 9PM -11PM. If you want to find out about the other deals that the Brunswick zone offers you can find them here, there are just too many to list.
Fun Fact: Tim and I went bowling here one time. I bowled a strike but stepped over the line and Tim wasn’t going to count it despite my pleas. Eventually he was able to convince me to not count it by saying this “Brody, this is not ‘Nam. This is bowling. There are rules.”I stopped fighting him on it because he was right; we weren’t in Vietnam, we were in the Brunswick Zone.
This is the face Tim gave me when I wanted that strike to count…
Fun Place #3: Pheasant Lane Mall
Location: Nashua, NH
Let’s go to the mall, today! While not in Lowell the Pheasant Lane Mall offers a nearby showing megaplex for student at UMass Lowell. Just over the border into tax-free New Hampshire lies the Pheasant Lane Mall with a food court that features three or four different Asian food options and a mall that has over 130 specialty shops. There are also restaurants near the mall such as Red Robin, Smokey Bones, Bahama Breeze, and a KFC. The strip that the mall resides on also offers much more shopping options such as Best Buy and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. For those of you who may not be excited to go to the mall here is a video to help make that not be a thing anymore, you should always be excited for the mall.
While only a twenty minute drive I felt that giving you Google’s directions rather than mine would be much more helpful and beneficial to you in your quest for finding the Pheasant Lane Mall
Fun Fact: If you go to the Payless outside there is an assortment of stationary vehicles that you can ride for a few quarters. My friend and I rode the taxi together. When you finally make your way from the food court to the other side of the mall be sure to check it out and marvel in the fact that we both fit in it. Also the blue airplane ate three of my quarters, don’t trust it.
Hope this helps with you if you are looking for a place to hang out that is off campus.
-Brady