creekland Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 I know some of you (or your kids) have intimate Stanford knowledge, and I could use some help. Hubby and I want to get middle son some gift cards for his upcoming birthday and since he's spending 8 weeks at Stanford and providing all of his own meals there, we'd like to get some he could use in that area. He's staying in off campus housing at Oak Creek apartments if that makes a difference. What places do students usually order from and/or go to? If going to, they'll have to be within biking distance to be ideal. I have no problem calling or checking online for local places. They need not be chains. They just ought to be tasty and convenient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 There are excellent and tasty eateries on campus, and most of the time, dd's friends hung out there for a treat instead of going off campus. Stanford's campus is big, which makes venturing off for a meal more of a planned event than a spur of the moment decision, especially for those without cars. On campus the kids in dd's crowd liked the Axe & Palm in Old Union & the Treehouse and CoHo in Tresidder Student Union. Not sure if any of them have gift cards, but it wouldn't hurt to ask. Tresidder also houses chains like Starbucks, Subway, Panda Express, and Jamba Juice (which dd loved in hot weather). Those all share a common indoor/outdoor food court area where kids like to meet during the day. Off campus the kids like to go to In & Out Burger (need a car for that, but seemed to happen a lot), The Counter in Palo Alto, & Chipotle (on the other side of campus from your son on El Camino, but within biking distance). I'm sure that there are others that I'm just not remembering...In general, though, Palo Alto & the Stanford Shopping Center (which is near Oak Creek) are upscale & tend to be saved for more special occasions like birthday celebrations. I don't remember any stories of dd ordering food in (she's not big on pizza). Another thought might be grocery store gift cards (that's what I tended to do). Oak Creek is close to a Safeway store, and there's also a Trader Joe's that's bike-able in the Town & Country Village shopping Center across El Camino from campus. Both were frequented by dd & her friends for snacks & dorm cooking nights. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 From Oak Creek Apartments, I can walk to Stanford Shopping Center or Town and Country Village. I can't bike (unless it's a tricycle) and I can't drive. Link to Town and Country store directory http://www.tandcvillage.com/shops.php Palo Alto is a bicycle friendly and pedestrian friendly town. Bike map of Palo Alto http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/filebank/documents/7292 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 26, 2015 Share Posted April 26, 2015 Not food but if it is his first trip to Stanford, the Rodin Collection at Cantor Arts Center is worth checking out for free. http://museum.stanford.edu/view/rodin.html There is also a geocache hidden very near to the Cantor Arts Center and a few geocache on campus. If he likes to cook and have access to a microwave or kitchenette, he can buy groceries from Trader Joes at T&C or Sigona at Stanford shopping center and cook. My kids like the ice cream gelato and the dried fruits at Sigona market. Sigona link https://www.sigonas.com 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 It looks like a really nice area to be in for 8 weeks. I'll definitely make sure he knows the geocaches are there. It's all making me wonder if we'd really be better off giving him a Universal Gift Card (aka $$) though. We could easily do Starbucks or Subway - even Chipotle - as those are around here, but those aren't any special treats for him like I kind of envision a birthday present should be. If we were to just send $$, he would be super good with it and mainly get groceries I suspect, but I'm not sure that would be a treat either. We'll have to talk it over later (perhaps making a call or two to see what's possible) and see what comes to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 Aha! I just had a creative brainstorm as I was looking at these websites (and menus) again contemplating calling in the afternoon hours. I think we'll print off the main page (or make a collage of menu/main page or something similar) and wrap each one around $$. This son is one who would take that to heart and use each designated amount accordingly. We could do the Tree House, Axe & Palm, Trader Joes and/or Sigona as those look like places he would like more... he doesn't "shop" much in general, but food is always welcome to a teen/college student I think. Gotta wait for hubby to get up to run this idea past him, but I'm liking it at the moment. Thanks! 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 How about a CalTrain gc for weekend exploring? That's an interesting idea that could be a good one. I'm not really sure what their weekends are like though. Since it's lab work, they might not have normal hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 This place is absolutely fantastic: http://gotts.com/ It's a small localish chain with very upscale versions of typical college food. The one in Town and Country is very nice. The last time I was there I had the Ahi Poke Crispy Tacos. I loved them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 This thread is giving me some good ideas of places to try! :) If he likes Mexican food, there are of course TONS of places. The one we eat at a lot (b/c when my brother was a visiting prof at Stanford, his apt was a few feet away!) is called TaquerÃa El Grullense. It looks like a hole in the wall (and is), with staff who don't speak English and an authentic menu (with the usual stuff, but also octopus, tripas, cabeza, lengua!), but the food is very cheap and good. Lately we've been eating at Pluto's on University Ave (the main drag, which heads onto campus and turns into Palm Drive). Not especially cheap, but very yummy. There's another place nearby we want to try -- Umami Burger. Looks fun, with all those books on the wall. :) (I'll try to upload a pic I took.) They have locations in NorCal, SoCal, and NYC. An aside: if your son has any interest in ballroom dance, he should definitely check out Friday Night Waltz. A very fun, very welcoming group -- even if someone has never danced before. In fact, they're thrilled to get newcomers. And if he does have lots of experience, he'll find plenty of partners at his level. There are lots of young people who attend regularly. Interestingly, there are always more men than women ... Anyway, we're addicted! :) & I know Kathy's daughter was also a devotee. :) Also, Palo Alto/Stanford is very safe & bike-friendly. With good lights he can go anywhere, anytime. ETA: It's a long time since I was a student, but looking at the prices for Umami Burger (where I haven't eaten yet), I'm reminded that Palo Alto is a very upscale place. (Stuff like this ... absolutely insane! :ohmy: ) Anyway, at the risk of annoying Kathy and Cynthia (Go Bears! hehe), I'll put in a plug for your son taking at least one trip to Berkeley -- a funky student-friendly college town across the Bay. It's about an hour by car (if he knows people with a car), and about 2h by CalTrain/BART via SF. (There used to be a shuttle that made daily trips between the libraries of Berkeley & Stanford, but I don't think it runs anymore. It was called the Gutenberg Express, IIRC. :) ) Berkeley has its upscale areas, too, but b/c it has a larger student body which mostly lives off-campus, and b/c the campus is right near the city, there are tons of cheap (and good!) places to eat. Just yesterday my husband and I got food from both KoJa (me) and Melt (him) -- mmmmm! :D There are tons of places to eat -- and a dizzying variety. Especially good areas are right near the BART station, and in the area around Telegraph Ave, south of campus. I know your son won't have that much time, but it would make a fun excursion at least once. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 This thread is giving me some good ideas of places to try! :) This thread is making me HUNGRY! Lots of great ideas here; I'd like to visit Stanford now. Regards, Kareni 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyforlatin Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 On Sunday mornings, there is a vibrant farmer's market on California Avenue; the street closes from El Camino to the end of that section before it hits the tracks. I haven't tried this site to give gift cards, but here are some vendors who participate, https://www.giftrocket.com/gift-cards-in/palo-alto-ca Mediterranean Wraps on California Avenue is one of those vendors and the wraps are delicious. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 This thread is making me HUNGRY! Lots of great ideas here; I'd like to visit Stanford now. Regards, Kareni This thread is making me wish I'd gone ahead with a road trip taking him out there rather than having him fly. I'm kind of bummed that we won't see it! We've been to San Fran (briefly - doing the Golden Gate, etc), but we've never been to Stanford. We opted not to drive due to needing a couple of weeks to do it right (road trip and all - we'd be hitting a NP or two along the way to break the trip up), youngest needing to work this summer, and I have carpal tunnel surgery scheduled just a week after he needs to be there. Then too, in theory we're saving $$ for another longer trip in Feb. Nonetheless...I'm wondering just how much all that REALLY means at this point. A trip would be fun. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 If he decides to bike all the way down University Ave, he would end up in Ikea East Palo Alto. Plenty of nice shops down University Ave too. Link is map of the restaurants at University Ave and California Ave. Very walkable streets. http://www.paloaltoonline.com/media/reports/1363294134.pdf Keen (shoes/sandals) has a retail store at University Avenue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Umami Burger...mmmmm. I keep waiting for one to open in San Diego. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in Richmond Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 This thread is making me wish I'd gone ahead with a road trip taking him out there rather than having him fly. I'm kind of bummed that we won't see it! We've been to San Fran (briefly - doing the Golden Gate, etc), but we've never been to Stanford. We opted not to drive due to needing a couple of weeks to do it right (road trip and all - we'd be hitting a NP or two along the way to break the trip up), youngest needing to work this summer, and I have carpal tunnel surgery scheduled just a week after he needs to be there. Then too, in theory we're saving $$ for another longer trip in Feb. Nonetheless...I'm wondering just how much all that REALLY means at this point. A trip would be fun. We did the coast to coast road trip when dd moved to CA five years ago. She & I drove west together, exploring lots of sites and parks & visiting friends along the way. We didn't plan too much in advance & just found hotels at the end of each day's adventure...Then dh flew out and met me for the drive back east along a different route. Yeah, it took a little over two weeks, but we're glad we did it. So many memories! :) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 We did the coast to coast road trip when dd moved to CA five years ago. She & I drove west together, exploring lots of sites and parks & visiting friends along the way. We didn't plan too much in advance & just found hotels at the end of each day's adventure...Then dh flew out and met me for the drive back east along a different route. Yeah, it took a little over two weeks, but we're glad we did it. So many memories! :) We've taken northern US routes out twice and southern + more southern routes back respectively. We've missed dead center. If we drove we'd be able to take in Salt Lake City and/or Rocky Mountain NP - two giants we've missed. It's definitely been something we've thought about, but ended up nixing for the reasons mentioned above. I am wondering about reconsidering, but I suppose it would depend upon what youngest gets for a job as it'd be far more fun if he could go with us. At this point I'm thinking about printing off these maps everyone has shared and putting them in the birthday box along with the home-made gift cards. I suspect he'd really enjoy it and his birthday is after his finals, but before he can fly home (due to being an RA). He'll have a couple of days he can take to delve into the maps, etc. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 28, 2015 Author Share Posted April 28, 2015 He could skip the meatballs and get Togo's! The risk is that he will never want Subway again. National chains are rarely (never?) our favorite places to eat. We love local places and local chains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 Any thought of driving out there is definitely out now. My mom called last night letting us know she's purchased a week in a cabin on Lake Ontario and wants us + the boys there (if we can - she wasn't demanding). It definitely requires rearranging our schedule (work, dentist, and crossed fingers with regards to foaling ponies), but I have to admit, it sounds like fun, so we're going. :coolgleamA: She's paying for it all, so finances won't take a hit, but there truly is a limit to how much time hubby can take off from work in the spring/summer - AND I'm pretty sure middle son would like some time here at home to catch up with friends. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Ikea has awesome Swedish meatballs. And Togos, though it is now a chain, started in Berkeley, so it's local. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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