By: Maddie Walsh ‘20

If you have been to the University Village recently, you’ve probably walked past Nail Garden, that fancy-looking nail salon by Honeybird. My initial reaction to having a nail salon in The Village was negative. It seemed extra and unnecessary. With Baked Bear, Cava, and Wahlburgers in place, the additional temptation to spend money felt cruel. Then came this past weekend. I had a free Saturday for once and my nails desperately needed attention. Curiosity and laziness propelled me towards Nail Garden and before I my wallet could protest, I was sitting in one of the high-back chairs with polish colors in hand. Was it worth it? In my case, YES! Keep reading to see the list of reasons why I would recommend the Nail Garden experience.

By: Maddie Walsh ‘20

When building government (BG) elections came around last year, I completely rejected the idea of running for a position as something I would NEVER do. However, when the application to campaign opened this year,I thought why not? I was looking for more leadership opportunities and wanted to be more involved on campus, so I decided to run for president of the Cale and Irani Residential Colleges. At the time, I really had no idea what I was signing up for, but being a part of residential student government (RSG) turned out to be an extremely formative experience.

By: Maddie Walsh ‘20

If you’re growing tired of going to the same fast food places on Figueroa over and over again, then it’s time for you to check out Mercado La Paloma. It’s a food court-style market with a number of restaurants and small shops offering everything from vegan Ethiopian food to traditional Yucatan cuisine, and it’s only two blocks away from campus! The food isn’t even the best part. Mercado La Paloma is a project overseen by the Esperanza Community Housing Corporation whose goal is to “promote business-ownership opportunities” and “living wage jobs” while building a stronger community. On the second floor of the building there are non-profit offices and spaces for classes and community meetings. So, when you go to get some delicious food, you’ll be supporting a great cause, as well! Keep reading to learn more about the restaurants waiting for you there.