As the days become crisp and colorful leaves detach from their mother tree, falling gently on the ground, we San Domenico students can’t help but wonder: Where’s our home during lunch time or free periods?
With the closest mall 3 miles down the long, Sleepy Hollow stretch, our home away from campus is Redhill Shopping Center.
Redhill offers an abundance of shops, cafes, restaurants and everything you can expect. Oh, but don’t get overwhelmed, because this is your guide to the perfect day spent at SD’s favorite shopping center.
The moment you enter Safeway, the smell hits you with refreshers, lattes and cake pops from Starbucks. What more could you ask for?
Chris, one of the baristas working at Starbucks, talked to us about his most popular customers.
“Most high school students come early in the morning, during lunch and then after school,” Chris said “There’s also a lot of elementary and middle school students.”
Additionally, Chris told us that the current-most ordered drink is the Ginger Chai Latte, and prior to that, was the Pumpkin Chai Latte. Honestly, who doesn’t love chai?
As far as food goes, Redhill has options for everyone—from burritos at High Tech, to bagels at Bubbala’s Jewish Deli—there’s options for anyone’s preferences breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bubbala’s is one of the newest additions to Redhill, and already very popular. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, feeling almost as if you stepped into a relative’s home.
Adjacent to Bubbala’s, there’s a little hole-in-the-wall bakery, that’s been there as long as we can remember. Red Hill Bakery is an affordable, good quality, local bakery, with goods from meat pies to ice cream. We got a classic chocolate chip cookie, which cost about $2. The cookie was big for its price, and it was heated up right in front of us. There was a plethora of chocolate chips, combined with a warm fluffy cookie.
Next we sauntered over to Pete’s Coffee, a chain cafe that rivals Starbucks. We got simple drinks, a peppermint hot cocoa, and a matcha latte, both of which were warm and delicious. We barely waited on our drinks, and the baristas were welcoming and accommodating. For the size and price, we felt it was a good deal, and a worthy opponent of Starbucks.
Despite all of Redhill’s amazing food and beverages, Redhill also supplies you with a wide range of gift stores, such as “Jolt!”. Strolling through Jolt feels a bit like taking a step into the warm centre of Redhill’s community, quite literally, especially when the cold season starts to kick in. Carol, the owner, has been working in Redhill for over ten years, and she has become something of a familiar face, as she knows basically every other shop owner in Redhill.
Carol’s aim is simple but deeply connected to Redhill’s community; she tries to build a connection with the community and give every visitor a heartwarming experience. She aims to greet every customer, as she believes that face-to-face interaction is one of the most meaningful sentiments for building community. For Carol it is also really important to keep her prices low, in order to keep Jolt accessible, creating an amazing space to go buy some ornaments or decorations without pressure.
A quick look around Jolt explains why the store attracts such a wide range of visitors. Shoppers of all ages find themselves awed by the sweet and colorful items that fill in the shelves. Someone might be looking for a present for Christmas or just stopping by for a friendly exchange, showing that Jolt has become a store where the community comes together.
