First Person: The Top 10 "Instagram-able" Places at St. Lawrence

It’s no secret that St. Lawrence’s campus is beautiful. The St. Lawrence charm around every corner brings life and allure to our community. Every season brings a fresh new look, painting the campus in new colors and sights. The fall offers an abundance of bright yellow and amber-colored leaves dancing in the wind. They color the trees with fiery warmth, glowing and illuminating our faces. The winter coats the grounds with glistening white snow, falling softly on the bare trees and giving the student center a cozy glow. The spring is all about growth and sunny days on the quad. Flowers line the buildings and trees begin to bloom with little bursts of color. SLU is always teeming with life and friendly faces, fostering the warmest community and a truly beautiful place. It’s quite difficult to not stop and admire the color of the trees on the Avenue of the Elms or Enchanted Forest, the soft snow on the student center, the sunsets over the chapel, and the moon over the quad. There is beauty everywhere you look. In no particular order, these are 10 of the prettiest places on St. Lawrence University’s campus, deemed most “Instagram-able”. All pictures are mine unless credited otherwise.

1. Naturally, I chose one of the entrances into St. Lawrence’s campus as the very first picture. This entrance can be found at the corner of Park Street and University Avenue, draped in tall, swaying pines inviting you into our home. The snow sits gently on the sweeping boughs and the welcome sign in the winter, appearing snug as ever.

2. These next two photos in the set capture my personal favorites, the first being the Avenue of the Elms and the second being the Saddlemire Trail. I classify them as one place, as they are a connected route that is a part of our wonderful trail network at SLU. They are a beautiful addition to our campus in any season, and nothing beats a sunset over the Avenue with the Gunnison Chapel nestled between the trees.

3. My next two photos depict Kirk Douglas Hall and the Quad. This new dorm at SLU is the perfect backdrop for the multi-purposeful Quad space, and happens to be one of the most eye-catching buildings on campus. The light cast upon Kirk Douglas at any hour is striking.

4. The Sullivan Student Center is an attractive hub of student life sitting in the middle of our campus. It is beautiful inside and out, with the inside modeled after a ski lounge making it a warm and inviting place to curl up with a specialty drink from the café, do homework, play pool, or eat at the pub with friends. The Student Center is one of my favorite places to be.

5. The next "Instagram-able” is the Gunnison Memorial Chapel. This building brings a lot of tradition and history to St. Lawrence. Some of the best attainable views on campus are of the Chapel from Kirk Douglas. The soft glow of the unique stained glass and the chapel bells always remind me that I am home. You can see the Chapel in a number of stunning pictures from sunsets to sunrises, full moons, morning yoga, and even Doggy De-stress Day. The Chapel is an important part of the St. Lawrence experience.

6. The second half of the list kicks off with Richardson Hall, an academic building. Originally, this building was the entirety of St. Lawrence University when chartered in 1856 and has since grown beyond that. Now, Richardson sits stoically at the top of the Quad, radiating St. Lawrence energy.

7. This brings me to my next attraction, the Enchanted Forest. This is the walkway connecting the entrance to SLU and Richardson Hall, a long stretch with trees planted on either side. The trees provide a blooming canopy in the spring and a vibrant shelter of leaves in the fall. It is a gorgeous stretch in any season.

The next few places are some of the most picturesque study spots on campus.

8. Herring Cole, the eighth spot on our list, is a charming study space with a very old style. It is updated with outlets, so it’s a great place to camp out for the day. It is a quaint building excellent for studying and doing work 24 hours a day.

9. The next great place to be is the Ireland Family Arts Lounge, located in the back of the Noble Center. Essentially, this is a sunroom that allows warmth, sun, and great views of the suites to be let in. Working in this room on a sunny day is one of the best feelings. The Arts Lounge is truly a hidden gem of SLU.

10. The 10th and final “Instagram-able” spot at St. Lawrence is the Sykes Zen Garden. An Innovation Grant built to be a multi-purposeful space, the Zen Garden hosts classes when the weather is nice, special performances, and is a great place to work. The Zen Garden is a scenic utopia.

Last but not least, I wanted to give an honorable mention to the Brewer Bookstore because I can’t limit the best and most appealing places on campus to just 10. The Bookstore, originally the gym, is a beautiful building on the other side of Park Street characterized by delightful store-front displays and tall pines behind it. Inside the bookstore is the best place to grab all SLU gear and apparel before leaving campus, so it is only fitting I put this last. The store is lined with everything one could need and more. The displays during the holiday season in Winter is a magical and enchanting sight. These places comprise our captivating campus.

There is no place I would rather be when the sun sets over the Chapel, the snow falls on the Quad, the leaves change to be the colors of St. Lawrence, and the flowers brighten the spring days at St. Lawrence.