Shenandoah Joe's

One of the best places to study in Harrisonburg, and grab a great cup of coffee. Shenandoah Joe's has an urban refurbished feel to it - concrete floors with iron and wooden chairs yet decorated with shabby chic and classic American heritage, so you feel pretty at home as soon as you walk in. While there are times it can be busy, it is for the most part quiet, which is great for those of you who actually want to go to a coffee shop and get work done.

Pros? Quiet with a laid back and cozy atmosphere. It's especially wonderful on rainy days because you can peer out the large windows and watch a grey day pass you by. Yes, it can make you feel incredibly artsy.

Cons? It's a little off the beaten path for those of you who don't like straying far from campus. It also has very limited parking. I would suggest walking there from campus and then camping out there for a few hours to get work done.

Check out Harrisonburg Shenandoah Joe's Facebook for hours and more.

Shopping

Shopping in Harrisonburg can be tedious for sure, especially for those of who hail from big cities. However, I guarantee that there are places for you to shop that you'll actually enjoy; whether that be shopping for food, necessities or even clothes, Harrisonburg might surprise you. But if it doesn't have what you need, then isn't that just a nice little excuse to get out of the Burg to go shopping and explore another town? Well, at least I think it is. Anywho, enjoy the list of places I explain below. 

Study

As a fellow Duke, I know how difficult it can be to find a good place to study. I also know how sometimes you just need to switch up your surroundings, but it can be frustrating when your choices are limited. So I figured I would give you some options for great places to study on campus, close to campus and off the beaten path to help motivate your study techniques. Whether you're someone who likes studying with the hustle and bustle or you need a completely quiet environment, take a look at the follow suggestions and see if they work for you!

Costco

As everyone knows, Costco is the best place to buy things in bulk. While it isn't necessarily cheap, it's the spot to find the most of an item for a great price. We can all get used to that, right? Unfortunately, memberships aren't cheap and requires that you be fully adulting before you get one.... right? 

Actually, Harrisonburg's Costco offers a special deal to JMU students. Seriously. If someone in your family (i.e., the rents) has a membership, you can get a free membership at Costco when you show them that you're a JMU student.

So, what are you waiting for? Go get a membership now and take the first step into adulthood.

Harrisonburg Costco

Sharp Shopper

For any student at JMU, this is the place to do your shopping. Hands down. This is Harrisonburg's secret to good shopping if you haven't heard it yet.

What is it? Sharp Shopper was started by the Mennonite community in Pennsylvania and has traveled down to Virginia with only a few stores. Why are they so cheap? They take dented and damaged packages that aren't acceptable for selling in regular stores, but are still good to buy. They also take goods that have passed their sell by date - meaning they haven't actually gone bad, the store just can't be liable for selling that product. So, instead of throwing perfectly good food away, Sharp Shopper takes it and sells it for an incredibly discounted price.

The best bargains here? Cereals, sandwich meats and deli cheese, frozen foods, canned goods, sodas and canned beverages, chips and bread and candy (sometimes fresh fruits and vegetables).

Not-so-good bargains? While there are indeed some great prices, there are also other items intermingled that are just normally priced but you think you're getting a good price because everything else is cheap, so hey, why not buy the whole store? Watch out for fresh produce, teas and baking products.

The biggest perk? I have genuinely left the store on multiple occasions with my cart overflowing with good food for all under the price of $30. Yes, it's shopping heaven for students.

For more information and hours? Visit their website! http://www.sharpshopper.net/Sharp_Shopper_Harrisonburg.html

What is Madison Burg?

Hey you guys, welcome to Madison Burg! 

This blog is dedicated to those of you who don't hail from this little (or big depending on where you're from) town of Harrisonburg. Moving to a new town during your college years can be quite confusing - the culture is probably very different and you've probably found yourself asking the following questions in the amount of time you've been here. 

Where do people go for a new experience around here? 

Where should I shop? How can I get good deals? 

What do people do for fun? Is there a nightlife is Harrisonburg besides peoples apartments? 

What do the locals do? Can I be apart of it? 

If you've had any of the previous questions, then I encourage you to take a look around the website. Madison Burg is dedicated to helping the out-of-towner navigate their way around Harrisonburg in a way that is convenient for a JMU student. 

As someone who has grown up in Harrisonburg her whole life, I'm aware of what Harrisonburg has to offer, and trust me, there are some great things if you're willing to branch out. On the other hand, I'm also very aware of things that it lacks and I have had to come up with some realistic solutions for you all. All in all, this website is designed as a guide to show you how to best enjoy living here. 

I hope this website helps you! Please email me if you have questions, ideas, or if there are things you think I should include!