What are you in the mood for? Mexican? Then, it’s off to Tres!

Tres Hombres is a mexican favorite for Chico State students looking to celebrate a momentus occassion or to catch up with old friends.

When Chico State students are craving Mexican food but want something other than a taco truck or lunch-sized portions, they’ll go to Tres Hombres.

After a devastating fire in 2009, Tres Hombres re-opened last year to a huge celebration from the Chico community. It is one of the more well-known restaurants in downtown Chico and extremely popular for both weekend get-togethers with friends or huge celebrations.

At Tres Hombres, you will find a  variety of Mexican dishes to choose from including: burritos, quesadillas, combo platters, salads, tacos and soups. They also have appetizers and a large selection of drinks. There are so many things on the menu, it can be very hard to choose something you want to try!

After Chico State students graduate, there are a couple of restaurants that they will never forget. Tres Hombres is one of these restaurants and will continue to be a traditional mainstay for future Chico State students looking for quality Mexican food.

Chico Garden Walk: Back and better than ever

Usually, December is a month of Christmas gifts and celebration with relatives. However, last December was not a holiday for the Chico Garden Walk after a pipe burst and gushed water throughout the mall.  Many of the stores closed and a lot of owners and customers were not sure when it would reopen and people could visit the stores and restaurants.

Luckily, they got their answer earlier this month when the mall reopened and now people can explore the improvements made to the Chico Garden Walk mall.

The Chico Garden Walk features several stores, including Weekend Warehouse, not found in other malls and shopping centers.

The layout at the Chico Garden Walk mall allow people to explore different places at the same time and eliminate the hassle and stress of having to drive to multiple places. You can find stores for computer repairs, jewelry, dresses, accessories, food and more, which will make it a lot easier for you to find what you want.

The Chico Garden Walk mall is back in business and offers Chico State students the opportunity to find everything they’re looking for at one place that’s close to campus.

Downtown Post Office: Connecting Students to the Real World

Chico State students can walk through Broadway Street to get to the downtown Chico post office.

For many students, mailing letters is considered old-fashioned and something they only do for thank you notes to relatives or sending in job applications. However, when they need to send something important out via snail mail but want to be close to campus, the downtown post office offers a solution.

Located at 141 W. Fifth St., the downtown Chico post office is hard to miss with its curved arches and its gray stone exterior. You can quickly find it by walking down Broadway on Second Street past the Phoenix Building and across the street from Jack in the Box. When you open the door, you will see beautiful mosaics on the wall which give the interior a brighter atmosphere.

While the downtown post office doesn’t offer as many services as the one on Vallombrosa and Mangrove avenues, you can still go there to send letters, packages, buy stamps or check your mail at one of its P.O. Boxes. It also has the advantage of convenience. With many students having busy sch0ol schedules, they need a post office that is close to campus and won’t make them late for class. The downtown Chico post office accomplishes these two goals and helps students send out important letters and packages to the people they care about the most.

El Rey Theatre: Music, Movies, Parties and more

The El Ray Theatre is one of the most well-known and recognizable buildings in downtown Chico. It is the place where many big-time musicians come to play because of its large seating capacity and amenities, such as Hinder, Puddle of Mudd and Snoop Dogg. Many local bands also come to the El Rey to attract local audiences and build up their fan bases.

The El Rey Theatre is downtown Chico's premier place for big-name performers and small-twon special events.

In addition to musicians, you can see movies at the El Rey such as Army of Darkness and Fight Club. These movies are usually a couple of years old, but they still remain popular with Chico State students. The cheap price for tickets also appeals to students’ budgets and it helps make the El Rey a good place to enjoy a movie without the high ticket prices of new movies at other theaters.

The El Rey Theatre also can be rented by people and companies looking for a venue to host a special event. One main reason why people would reserve the El Rey rather than another location in Chico is because of its location on one of the main streets in downtown Chico. This helps guests by making it easy for them to find it and be on time for the celebration or business conference.

The El Rey Theatre is the place in downtown Chico where you can see popular entertainment venues with budget-friendly prices and start a large event on time with all of your guests.

Celestino’s Pizza: A Slice of New York-Style Pizza

Lunch can be either a quick or special occasion for Chico State students. It can be one that only lasts five minutes as they rush to get to their next class or last an hour as they meet with old friends to see what going’s on in their lives.

Celestino’s has options for both lunchtime occasions and is an old-time Chico State student favorite.

The pizzeria has two locations in Chico: at 101 Salem St. and 1354 East Ave. By having two locations, Chico State students can enjoy Celestino’s pizza, pasta, salads and calzones when they’re on campus or if they’re out buying groceries in the East Avenue Safeway. The convenience is definitely a plus for students, especially with their busy schedules.

The New York-style pizza at Celestino's are a favorite among Chico State students.

While at Celestino’s, you have the option of choosing something if you want a quick lunch or a longer, slower lunch. Celestino’s has pizza slices in several varieties, including traditional cheese, the pesto and tomato Godfather or the meat marvel Tom Jones. You can pick a cheese or pepperoni slice and pair it with a soda as part of the lunchtime special when you need to get back to class or have so many errands to run, one list wouldn’t fit everything you need to do. However, you can also choose a full-size pizza, pasta dish, salad, or calzone combo when you have plenty of time on your schedule and would like to relax while eating your lunch or dinner.

Whether you’re having a crazy, event-filled day or a slow-paced, quiet day, Celestino’s has options for your next meal.

Chico City Council Chambers: The Heart of Chico City Government

When students are driving or walking to class along Main Street, they might pass a tan building with a large green tree emblem. Even though this building might appear unimportant or just another business, it plays an important role in Chico’s government and is the location of many significant decisions that impact the city’s future.

This building, located at 421 Main St. is the Chico city council chambers.

The Chico city council chambers has an interesting background that many students probably have never heard of it. According to documents from the Chico Building and Development Services Department and information from an interview with Combination Building Inspector Linda Edmond, the Chico council chambers has gone through several remodeling projects.

The Chico city council chambers is one of the most important places in Chico because it is the location of the Chico city council meetings.

These remodeling projects helped make the Chico chambers council more accessible for residents by providing more space and facilities. Some of these projects include: a new municipal parking lot in 1977,  new handicapped accommodations in 1985 and an expansion of Conference Room No. 1 in 1997.

Every first and third Tuesday of the month, the Chico city council meets at the Chico council chambers. Students interested in attending these meetings can find meeting agendas at the Chico city council chambers and new ones are post one week before the next meeting.

The Chico council chambers is one of the most important buildings in Chico and will continue to be sight of significant city decisions in the future.

Mom’s Breakfast and Lunch: Downtown Meals with a touch of Home

While Chico State students enjoy living in Chico, nothing can replace the experience of waking up at home to enjoy a hearty breakfast with your parents and siblings. The heartfelt occasion brings everyone together with good food, laughs and plenty of hugs.

Even though home may be hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away, Mom’s Breakfast and Lunch brings the atmosphere of a cozy family breakfast to Chico State students.

Mom's Breakfast and Lunch is close to Chico State and across from the B-Line transit station.

Located at 209 Salem St., Mom’s Breakfast and Lunch offers both breakfast and lunch entries. If you want to have a nice breakfast but are short on cash or sticking to a budget, from 7 to 9 a.m., you can try one of the restaurant’s three breakfast specials, including the Five Buck Cluck. These specials range from $3 to $5.

When you walk into Mom’s for the first time, you will notice the pictures, the golden yellow walls and the big windows that let in the sun’s rays. This lively, colorful environment makes customers feel welcome and brightens up their day.

Breakfast at Mom's gives Chico State students the opportunity to try a lot of different options and brings back memories of meals with their families.

The breakfast and lunch menus at Mom’s features a variety of options you can choose from. For breakfast, you can choose from several items, including: omelets, crepes, French toast, pancakes and biscuits and gravy. After 11 a.m., Mom’s begins to serve lunch and you can find sandwiches, pasta, burgers, wraps, salads and soups.

Mom’s Breakfast and Lunch helps bring back the memories of family meals for Chico State students in downtown Chico.

Shubert’s Ice Cream and Candy Co: Satisfying Sweet Tooths since 1938

Shubert's Ice Cream and Candy Co. is enjoyed by everyone in Chico, from the young to the young at heart.

Sometimes, you just have a craving for something sweet. You want to find a place that doesn’t just offer regular candy bars, but also ice cream, truffles, gummy bears and anything else your heart (and stomach) desires.

If you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, look no further than Shubert’s Ice Cream and Candy Co., located at 178 E. Seventh St.

Shubert’s Ice Cream and Candy Co. has been a Chico favorite since 1938 and is family owned and operated, unlike other national ice cream chains. It is the home of many distinct flavors you won’t find anywhere else, including the award-winning Chico Mint, a chocolate ice cream filled with delicious mint pieces. If you want to take the creamy ice cream home, you can choose one of the square cartons in the freezer on the left-hand side of the store.

Not only does Shubert's have ice cream, but also it has a large candy selection, including these PEZ dispensers and tasty chocolates.

In addition to ice cream, Shubert’s offers both boxed and pieces of candy, including chocolate truffles with fillings such as strawberry cheesecake and peanut butter, English toffee, gummy bears, boxed chocolate cashews, peppermint chocolate sticks, PEZ dispensers and more. The box sets are great gift ideas, while the pieces are good when you want to sample something new

When you’ve got a chocolate or ice cream craving or if you want to find the perfect present for your candy aficionado friend, stop by Shubert’s Ice Cream and Candy Co.

The Blue Room Theatre: Where Local Audiences can see Future Stars

While Chico doesn’t have Broadway or Second City, there is a place where Chico State students can sing along to a musical, laugh at a comedian’s jokes or be glued to their seats as they watch a dramatic scene from a classic theatre production.

Above Collier Hardware in downtown Chico, the Blue Room Theatre is a popular place for a variety of musicals, comedies and dramas because of its intimate environment. Rather than having to wear glasses to watch s performance hundreds of rows in the back, you can see the actors up close and personal.

Right above Collier Hardware, students can spot the sign indicating the exact location of the Blue Room Theatre before they see a show.

The Blue Room Theatre opened in 1994 and has remained a wonderful location for local acts trying to build a large fan base and students looking for the opportunity to see a show, such as Sid and Nancy or Bustolini’s Comedy Night, or audition for a production without having to spend a lot of money or travel for several hours.

One production featured earlier this month at the Blue Room Theatre was Sid and Nancy.

Thanks to the Blue Room Theatre, Chico State students can experience theatre in a welcoming, close setting and see future stars display their talents.

Chico City Plaza: Tranqulity in downtown Chico

While walking through downtown Chico on a sunny day, many students pass through the Chico City Plaza on their way to class, work or their home.

However, students should take a moment out of their hectic day to stop and enjoy all of the things that the town square has to offer.

The Chico City Plaza is convieniently located to several significant Chico businesses and organizations.

Located in the middle of downtown Chico on Fourth and Main Streets, the Chico City Plaza is close to the post office and Chico City Hall.  It features freshly cut grass and shady trees, which are very helpful during the hot summer months in Chico. If you feel tired and want to sit down, the Chico City Plaza has black benches and concrete tables with black and green checkerboard patterns.

The tables have a distinctive black and green checkerboard pattern.

The middle of the Chico City Plaza contains several parts. One of the most recognizable features of the Chico City Plaza is the circular fountain in the middle that shoots up large bursts of water into the sky. It contains seven large sprayers in the middle with several smaller ones forming a circular shape. People can easily see the fountain while sitting down, walking or driving.

In the middle of the Chico City Plaza, the majestic fountain shoots water high into the sky.

Another part is the circular, domed stage where local bands play in summer concerts. When the downtown Chico summer concert series is not occurring, people will usually sit on the podium and hang out with friends.  Behind this stage is a marker commemorating the founder of Chico, General John Bidwell, and his contributions to the city.

During the summer, local bands play on this domed stage during Chico's summer concert series.

The founder of Chico, General John Bidwell is remembered on this marker located behind the Chico City Plaza

Across the podium, you will see another building. However, this building is not domed. Rather, it is a combination of Spanish architecture and Roman columns with a painting of an old streetcar.

On the right side of the plaza, you will see this tan building with the painting of a streetcar.

The Chico City Plaza is a serene area in the middle of downtown Chico where you can spend a relaxing afternoon without any interruptions or stress.