Dear downtown Burlington,
I'm so glad we've finally met. I feel like this will be quite a mutually beneficial acquaintance.
If you get off the BioBus at stop #3 (S. Spring St. at May Memorial Library), there are a number of pretty fantastic places to wander in and out of, especially if you're looking for food, coffee, cheap furniture, random antiques, thrift store clothing, a florist, a movie, or just interesting outdoor places to hang out on pretty days.
I'm a fan of all the random boutiques and inexpensive trinket shops and thrift stores around just about every corner. Ah, for example:
There are a couple restaurants on Front Street, including:
I just recently got the Mussaman Curry with tofu at Anna's Thai cafe. It was super creamy because not only do they add peanut butter to the sauce, but avocado too. The thick sauce also had tons of cashews, potato and onions in it. It was pretty deliciously spicy too. The inside of the restaurant is bigger but just as classy as Dan Thai and Simply Thai, however some rooms have a better atmosphere than others. It a place thats definitely worth checking out if you love thai food. You can even order delivery and take out ONLINE
here.
On the corner of W. Davis Street and Spring Street, you can find a new NY Style pizza shop on, a fun, retro-themed coffee and pastry shop called the Perk-O-Later, or enjoy a peaceful yoga class, all within a single block.
The Perk-O-Later had a lifesized Elvis in the window as well as a giant frosted cake with records mushed into the frosting. I would've popped in for some steaming coffee but it was closed for the day already when I walked by at 1:30pm. Your best plan to get to this place during business hours would be to drive yourself, since its never open when the BioBus is making rounds. Their business may likely suffer because of this.
The outside of the yoga studio looked pretty intriguing, with the plastic laminated OM symbol hanging atop the heavy wooden door.
I've heard the owner of The Pizza Corner is from New York City. Its authenticity was confirmed when I saw that the slices they serve are about three times the size of your face and the crust this super thin....so I'm thinking this place is a pretty safe bet. Grab a slice or a gyro or a calzone and tell us what you thought of it!
There are also some other random places to look around and spots to sit outside if you and some friends are blessed with a sunny day and some spare time.
A Florist
Haute couture, most definitely.
The old Paramount Theater still shows movies and hosts events and performances seasonally.
This is the outdoor amphitheater right next to Anna's Thai Café.
While the BioBus is now going to downtown Burlington Monday-Thursday from 2:30pm-6:30pm to transport service learning classes and volunteers to their non-profit organizations safely and in an attempt at doing so in a greener way, you should go explore the downtown area in your spare time or after you've finished logging service learning hours at the office this spring.
We have a bright future together, downtown Burlington.
love,
the bored and underwhelmed Elon student
Brickstyle wants to know your impression of the downtown area, as it is working hard to become a more exciting place for foot traffic as a place for people to gather. With the BioBus running most afternoons now, Burlington has their fingers crossed that Elon students will help bring some energy to the streets of downtown.
The shop seems to hold irregular hours (and likes to simultaneously hang open and closed signs in the window), so I wasn't able to go inside, but I just looked through the windows to see what they had. There was also a used, black drum set in the window.
All the bikes are very reasonably priced (all the price tags are dangling off the handle bars quite visibly) and probably in good working condition.
Have you thought of joining the cycling club at Elon but don't own a bike? Have you considered how fun it would be riding to school on a bike instead of driving this spring? There are probably a lot of reasons that's a really good idea, including being able to enjoy the weather on nice days, getting in a little bit of exercise, and saving gas and carbon emissions by keeping your car off the road a couple days each week.
They offer a wide line of new bicycles of all kinds, as well as all the clothing, equipment and accessories you may want to go with your bike. They also have a couple weekly group rides that would be great to get involved in. 
If you have any desire or need for any kind of bike, Burlington's got you covered. Go snag one now so that you're ready to take an impromptu bike ride whenever our warm, spring days finally arrive. 
The Perk-O-Later had a lifesized Elvis in the window as well as a giant frosted cake with records mushed into the frosting. I would've popped in for some steaming coffee but it was closed for the day already when I walked by at 1:30pm. Your best plan to get to this place during business hours would be to drive yourself, since its never open when the BioBus is making rounds. Their business may likely suffer because of this. 
Haute couture, most definitely.
The old Paramount Theater still shows movies and hosts events and performances seasonally.
