Charlottesville, VA

I can't think of any other time I've visited an unfamiliar town for such a short amount of time and seen so many pool tables. Charlottesville, Virginia is one of those places. In just one weekend I was there last month I stumbled across three places with tables. Unfortunately, I wasn't in town to play pool. I was there for the LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph. On the first night of the festival I went to a party at a bar called Rapture (pictured above). Rapture, situated on downtown Charlottesville's pedestrian mall, has full-size tables both on street level as well as on an upstairs level. While I was waiting for some friends to arrive I got in a quick game with two ladies who were playing one another. The next night I ate dinner at a place called West Main, and throughout my meal I could hear people playing pool downstairs. The last night I was in town I met up with my pal Howard Arnn, who was a great teammate of mine at Sophie's last fall and has since relocated to C-ville. We met up at another great bar on the downtown pedestrian mall called Miller's. I was asking him about both places and as it turns Miller's also has pool tables (a pool hall on the third floor). Next time I go back I will definitely venture upstairs at Miller's. From my online searches I've also discovered a place called Orbit Billiards and Cafe that sounds promising. Finally, there is a place on the University of Virginia campus called Newcomb Hall Game Room with pool tables, but unfortunately you have to have a University ID to play, which is a shame because it's only five cents per minute to play (two cents per minute on Thursdays). Click here for more information on the scene in Charlottesville.