Florence has many unique places in its downtown area, places that incoming students may not know about but definitely will want to see.

The Route of Art

218 N. Court St.

This upstairs loft looking right over Court Street opened its doors in the fall of 2010 and has since become an artistic hub for the community.

If you are an artist, art collector or a supporter of the arts, the Route of Art is the place to go in Florence.

The gallery collects and sells artwork from the wide diversity of Shoals area artists, as well as works from outside the Southeast. The art offered is diverse itself, ranging from paintings to sculptures to jewelry to combinations of the different media.

Aside from its art wares, the Route of Art also lends itself to special interest groups such as a yoga class and a poetry reading group.

The Route of Art’s hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Pegasus Records

612 E. Tennessee St.

As you enter Downtown Florence from Florence Boulevard, one of the very first buildings to catch the eye is the legendary Pegasus Records.

Music lovers, this is the one-stop shop for music in the area. Whether you have a taste for Waylon Jennings or Pink Floyd, Snoop Dogg or Beethoven, this place has what you’re looking for.

This staple of the Shoals area has been part of Downtown Florence for 30 years now, according to its Facebook page.

Its massive music collection includes new and used CDs and LPs with an impressive selection to satisfy any vinyl enthusiast.

Also, as a supporter of local artists, Pegasus sells the music of undiscovered talent and occasionally will host in-store performances by local bands.

Pegasus Records is open from Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Rivertown Coffee

117 Seminary St.

There is a jumbled stack of chairs, each one barely balancing on the one below it, in a corner at Rivertown Coffee Co. that truly illustrates the coffee shop’s bohemian atmosphere. It’s hard to tell if the chairs are art or just a convenient place to store extra furniture, but it doesn’t matter; it looks cool either way.

Rivertown is a favorite for UNA students because it has the quintessential college atmosphere, complete with hipsters, java heads and students.

The shop offers the typical coffee shop spread (coffee, lattes, frappes, mochas, teas and sodas) along with lunch weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The prices are on par with most other coffee shops, but UNA students get 10 percent off all coffee drinks with their Mane cards.

The music changes, but students can typically expect something they’ve never heard-from ambient folk techno to dub-step remixes of ‘80s hits to live, local music. Along with a wide array of music, Rivertown uses the blank space on its heavily decorated walls as an art venue, displaying the work of local artists. Rivertown is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday and is closed on Sunday.

Oriental Pearl

111 E. Tennessee St.

Oriental Pearl is possibly the most unique business in downtown Florence. The Asian grocery and gift store offers a wide selection of Asian products for UNA students and the Shoals community.

For the adventurous UNA student, Oriental Pearl offers exotic selections such as Hwang Ryh Shiong, fermented bean curd, Luscious Soy Paste and canned Chrysanthemum tea. All of these products offer tastes the average UNA student has never experienced, and college is all about trying new things, right?

One must-try staple for college students at Oriental Pearl is Sapporo Ichiban, otherwise known as legit Ramen. These prepackaged Japanese noodles are the real deal-the legendary forefather of Ramen noodles.

UNA students looking for Asian groceries or to try something new can check out Oriental Pearl 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The store is closed Sunday and Wednesday.

The Smokehouse

118 E. Tennessee St.

A typical venture through the doors of the Smokehouse meets UNA students with “The Ace of Spades” blasting over the radio, slicing through the dim haze hovering over neon signs and pool tables.

UNA students of age can enjoy the well-stocked bar, but anyone can appreciate the Smokehouse’s low-priced bar food. Behind the bar and seating area is the game section. The Smokehouse has enough pool tables to keep even the biggest Friday night billiards crowd happy.

Students can expect a wide display of live music on weekend nights. According to J.J. Jennings, the new owner of the Smokehouse, the venue looks for all genres of live music, from rock to reggae to rap.

Jennings encourages UNA students to hang out at the Smokehouse with free pool for students every Sunday and various college nights. Watch out for upcoming Mane card specials, too.

The Smokehouse offers burgers, beer and billiards 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and is closed on Sunday.