OT: Favorite College Town

[Guapo]

It’s Athens, GA.

 

[Sphinx]

In no particular order...

Burlington, VT
Charlottesville, VA
Gainesville, FL
State College, PA
Chapel Hill, NC

Never was in any of these until I was 60+, never had a relative in any of them. Just cool places to go for an older couple looking to recapture a day or two of youth.

 

[storrsroars]

Underdog vote goes to Easton, PA, home of Lafayette College. Beautiful campus on a hill that overlooks downtown and the Delaware River.

Downtown starts in the ironically-named "Center Square" (it's a circle) and its offerings branch out from its four quadrants. Blue-collar vibe mixed with a modern revitalization and the city certainly looks better in 2020 than it did in 2016, the year I first visited.

Special shoutout too: Easton Public Market (newly open and a food lover's paradise), Greenmouth Table (cozy organic food spot), Grand Eastonian Hotel and Suites (reasonably-priced, massive apartment sized hotel rooms right in downtown), Quadrant Book Mart (old bookstore/breakfast spot in an old firehouse).

Friend of mine is one of the owners of Two Rivers Brewing, and I try to make that a regular stop when I cross PA. Solid food and brew. And he's shown me some excellent bars. Otherwise, my personal experiences with Easton are not great, dating back to early 80s as wife #1 was a Lafayette grad and she used to force me to go to homecoming. I stayed at a Larry Holmes hotel once... ants in the bed. One of the three worst pizzas in my life was partially consumed there.

Much as I hate to admit it, State College has a lot going for it. Too bad it's built around Penn State. Also have enjoyed Charlottesville, Ithica, and of course Berkeley, which I consider separate from Oakland.

 

[TRest]

Northhamptom/Amherst is a frequent day trip for us.

 

[8893]

Northhamptom/Amherst is a frequent day trip for us.

NETA?

 

[storrsroars]

Columbus is so large that I have a tough time calling it a “college town” but it is a sneaky great town to visit for sure. It’s only about 3 hours from Pittsburgh, but I only went over for the first time a few years ago when we played at OSU. Incredibly fun time. I try to head out at least once a year either when the Pens play the Jackets or for a concert

Funny that neither of us said Pittsburgh, but if we're talking about other big cities that happen to host campuses, gotta say that the number of bars/restaurants in the Oakland/Squirrel Hill area will stand up to pretty much anywhere, regardless if you're looking for dives and cheap eats or places you'd actually want to go as an adult. Pitt isn't the most beautiful campus, and neither is CMU (nor Carlow, although Chatham is pretty). Duquense and Point Park both suffer from location.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Mine is predictable, Lawrence, KS. Fantastic downtown, great bar and music scene and just the right size. Some cool breweries too. If Burlington, VT is a "town" not a city, it would be my #2.

For college cities, Boston/Cambridge, Austin, TX, Seattle, WA.

 

[8893]

Funny that neither of us said Pittsburgh, but if we're talking about other big cities that happen to host campuses, gotta say that the number of bars/restaurants in the Oakland/Squirrel Hill area will stand up to pretty much anywhere, regardless if you're looking for dives and cheap eats or places you'd actually want to go as an adult. Pitt isn't the most beautiful campus, and neither is CMU (nor Carlow, although Chatham is pretty). Duquense and Point Park both suffer from location.

I think Pittsburgh would be a great city in which to attend college. Definitely a great city to visit. Awesome sports culture, vibrant arts scene, good food and drink, easily walkable and interesting to look at. It's just a PITA to get there.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I really like Newport and Narragansett RI.

They would technically qualify even though they’re thought of more for summer touristy locations.

Are there colleges in either place? I discounted Santa Cruz, CA because while UCSC is in the town, it's in the hills above the town proper.

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

Funny that neither of us said Pittsburgh, but if we're talking about other big cities that happen to host campuses, gotta say that the number of bars/restaurants in the Oakland/Squirrel Hill area will stand up to pretty much anywhere, regardless if you're looking for dives and cheap eats or places you'd actually want to go as an adult. Pitt isn't the most beautiful campus, and neither is CMU (nor Carlow, although Chatham is pretty). Duquense and Point Park both suffer from location.

I was never a fan of Pitt’s campus and that has only been amplified now that I work in Oakland. The Cathedral/Heinz Chapel/Schenley Plaza area is nice but for the most part the campus is hard to navigate and a dump. That said, you’re 100% right about food spots/dives. If anyone ever has the misfortune of being on Pitt’s campus, Union Grille on Craig is a must-hit as a lunch spot.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

I've lived in 3 of the towns that have showed up a lot... Charlottesville, chapel hill and Boulder (just outside...boulder itself is stupid expensive)

Chapel hill was my favorite since there's a much better assortment of things to do. Cville is a bit stuck in the Jefferson era but they're slowly updating the city. Boulder is a fun town to visit because the mountains provide all sorts of outdoor activities which is more unique to a college area

Some of my least favorite visits were Maryland (college park) and Georgetown. College park is self explanatory and Gtown I just happened to crash with a friend who rowed crew and basically stayed in a crack house

 

[Sonova]

Btw...a few AWFUL ones....

South Bend, IN
Baton Rouge, LA
Syracuse, NY
Orono, ME

 

[TRest]

NETA?

No but I've thought about it

 

[the Q]

Are there colleges in either place? I discounted Santa Cruz, CA because while UCSC is in the town, it's in the hills above the town proper.

Salve Regina (Newport)

URI (it’s close enough to Narragansett, most of the students technically live off campus there).

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

I think Pittsburgh would be a great city in which to attend college. Definitely a great city to visit. Awesome sports culture, vibrant arts scene, good food and drink, easily walkable and interesting to look at. It's just a PITA to get there.

Depending where you’re coming from, yeah it’s not easy. We try to get up to CT for a Gampel game every few years and it’s always an adventure to connect into Bradley.

Amazing city, though. If you’re an out of town fan trying to catch your team play in a cheap-ish city with a ton of stuff to do, you really can’t go wrong with Pittsburgh. I was looking forward to having both the Yanks and Sox coming to town to play my belovedly hapless Pirates as those are always fun atmospheres, but obviously that is out the window.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Salve Regina (Newport)

URI (it’s close enough to Narragansett, most of the students technically live off campus there).

Forgot about Salve Regina. I still don't think of Newport as a college town.

 

[uconngb]

My daughter goes to Wisconsin......great college town. Charlottesville and Chapel Hill are great as well.

 

[8893]

Depending where you’re coming from, yeah it’s not easy. We try to get up to CT for a Gampel game every few years and it’s always an adventure to connect into Bradley.

Amazing city, though. If you’re an out of town fan trying to catch your team play in a cheap-ish city with a ton of stuff to do, you really can’t go wrong with Pittsburgh. I was looking forward to having both the Yanks and Sox coming to town to play my belovedly hapless Pirates as those are always fun atmospheres, but obviously that is out the window.

I was there for a work trip a couple years ago and it coincided with a Mets game, which was great for me because they are my team. It also happened to be fireworks night. We got great seats, relatively cheaply, and I was blown away by the fireworks over the river. Great scene.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Chapel Hill, NC is a great college town. Others are Madison, WI and Boulder, CO.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Northhamptom/Amherst is a frequent day trip for us.

Love Northampton. While at UConn, Northampton was my regular place for live music. Now, I try to get up their annually.

Iron Horse, Pearl Street were regular spots for me. Off the top of my head, I saw The Slip/Surprise Me Mr. Davis (many times), Soulive, The Bad Plus, Charlie Hunter, Do Make Say Think...

Over the last five years, I saw Beach House play in Northampton twice, once at Pearl Street (it needs some sprucing up) and my first and only show at the Ives Theater (what a cool place to see live music!).

 

[Waquoit]

Portland, Maine, though it is becoming too gentrified and hipster like and, thus, pricey.

Never thought of Portland as a college town.

 

[Waquoit]

No but I've thought about it

Go ahead, nobody's looking

 

[TRest]

Never thought of Portland as a college town.

I think there is a small art school in the center, and university of Southern Maine is in South Portland? So not really, but does have the right vibe.

 

[HooperScooper]

Portland, Maine, though it is becoming too gentrified and hipster like and, thus, pricey.

Portland, ME is a cool little city but how is it a college town?

To me a college town is a place that has lots of character and things to do but that wouldn't have any of that if the college wasn't located there. For example, would Ann Arbor or Chapel Hill be more than little hick towns without the state universities there? What would Amherst/Northampton, MA be without the colleges there? Boston and Philadelphia would still be very big cities without the colleges there.

 

[krinklecut]

It’s Athens, GA.

Came here to say the same thing. Spent a few weekends in Athens, great city.