OT: Favorite College Town

[phillionaire]

I went to grad school at University of Michigan. It's 50 miles west of Detroit. I used to ride my bike a lot around the area and there was nothing in the towns right outside Ann Arbor. This was 30 years ago though. Don't know what is there today. I really don't believe Ann Arbor would be much of anything if it wasn't for the school and the associated hospital. Everything revolves around the school. It truly is a college town although it's a big college town because there are so many non-students living there. But that is what happens with a big state school. There are hundreds of professors, administrators and the hospital employs a lot of people. But again, none of that would exist without the school.

Take a similar school, University of Wisconsin in Madison. Madison is a very cool town that revolves around the school, but not as much as Ann Arbor. It's also the state capital. It would exist and be a smaller sized city without the school.

Ann Arbor has been an absolute ghost town since the middle of March. It's nice during the summer when all the students leave but it's weird seeing it this empty this early. And with Art Fair getting cancelled it's going to be a weird, ghost-town summer.

 

[8893]

It's a grid though, so... basically just squares except when you get near the creek.

Honestly, we had our choice to stay in AA. We chose Buffalo instead.

I mean the red bricked area in the center that's a big pedestrian area. Church St. Marketplace in Burlington; don't recall what it's called in Ann Arbor. I was only in the latter a couple times for business many years ago, but like usual I scoped out the food and drink options so my most lasting memories are Ashley's and Zingerman's.

I spent a lot of time in Buffalo because my wife went to college there. Not a big fan.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Agreed. Best food, too. And great university.

Absolutely fantastic eating town. Reputation is well-deserved. Every time I go to Italy I try to spend at least a day or two there.

 

[Lefty2one]

I haven't been to many. So many of my friends went to Storrs, Boston, or small private New England schools.

Happy Valley is pretty great.
Boulder is gorgeous but I visited in my mid 30s so I didn't exactly get the college/bar experience.
I was only ever there at night but Durham, NH (Univ of New Hampshire) seemed pretty cool.
UC-Santa Cruz has amazing views of the ocean but that weird run-down Cali vibe to it, at least the part I went to. It's probably the most unique campus I've been to.
Univ of South Carolina was underwhelming. Much of it looked like some industrial complex from the 1960s. No personality in the architecture. Some of the surrounding houses/neighborhoods are beautiful.
New Haven has its charm--I lived there for eight years--and Yale pretty much is New Haven so I'll include it.

I really wish I visited at least one big school in the deep south.

 

[upstater]

I mean the red bricked area in the center that's a big pedestrian area. Church St. Marketplace in Burlington; don't recall what it's called in Ann Arbor. I was only in the latter a couple times for business many years ago, but like usual I scoped out the food and drink options so my most lasting memories are Ashley's and Zingerman's.

I spent a lot of time in Buffalo because my wife went to college there. Not a big fan.

That's Kerrytown.

That's where I lived. If the plan was creating a clusterfrig for cars, that man designed it well.

 

[Bonk]

Willimantic, CT

 

[phillionaire]

That's Kerrytown.

That's where I lived. If the plan was creating a clusterfrig for cars, that man designed it well.

I wish I could afford to live down in Kerrytown, it's such a nice part of town.

 

[upstater]

I wish I could afford to live down in Kerrytown, it's such a nice part of town.

We rented. Another reason we left AA. $1750 a month for 750 sq. feet. My friend bought a condo closer to the creek, $500k.

 

[HooperScooper]

We rented. Another reason we left AA. $1750 a month for 750 sq. feet. My friend bought a condo closer to the creek, $500k.

I live near Boston and work in Boston. That's cheap! Lol

 

[phillionaire]

We rented. Another reason we left AA. $1750 a month for 750 sq. feet. My friend bought a condo closer to the creek, $500k.

Yeah rent prices are insane in town, I'd love to live closer to everything in town but I'd spend so much more money on beer and food than I already do haha. We're looking to buy our first house soon and Saline and Ypsi are looking like our best options.

 

[upstater]

I live near Boston and work in Boston. That's cheap! Lol

LOL, well we lived there in 2000-2002. But I have heard that AA plateaued and didn't keep rising. We landed in Buffalo at the exact right time. 350% rise in real estate in the central part of the city since 2004.

 

[superjohn]

Best college town in Italy is Bologna.

Underrated American college down: Davis, CA.

Sentimental favorite: College Hill, Providence.

My dad went University of Bologna for med school when the nuns wouldn't write him a letter of recommendation. Bologna is a fun city with great eats and good looking women.

Providence is where I had a mobster smash every window of my friend's car with his foot and then that same mobster took us all to Foxy Lady like nothing happened.

 

[HooperScooper]

Saw this article and figured I'd post it.

Wellesley, MA? I don't consider that a college town even though Babson and Wellesley College are there.

The 10 Best College Towns in America

Even if you aren't in college, you'll still enjoy these historic, active, and downright beautiful college towns across America.

www.thediscoverer.com

 

[HuskyHawk]

Saw this article and figured I'd post it.

Wellesley, MA? I don't consider that a college town even though Babson and Wellesley College are there.

The 10 Best College Towns in America

Even if you aren't in college, you'll still enjoy these historic, active, and downright beautiful college towns across America.

www.thediscoverer.com

Yeah, it's not. Not really. Berkeley is not bad. 6th street in Austin is fun.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Saw this article and figured I'd post it.

Wellesley, MA? I don't consider that a college town even though Babson and Wellesley College are there.

The 10 Best College Towns in America

Even if you aren't in college, you'll still enjoy these historic, active, and downright beautiful college towns across America.

www.thediscoverer.com

Yeah, especially in a state like Massachusetts where there are so many other college towns that stick out: Amherst, Cambridge, Northampton, Holyoke.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Chapel Hill

 

[superjohn]

Evanston, IL. Beautiful architecture, beautiful town, right on Lake Michigan with it's own beaches, Chicago is right down the street on Lake Shore Drive which is one of the most scenic roads in all of America.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Saw this article and figured I'd post it.

Wellesley, MA? I don't consider that a college town even though Babson and Wellesley College are there.

The 10 Best College Towns in America

Even if you aren't in college, you'll still enjoy these historic, active, and downright beautiful college towns across America.

www.thediscoverer.com

The author must of gone there, its not even in the same realm as those other places

 

[joober jones]

Salt Lake City

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Salt Lake City

Isn’t Salt Lake City dry?

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Isn’t Salt Lake City dry?

No, just the rules are restrictive more so than most of America.

I was very surprised how much I enjoyed Salt Lake when I went there back in 2013 for March Madness. Gorgeous scenery, nice people, good food.

 

[joober jones]

No, just the rules are restrictive more so than most of America.

I was very surprised how much I enjoyed Salt Lake when I went there back in 2013 for March Madness. Gorgeous scenery, nice people, good food.

These are pretty much all the reasons why I like it so much. Utah is a lot like Colorado, only without the transplanted stoners.

 

[superjohn]

These are pretty much all the reasons why I like it so much. Utah is a lot like Colorado, only without the transplanted stoners.

And much more fathers marrying their daughters.

 

[bendm]

Salt Lake City

cant beat the skiing

 

[UConnKev]

Some of my favorites:

1)Palo Alto
2)Boulder
3)Tempe
4)Tucson
5)State College
6)Las Cruces, NM
7)Lincoln
8)Auburn

Least favorite:
Lawrence, KS
Tuscaloosa, AL
Albuquerque