This has got to be good for recruiting

[kcc1442]

http://www.courant.com/business/real-estate/hc-storrs-center-uconn-20120822,0,7199916.story

At the very least it is going to change the type of players that commit to us in the future...No longer the kids who want to get away from the downtown atmosphere. I'm excited about it. Gives our recruits more eye candy to look at when they come on their visits. I think this "college park" theme is vital to us winning recruiting battles.

 

[Palatine]

Storrs is still in the middle of nowhere. But it is a nice addition to the campus.

 

[superjohn]

I never understand when people say Storrs is in the middle of nowhere. While it is a bit remote, have some perspective. If you think Storrs is in the middle of nowhere I suggest you travel all around the South, West and Midwest. Storrs is a half hour from Hartford, a little over an hour from Providence, 1.5 hours from Boston and 2.5 hours from NYC. my point is nowhere in the Northeast is really in the middle of nowhere compared to the rest of the country.

 

[junglehusky]

I don't know about athletes, but for the general student population it doesn't hurt having more burrito places (for male students) and Froyo World (for female students) and Insomnia Cookies (for both). At least, it makes UConn somewhat comparable to other college towns.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I don't know about athletes, but for the general student population it doesn't hurt having more burrito places (for male students) and Froyo World (for female students) and Insomnia Cookies (for both). At least, it makes UConn somewhat comparable to other college towns.

If being a dude and loving Froyo World is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

On a somewhat unrelated note, I'm jealous that new students are going to get to enjoy a more robust commercial presence, but I think this is absolutely a step in the right direction. It'll take time, but Storrs/Mansfield really needs some more stuff to do to really encourage people to come.

Though if we look at the non-athletes, UConn continues to be an extremely attractive option if you are looking at pure applications/acceptance.

 

[weyuo]

I never understand when people say Storrs is in the middle of nowhere. While it is a bit remote, have some perspective. If you think Storrs is in the middle of nowhere I suggest you travel all around the South, West and Midwest. Storrs is a half hour from Hartford, a little over an hour from Providence, 1.5 hours from Boston and 2.5 hours from NYC. my point is nowhere in the Northeast is really in the middle of nowhere compared to the rest of the country.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[JayRU09]

......it's still in the middle of nowhere.

I remember driving from Bristol to visit my sister there and just wondering if I got lost along the way or something. I mean a Cracker Barrel was the only thing around.

 

[Santini35]

If being a dude and loving Froyo World is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

Me either, well not Froyo World specifically, but any one of the four frozen yogurts shops in Williamsburg VA

 

[BHusky]

......it's still in the middle of nowhere.

I remember driving from Bristol to visit my sister there and just wondering if I got lost along the way or something. I mean a Cracker Barrel was the only thing around.

If you want to see the middle of nowhere, drive to ND (South Bend) or UVA (Charlottesville). Storrs is rural for sure, but those two schools are really rural. UVA had a nice downtown which helps offset their location which hopefully this project will help UConn with. Just drove past ND, never saw the campus.

 

[uconndennis]

I couldn't agree more.

I never understand when people say Storrs is in the middle of nowhere. While it is a bit remote, have some perspective. If you think Storrs is in the middle of nowhere I suggest you travel all around the South, West and Midwest. Storrs is a half hour from Hartford, a little over an hour from Providence, 1.5 hours from Boston and 2.5 hours from NYC. my point is nowhere in the Northeast is really in the middle of nowhere compared to the rest of the country.

OK, as a student, how many trips did you make to Hartford? me, only for hoops games....Providence, only for the Foxy Lady a few times...Boston, only for the airport, and NYC, only for the BE tourney.

The vast vast majority of kids, stay on campus all the time with the once in a blue moon road trip. Storrs is an absolute cow town with only "local" establishments and no central "downtown".....This new Storrs Center will be awesome! Every college town that is not located in an urban area needs a "downtown" with commercial places that kids recognize and can gather, etc....

Ann Arbor was great, granted thats much larger city than Storrs. Anyone ever been to Clemson? middle of the nowhere, but they have a downtown are that is great.....

 

[Excalibur]

OK, as a student, how many trips did you make to Hartford? me, only for hoops games....Providence, only for the Foxy Lady a few times...Boston, only for the airport, and NYC, only for the BE tourney.

The vast vast majority of kids, stay on campus all the time with the once in a blue moon road trip. Storrs is an absolute cow town with only "local" establishments and no central "downtown".....This new Storrs Center will be awesome! Every college town that is not located in an urban area needs a "downtown" with commercial places that kids recognize and can gather, etc....

Ann Arbor was great, granted thats much larger city than Storrs. Anyone ever been to Clemson? middle of the nowhere, but they have a downtown are that is great.....

And that's really the issue. Most state universities are in the middle of nowhere, particularly in the South/Midwest. However, towns sprung up around the universities there, but that never happened here (for a number of reasons that would take a 20 page thread to discuss).

I noted this in the article: "Urban design experts are watching the development closely. Typically, they say, an educational institution grows up in a city or town and not the reverse."

Wrong. A million times wrong. State schools spawn the town, not the other way around.

 

[superjohn]

UConn hasn't had a college town that's why this project is so awesome. My point is I hear from people all the time that UConn is in the middle of nowhere and having travelled the whole country this simply isn't true.

 

[BHusky]

UConn hasn't had a college town that's why this project is so awesome. My point is I hear from people all the time that UConn is in the middle of nowhere and having travelled the whole country this simply isn't true.

Agreed. I think people just generalize that Storrs is in the middle of nowehere as another way of saying there is not an abundance of things to do without having to travel/drive to get there. Even though they have become a bit more conservative in allowing partying/drinking on campus, not every student wants to get faced 3-4 nights a week as their only means of entertainment. Not sure who those students are, but I hear this is true. A downtown with restaurants, shopping and other entertainment options will keep keep most students on campus on thew weekends, create more of a community feel outside of sporting events, encourage students familes to visit more often, etc. All this is a huge positive for the school.

 

[huskymedic]

South Bend is one of the most miserable places I've ever been to.

Don't know but the last time I was in South Bend I left very happy!!

 

[pepband99]

.... However, towns sprung up around the universities there, but that never happened here (for a number of reasons that would take a 20 page thread to discuss).

Nah - this is easy. 4 words:

People's
Republic
of
Mansfield

 

[CTfan07]

I attend Notre Dame, but obviously I'm a UConn fan or else I probably wouldn't be posting here... point is, I'm familiar with both campus locations.

South Bend sucks, and yet there is still much more to do than in Storrs. Those of you who say ND is in the middle of nowhere, I believe you're wrong. South Bend is a city of over a hundred thousand people, complete with a downtown area and all. Albeit, the city is like Hartford in that it blows, butttttt it is still a city.

And for Notre Dame students, Chicago is a 2 hour train ride from South Bend and an even shorter drive. If you don't have a car at UConn, it is pretty hard to go ANYWHERE off campus. At ND, there are walking options: Mishawaka is one giant strip mall (not an attractive place but there are things to do, shops, and places to eat, etc.), Eddy Street Commons is small but fairly nice. Storrs Center will be better when complete, though.

There are probably better options than Notre Dame for 'college in the middle of nowhere.' UConn, for example

 

[dvegas]

this will probably help baskeball recruiting (NSFW)

http://hightimes.com/legal/bean/7854

 

[Uconnalliance]

Would of been nice when I was there,man sounds like they got a lot for the dough.

 

[auggie22]

......it's still in the middle of nowhere.

I remember driving from Bristol to visit my sister there and just wondering if I got lost along the way or something. I mean a Cracker Barrel was the only thing around.

7 miles from one of the busiest highways in the country. And in the middle of the country's most populous state (in terms of people per square mile), regardless of its proximity to a Cracker Barrel.

 

[Doggie Style]

Don't know but the last time I was in South Bend I left very[/quote













Oh yeah! Me too.....

 

[mattp]

......it's still in the middle of nowhere.

I remember driving from Bristol to visit my sister there and just wondering if I got lost along the way or something. I mean a Cracker Barrel was the only thing around.

when did we get a Cracker Barrel? it must be new, i would have loved to have a CB when i went there

 

[mattp]

Anyone ever been to Clemson? middle of the nowhere, but they have a downtown are that is great.....

i once got kicked out of the Esso about a dozen times in one night for napping at the bar. they were the most polite bouncers i've ever encountered. i lost my cell phone sneaking back into the place over a fence and they even mailed it back to me all the way in NJ

 

[UCFBfan]

I'm really jealous of all this. I remember that my biggest joy was that Store 24 was open 24 hours. Between that and DP Dough there wasn't much else to be excited about on campus besides drinking. If this really takes off I wonder if it would put more pressure on possibly building a more adequate route to campus. I know it would be a massive $**tshow to expand 195 but if a lot of people start living in that area and this "Town" takes off, they'll need better access to the major highway. Expanded 195 might lead to better things athletically on campus like a bigger/better stadium for basketball....probably won't happen because more fans can get to Hartford easier but would love to play all bball games on campus. A little too late for getting the football stadium on campus! lol

 

[thatguyed]

Moved my daughter into her apartment yesterday at The Oaks. Gorgeous! I remember my first place 35 years ago - it was a hole.

Anyway, back on topic. Everybody's right cuz everybody has a different definition of remote. UConn doesn't help itself either, with football off campus. Storrs Center will really help the community and could help make UConn more attractive overall. ANything to improve the overall atmosphere can never hurt.