Spinoff: Best college town beyond Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chapel Hill

Duh.

[Anonymous]

Absolutely Madison

[Anonymous]

Boston
NYC

I hate middle of nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Happy Valley (Penn State).

[Anonymous]

I hated living in Ann Arbor: the near-campus housing is dumpy, theres no decent grocery store in walking distance, and the area is ugly af once the leaves come off the trees (which is most of the school year). I wonder if PPs are viewing these towns through the lens of parent visits rather than student living experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boston is such a fun city

My daughter is on a commuter train line into Boston from an adorable New England town just north of the RI line.

While I loved my campus/school, the surrounding area wasn’t all the interesting. I envy what my daughter gets.

Sounds ideal to me as well. What school is it?

I have spoken of it in other threads. It is a small school called Dean College. It’s known for its programs for kids with LDs and for its performing arts programs, which made it a lovely fit for my child who struggles horribly with ADHD and loves to dance.

The campus isn’t much to get excited about, but the town of Franklin is lovely. It is the home of the first public library in America, and the books that Ben himself donated are on display there.

The access to Boston by commuter train was a big selling point for my daughter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boston.

Unless you're asking about Breaking Away kind of college town.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Athens Ohio
check it out

Isn't it super woke?

It’s a mix of uber leftist academic granola and Appalachian working class. Very scenic campus though.

[Anonymous]

Lexington, KY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Boston is such a fun city

My daughter is on a commuter train line into Boston from an adorable New England town just north of the RI line.

While I loved my campus/school, the surrounding area wasn’t I all the interesting. I envy what my daughter gets.

Sounds like you’re talking about Franklin, Mass. I lived there during my high school & college years in the 1970s.

“Adorable” was never used to describe it back then. It was a tough, gritty town known for its large Italian-American population. Many of my high school teachers looked, acted, & talked like they were characters on “The Sopranos.”

A friend of mine from high school wanted to take his college girlfriend home to Franklin to meet his family, & her parents wouldn’t let her go. That’s the kind of reputation Franklin had among some people in the area. Glad to hear it’s improved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Boston is such a fun city

My daughter is on a commuter train line into Boston from an adorable New England town just north of the RI line.

While I loved my campus/school, the surrounding area wasn’t I all the interesting. I envy what my daughter gets.

Sounds like you’re talking about Franklin, Mass. I lived there during my high school & college years in the 1970s.

“Adorable” was never used to describe it back then. It was a tough, gritty town known for its large Italian-American population. Many of my high school teachers looked, acted, & talked like they were characters on “The Sopranos.”

A friend of mine from high school wanted to take his college girlfriend home to Franklin to meet his family, & her parents wouldn’t let her go. That’s the kind of reputation Franklin had among some people in the area. Glad to hear it’s improved.

That is not at all the impression I have gotten in our visits. Towns do change over time. I had a fairly local fellow Dean mom describe it to me as the town from Gilmore Girls.

And the people on the local FB board absolutely embraced my daughter in a tough moment. She had a rather sudden room switch and I reached out to get her some things for her new space. They not only got her everything she needed, one woman basically adopted her! Took her soup and ice cream and flowers while she was sick, helped her when she had a laundry mishap, has brought her over for home cooked meals.

I honestly cannot say enough good about that place!

[Anonymous]

Athens GA is better than Chapel Hill, but both are nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chapel Hill

Confused it is just a little strip

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chapel Hill

For sure, Chapel Hill.

+1

Is Chapel Hill welcoming to an out-of-stater? (If they could manage to get in?)

YES!!!! GDTBATH1 - from an OOS Tar Heel

[Anonymous]

Fwiw, my ancestors founded a town in MA-it bears my maiden name. I don’t know what it is like currently (I’ve never been there), but I was told in the 90s that it was not a great place. Too bad - I know the old photos I have seen in the book my grandpa helped write about the town history showed a lovely town.

Again, things do change over time.