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The Ultimate Southern College Town


krazeeboi

Which of these cities qualify as the quintessential college town?  

203 members have voted

  1. 1. Which of these cities qualify as the quintessential college town?

    • Athens
      39
    • Chapel Hill
      42
    • Charlottesville (VA)
      9
    • Clemson
      21
    • Columbia
      20
    • Huntsville
      0
    • Oxford (MS)
      10
    • Knoxville
      15
    • Tallahassee
      10
    • Other
      37


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I selected other. Me being orginally from Alabama thinks Auburn is a great example of a great college town because I can't think of anything else that would put Auburn on the map except for the university. I also say the same for clemson, chapel hill, and many others.

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I'll have to say Raleigh. We've got NC State (Largest university in the state), Carolina is right down the road, Duke is right down the road, plus there are 4 or 5 other colleges in town.

Raleigh isn't a college town though. It isn't really anything. NCSU was built for Raleigh with the establishment of the public university system when the city was already quite established. The smaller universities were also started well after Raleigh had other industries.

That said, the adjacent areas to the colleges act like college towns in their own right (which I think has been a very good thing for Raleigh's cultural climate). Perhaps with more growth on centennial campus and the TTA hub connecting NCSU and downtown we'll see a more vibrant atmosphere in the inner-beltine areas.

I really have to credit Chapel Hill for kicking ass in the college-town department. You go downtown, and there's UNC, right there. Stuff is always happening. It really is a shame Chapel Hill isn't picking up more business; it could certainly find momentum to grow much larger than it's classically been. Oh well, more for Raleigh and Durham.

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Just my thought, I don't think that any place that is big enough to be considered to be a city or is a state capital should be on a list of best college towns. By being a capital, it already has something to pull it away from the college as the central focus of the town. Maybe put in size limits for the town. Tuscaloosa, even though it is a college town might be too big. Auburn is diffently a college town. Maybe beauty of the area or town itself should be part of the criteria.

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I voted for Other because I think Auburn, Alabama should have been included on the list. It is definely one of the ultimate southern college towns, IMO. Also, high on my list would be Charlottesville, Clemson, Chapel Hill, and Oxford. As you might see from my list, I'm partail to the small college town atmosphere, and these towns definitely have it!

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To have this poll without Gainesville, FL, on it is a joke. The top 3 college towns in the southeast are, in this order, Gainesville, FL, Athens, GA., and Knoxville, TN. I've been to every campus in the SEC, and 8 of the ACC campuses.

No town supports it's university like Gainesville. Athens is a great athmosphere along Broad Street, and Knoxville is just gorgeous on the river.

Worst college towns I've been to (flat-out hideous): Starkville, MS, Auburn, AL, & Columbia, SC (although the support for the school is outstanding, the city is just a pit).

Go ahead, let the flaming begin. :->

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To have this poll without Gainesville, FL, on it is a joke.

Well then, I guess the joke's on Gainesville (no offense to any Gators fans, though).

The top 3 college towns in the southeast are, in this order, Gainesville, FL, Athens, GA., and Knoxville, TN. I've been to every campus in the SEC, and 8 of the ACC campuses.

Oh OK. Sorry for wasting everyone's time in making this poll when I should've just asked you in the first place.

Worst college towns I've been to (flat-out hideous): Starkville, MS, Auburn, AL, & Columbia, SC (although the support for the school is outstanding, the city is just a pit).

What makes Gainesville so much better than Columbia (outside of their respective universities)? Honest question.

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I always love when posters get snooty and attack other posters for no apparent reason. I said, "let the flaming begin" and it sure didn't take long. Get your panties out of a wad and lighten up, brother.

If it will appease you, however, I will add, "In my opinion" to the front of the post. Better, cheif?

What makes Gainesville better than Columbia outside of the University? Well, have you been to both cities? I have. Gainesville is much cleaner and overall a bit more upscale. I took some time one afternoon to drive around Columbia... that city definately has the proverbial "tracks". You're either on the right side or the wrong side.

That is, of course, taking nothing away from USC. In itself, it's a great university and a nice campus.

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To have this poll without Gainesville, FL, on it is a joke. The top 3 college towns in the southeast are, in this order, Gainesville, FL, Athens, GA., and Knoxville, TN. I've been to every campus in the SEC, and 8 of the ACC campuses.

No town supports it's university like Gainesville. Athens is a great athmosphere along Broad Street, and Knoxville is just gorgeous on the river.

Worst college towns I've been to (flat-out hideous): Starkville, MS, Auburn, AL, & Columbia, SC (although the support for the school is outstanding, the city is just a pit).

Go ahead, let the flaming begin. :->

I don't know how in anyway you can say that UF and Knoxville are great college towns but Auburn is a pit. UF has the usual "not along the coast" Florida trash in and around the city just to give it that trashy feel. And yes, before you say anything, I have been to every SEC school, every ACC school (except Blacksburg and Maryland), and many other Pac 10, Big 10, Big 12 schools, etc. To go along with my bashing, Knoxville is not a college town... it is a city. The economy of Knoxville does NOT revolve around the campus, and you can easily be in and around Knoxville and not encounter students. Knoxville doesn't have to have the "over the railroad tracks area," because it is a large enough city that it has projects and all the other low income areas of a large city. Also, to put Auburn on the same list as Starkville is absolutely disturbing, you must not have been to either one of these schools in a long while.

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Fayetteville, Ar should be on the list.

I thought about speaking up for Fayetteville. While Fayetteville is a nice college town the rest of the metro gives the overall area a different feel that what I'd think of for a college town personally. But if you focused just on Fayetteville itself I think it compares pretty well with others.

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UF has the usual "not along the coast" Florida trash in and around the city just to give it that trashy feel.

I will not tolerate this bashing of a city in my state in these forums.

Worst college towns I've been to (flat-out hideous): Starkville, MS, Auburn, AL, & Columbia, SC (although the support for the school is outstanding, the city is just a pit).

Honestly, these comments could have been ommitted from your post. This borders on offesive, and will not be tolerated on Urban Planet either.

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  • 2 weeks later...

You forgot Savannah, GA.

I know its not a big university but the Savannah College of Art and Design is spread throughout the city. It is ideal for walking around, small enough that you always see someone you know and has great student friendly shops, bars, restaurants.

If there were hospitality design jobs in Savannah I'd go back.

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"I don't know how in anyway you can say that UF and Knoxville are great college towns but Auburn is a pit. UF has the usual "not along the coast" Florida trash in and around the city just to give it that trashy feel."

Hmmm...so all Florida cities away from the coast are trash? What a statement! Well, I guess I grew up in trash.

For the record, I think Auburn is an excellent university and a great college town.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The first Alabama college town that comes to mind is Tuscaloosa, home of the state's flagship university.

Huntsville is a NASA/federal gov't/high-tech city, not a college town.

Exactly. Only 9 cities were selected from 9-10 southern states? I think that's why 'Other' is coming in 2nd in the polls... too many college towns left off the list.

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To have this poll without Gainesville, FL, on it is a joke. The top 3 college towns in the southeast are, in this order, Gainesville, FL, Athens, GA., and Knoxville, TN. I've been to every campus in the SEC, and 8 of the ACC campuses.

No town supports it's university like Gainesville. Athens is a great athmosphere along Broad Street, and Knoxville is just gorgeous on the river.

Worst college towns I've been to (flat-out hideous): Starkville, MS, Auburn, AL, & Columbia, SC (although the support for the school is outstanding, the city is just a pit).

Go ahead, let the flaming begin. :->

Columbia is not a pit!! But that comment was rather rational, being that you are probally from Gainesville and there not even listed on the poll.

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