Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So Charleston only made two posters' lists (and didn't get mentioned as a candidate until the third page) and there still hasn't been any mention of Savannah at all, and Greenville seems to have gotten the most mentions.
There are a number of college towns on this list. I used to work a town away from Boulder frequently. That certainly makes the list.
If I didn't live in a city, a college town would be near the top of my criteria. It's amazing how much impact a college can have on the things that I value. A college town in the middle of nowhere is like a cultural oasis.
If I didn't live in a city, a college town would be near the top of my criteria. It's amazing how much impact a college can have on the things that I value. A college town in the middle of nowhere is like a cultural oasis.
I doubt it. The low income of college students does little to nothing toward influencing a downtown to grow or stand out as unique, especially if the college enrollment amounts to close to one half or more of the college town's population.
Omaha is a 1 million population metro and Des Moines is basically 750,000-800,000. I wouldn’t consider either “smallâ€.. they’d Both land in that mid major 750,000 to 1.5 million population category..
Having said that, I’d consider a metro under 750,000 or 500,000 in population as small. But that’s me.
Omaha definitely doesn't get its due nationally. I keep seeing glowing reviews for cities like Greenville SC, Chattanooga, Boise, SLC, Birmingham and the like but Omaha is very much those cities' peers, and in some ways, is a cut above.
Des Moines on the other hand was basically the largest county seat in Iowa forever, and 30 years ago definitely fit the "small city" category. Since then it's definitely made its presence known regionally, and has nearly doubled in size since the early 90s (granted a lot of that is the addition of multiple nearby counties to the metro). There's definitely a fair bit of friendly competition between DSM and the big 'O' - I like to think they bring out the best in each other.
I doubt it. The low income of college students does little to nothing toward influencing a downtown to grow or stand out as unique, especially if the college enrollment amounts to close to one half or more of the college town's population.
I'm not sure I understand your argument. The post was more of a personal preference about living in college towns, as they tend to have a lot of things going on, often more business activity than other cities their size, and often feel like somewhat bohemian oases compared to surrounding areas. It's not just the spending of college students, it's the peripheral businesses, academics, professionals associated, and perhaps the biggest variable- the guarantee of future activity vs. say a large manufacturing employer or industry that could pick up and move.
I would think that someone living in a college town would absolutely agree. I understand what you're saying about college students not having a lot of spending power, but their activity alone keeps many businesses open and as I mentioned, their size and presence often create their own economy, or at least has a strong effect on the area. Do you think that your city would be more vibrant if it didn't have OSU?
For larger college towns I've lived in or near- Gainesville, Boulder, here in Bellingham- there's absolutely no doubt that the institution's presence has huge part to do with the livelihood of the downtown.
I recently had to go to Greenville, SC. I had no expectations of the city since Id never been there so I went in with an open mind. I was completely blown away by Downtown Greenville. One of the finest downtowns Ive ever been to! I could have spent three days there and not been bored.
Im wondering, what other small cities in the US have amazing downtowns.
Midland, Texas has a good downtown for a city of its size.
I doubt it. The low income of college students does little to nothing toward influencing a downtown to grow or stand out as unique, especially if the college enrollment amounts to close to one half or more of the college town's population.
He never said anything about the downtowns of college towns specifically. Many or even most of the cultural amenities in college towns are on campus but open to the public and as a practical matter, they count as amenities belonging to the town itself.
Kingston, New York has a pretty good one for a very small city anchoring a very small metropolitan area. Its downtown seemed outsized for the population. It sort of has three downtowns, but the most bustling one from my impressions is the "uptown" Stockade district though the three "downtowns" of sorts are connected to each other and are easy to traverse with how small the city is.
Last edited by OyCrumbler; 04-22-2021 at 03:19 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
