USA's Best College Towns
 

As someone that just really appreciates college towns, I was wondering what everyone's favorite was...
I really like Charlottesville, VA(UVA) and Chapel Hill, NC (UNC).. Is the college town an East Coast phenomenon? What about out west?

Boulder, CO is a fun town, not to mention beautiful - home to the University of Colorado.

Oxford, Ohio is a great college town - home to Miami University. College towns are fabulous - kind of like their own little bubble of society. I think going to school in a college town is a totally different experience to going to school in a city (my brother went to Emory in Atlanta and we had very different college lives).

Living in Ann Arbor, MI (U of Michigan), I'm partial to it. But Berkeley, CA is also fun, since you specifically asked about out west. And easy access to SF from there.

Evanston, IL (Northwestern University) is also very nice, with easy access to Chicago.

NYC.

Burlington, Vermont.
I can't say enough fabulous things about it, as a college town *and* a place to live as a 'grown up'!
I live in Charlottesville now, and lots of people compare the two. I find the UVA campus (we call it "grounds" here) to be more architecturally interesting and beautiful - the Lawn is really fabulous, especially on beautiful spring days like today when the sun is shining and the dogwood trees are in bloom - they are even filming a Ralph Lauren photo shoot there today! But, I think the town itself is not as scenic, interesting or fun as Burlington. Burlington has the lake, the mountains, downtown Church Street, tons of great restaurants, music, festivals.

Lawrence, Kansas (Univ. of Kansas) is really lovely.

I'm really biased, but I, too, prefer Chapel Hill and Charlottesville (having been a student in both).

I've heard Athens, GA and Lawrence, KS are good.

Princeton is not only a great town but an exquisite campus.

Yesterday a post about a cross country trip, today college towns. Is travdis back?

Bloomington IN

Westwood (UCLA)

ronkala- I had the same thought but if you click on Fraggle at the top of the post you will see thoughtful, well versed advice on a variety of topics- something travdis did not display. And no nasty insults.

Two towns that feature campuses of Southeastern Conference universities that are definitely worthwhile visiting are Oxford, MS (home to Ole Miss) and Athens, GA (home to UGa). Oxford offers a beautiful court square, many unique shops (including Nielson's Department Store), several upscale restaurants, and--best of all--Square Books, one of the best independent book stores anywhere. I've been purchasing signed first editions of outstanding novels from this store for over 10 years, and I've acquired some fantastic works through Square Books. Athens, GA, has a gorgeous downtown area, several creative restaurants, and some unique shops. Both Oxford and Athens have beautiful neighborhoods and fine examples of well-preserved architectural gems. Don't forget these two neat towns in the South!

Palo Alto, CA (Stanford). I'm partial because I live here and love it.
-Bill

Boston
NYC

Cambridge, but not Boston.

Amherst Mass
Mt. Holyoak, Amherst, Williams, U Mass.

Bloomington, IN. Indiana University is a great school, with the most beautiful campus I've ever seen.

What about Madison, Bloomington/Normal, and Lincoln, NE!