Best and worse FCS college towns?

[ATrain]

Williamsburg has Busch Gardens, therefore I could've been happy going to school there.

From my perspective, best college town that I've been to in the FCS would have to be either Williamsburg or Conway. Yeah, there are better theme parks out there and there are better beaches, but WBurg is close to larger nearby towns that provide more entertainment options and Conway is basically next to the beach.

Worst town, from my experiences: tie between Boone and Lynchburg.

[Col Hogan]

No offense to William and Mary fans... because it's a great school and I love the campus and most everything about the school........ but, Williamsburg has to be the worst college town I've ever been to.

I would have to agree as well...now I haven't been to a Tribe football game but I've been to a couple Tribe basketball games last year (vs. VCU, vs. ODU) and it doesn't seem like there isn't a whole lot to do.

Could Richmond be another town? I have been to Richmond on numerous occasions and it just seems like it isn't a big city with a lot to do.

Not to sound biased but I think Norfolk is a great college town. You have downtown Norfolk with shopping plus the waterfront, plus tours of the Naval Shipyards, and then the Norfolk Admirals hockey team, Norfolk Tides baseball team and then there is Virginia beach...enough said.

And the Norfolk crime...and the Norfolk pollution...

Norfolk is NOT a college town...

[Col Hogan]

Williamsburg has Busch Gardens, therefore I could've been happy going to school there.

From my perspective, best college town that I've been to in the FCS would have to be either Williamsburg or Conway. Yeah, there are better theme parks out there and there are better beaches, but WBurg is close to larger nearby towns that provide more entertainment options and Conway is basically next to the beach.

Worst town, from my experiences: tie between Boone and Lynchburg.

My daughter went to William & Mary...her complaint...and I agree with her 100%...is that off-campus is tourist oriented...not very price friendly to students...

It is a nice area...but, for instance, in Muncie Indiana where the son went to (Ball State)...there is a four block area just off campus that is totally student oriented...food, entertainment...and the prices were friendly to students...

UMass has Amherst, which can be unfriendly to students at times...but has whole areas friendly to students...

Not in Williamsburg...

[Silenoz]

The Avenue and the surrounding neighborhoods near U-Washington are the best. There is a million stores and food places from every ethnicity under the sun, and it's all like $4. I'd be 280lbs if I lived over there.

[Skjellyfetti]

"Grown up around it"? You mean Colonial Williamsburg?? Maybe colonial means something different to you, but it's not like Colonial Willamsburg has been growing up around W&M over the years - it's pretty much been that way for a good 300-400 years now.

No, you're wrong. Colonial Williamsburg is nothing but a theme park. Almost all of the buildings were reconstructed in the 1900's by the Rockefellers... and they demolished nearly 1,000 buildings (many that were actually historic) in order to build the colonial Disney World. Some of their buildings were rebuilt quite accurately... many were not.

It hasn't "pretty much been that way for a good 300-400 years now."

[UMass74]

Re: UMass/Amherst, MA

This is the view from Prof. Hans Johnston's Office (Asst. Prof Math Dept) in the Lederle Graduate Research Tower.

[youngterrier]

From my experience..

Best: Charleston SC (Citadel)

Worst: Harrisonburg VA (JMU)

I love Chucktown, but there is no way I'd call it a college town. IMHO Harrisonburg is MUCH more of a college town.

My Harrisonburg experience was fair, I didn't care for the assholery of the fans, but no doubt it was a good college town

As for El Cid, I will say this, They have not had a good team in football for many years however they still draw a good crowd for the few times I've been there. As much as it pains me to say it I'd say that Charleston has been fairer to the Citadel then Spartanburg or Greenville has been fair to Wofford or Furman (I haven't been to Furman, but I hear their fans complain about this subject often)

[BearIt]

[quote="weberwildcat"]
i would have to agree with this list though i've only been to half the conf. but still, u gotta think true college towns have to automatically be the top 3. how is cheney though??? all the rest though would be "urban" cities.

In Utah we only have 2 "college towns" out of our 6 DI schools - Southern Utah Univ and Utah State. Both are good towns to go to college at.[/quote]

Cheney is a small farm town. The only thing that puts it above Pocatello is the proximity of Spokane. I'm just guessing, but I would bet the EWU student population is probably 75% of the entire town. Outside of the University and some Grain elevators, there ain't much else.

[citdog]

Charleston, South Carolina is a terrible place. The people are mean and greet outsiders with a torch and a pitchfork. There is absolutely nothing to see or do here. Kids hate it here as there is a city law that no candy or fun is allowed within the limits of the city. Old people and Jews who visit are immediately sold to Miami, Fl.

So PLEASE don't come. you'll hate it

thought i would post the above again in case youngterrier gave any of you the wrong idea.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

i would have to agree with this list though i've only been to half the conf. but still, u gotta think true college towns have to automatically be the top 3. how is cheney though??? all the rest though would be "urban" cities.

In Utah we only have 2 "college towns" out of our 6 DI schools - Southern Utah Univ and Utah State. Both are good towns to go to college at.

Cheney is a small farm town. The only thing that puts it above Pocatello is the proximity of Spokane. I'm just guessing, but I would bet the EWU student population is probably 75% of the entire town. Outside of the University and some Grain elevators, there ain't much else.

That's exactly what I think is so fantastic about Cheney. It is an extremely peaceful setting in rolling farmland that is very close to a metro type area for all the fun stuff that provides.

Could you imagine a Griz type following with that as a back drop? It would seem like you were in your own world on game days.

[weberwildcat]

Canadian Rockies kick the crap out of what we have in the lower 48, including Montana and Colorado. If you drive from Banff to Jasper you'll be in awe.
It's like Glacier Park on steroids.

To keep the thread on track: Never been to Greeley so I can't rank it, but I've been to all the other Big Sky towns. Pocatello is definately last. It sounds like Greeley may be in competition for the last spot though.

1. Missoula
2. Bozeman
3. Flagstaff
4. Ogden
5. PDX
6. Sacramento
7. Cheney
8. Pocatello
? Greeley

i would have to agree with this list though i've only been to half the conf. but still, u gotta think true college towns have to automatically be the top 3. how is cheney though??? all the rest though would be "urban" cities.

In Utah we only have 2 "college towns" out of our 6 DI schools - Southern Utah Univ and Utah State. Both are good towns to go to college at.

am i correct to assume Greeley is a college town or is it bigger than that so it wouldn't be in that category?

[weberwildcat]

for me the 'best' college towns would be those that wouldn't have much there if u took away the univ. a small town where u dont have a lot to do for me is optimal. because you would have great fan support for football and basketball which is the main event for the town; not other things to do such as theme parks, the beach...etc, things to take away from fan support.

[tampajag]

I think people over estimate the impact that being in a larger city has on attendance. Sure in some places there are lots distractions but people will come out if the product is worth seeing. Just because there's less to do in some places doesn't mean the support will be there. Prime example: Grambling for all their history and tradition their home crowds aren't great. Because people don't stay in Grambling and it's a bitch to get to on saturdays.

[youngterrier]

Charleston, South Carolina is a terrible place. The people are mean and greet outsiders with a torch and a pitchfork. There is absolutely nothing to see or do here. Kids hate it here as there is a city law that no candy or fun is allowed within the limits of the city. Old people and Jews who visit are immediately sold to Miami, Fl.

So PLEASE don't come. you'll hate it

thought i would post the above again in case youngterrier gave any of you the wrong idea.

Blood of Youngterrier's is coming to Charleston soon so it's automatically a better place

[JayJ79]

I only personally know one SIU grad and he said Carbondale was awful. He did graduate in 86, so it could be different today.

I've never been to Carbondale, but EVERY person I've talked too that has been there has hated it.

I've been there, but only bussing in for a football game. Didn't really pay much attention to the town.
Certainly wasn't impressed with the (old) stadium, but haven't seen the new one.

[dbackjon]

I only personally know one SIU grad and he said Carbondale was awful. He did graduate in 86, so it could be different today.

I've never been to Carbondale, but EVERY person I've talked too that has been there has hated it.

so you are rating it having never been there.

Makes sense


Worst College Town in America: Cedar Falls , IA

[dbackjon]

I only personally know one SIU grad and he said Carbondale was awful. He did graduate in 86, so it could be different today.

I've never been to Carbondale, but EVERY person I've talked too that has been there has hated it.

DOUBLE POST...

[g-webb1994]

Very good thread here. I think when you say 'college town' it means different things....were you a student, faculty member, parent, or just a sports fan? Very good takes and slants by everyone.

As for me, I wouldn't trade my time in Boiling Springs for anything...G-W is the town, plain and simple. No, not alot to do, and the town is still dry, which still makes it challenging I am sure for the G-W students, especially the future preacher-types, to partake in alcohol. I made good use of my golf bag as a hiding place for a fifth of Crown or Jack back in my days there anyway, you still have the strict campus rules on that stuff.

One nice thing that has taken shape just a couple of miles south of campus is the Broad River Greenway.....






And from experience, I wouldn't throw off on women from the Appalachian mountains so quickly....there are some fine fine specimens of the female form in Boone, but I'll let the Appy fans provide the proof.

[Grizalltheway]

As far as the mountain debacle, I grew up in the Shadow of Mt. Raineer. Nothing is a mountain like thats a mountain. I said it in the low down on LU thread, but the entire PNW (which for me includes Montana) is a place that few from the east have been to, but if they did they would understand that the entire eastern seaboard has barely an inkling of natural beauty.

Well said, good sir, well said*.

*other than misspelling the mountain you grew up in the shadow of.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

As far as the mountain debacle, I grew up in the Shadow of Mt. Raineer. Nothing is a mountain like thats a mountain. I said it in the low down on LU thread, but the entire PNW (which for me includes Montana) is a place that few from the east have been to, but if they did they would understand that the entire eastern seaboard has barely an inkling of natural beauty.

Well said, good sir, well said*.

*other than misspelling the mountain you grew up in the shadow of.

It's dark in the shadows so it's tougher to see the spelling than you might think.

[clenz]

I've never been to Carbondale, but EVERY person I've talked too that has been there has hated it.

so you are rating it having never been there.

Makes sense


Worst College Town in America: Cedar Falls , IA

People who come to Cedar Falls don't leave going WHAT A SHIT HOLE. They leave saying that about Waterloo, but so do the residents of Cedar Falls.


Carbondale, from all accounts of those who don't live in Carbondale, is that it sucks.

[89Hen]

No, you're wrong. Colonial Williamsburg is nothing but a theme park. Almost all of the buildings were reconstructed in the 1900's by the Rockefellers... and they demolished nearly 1,000 buildings (many that were actually historic) in order to build the colonial Disney World. Some of their buildings were rebuilt quite accurately... many were not.

It hasn't "pretty much been that way for a good 300-400 years now."

Sounds like you took HIS 5585 Historic Preservation at AppSt.

[GannonFan]

No, you're wrong. Colonial Williamsburg is nothing but a theme park. Almost all of the buildings were reconstructed in the 1900's by the Rockefellers... and they demolished nearly 1,000 buildings (many that were actually historic) in order to build the colonial Disney World. Some of their buildings were rebuilt quite accurately... many were not.

It hasn't "pretty much been that way for a good 300-400 years now."

Sounds like you took HIS 5585 Historic Preservation at AppSt.

The regurgitation is impressive.

[andy7171]

My Harrisonburg experience was fair, I didn't care for the assholery of the fans, but no doubt it was a good college town

Well put!

[MR.3G]

Very good thread here. I think when you say 'college town' it means different things....were you a student, faculty member, parent, or just a sports fan? Very good takes and slants by everyone.

As for me, I wouldn't trade my time in Boiling Springs for anything...G-W is the town, plain and simple. No, not alot to do, and the town is still dry, which still makes it challenging I am sure for the G-W students, especially the future preacher-types, to partake in alcohol. I made good use of my golf bag as a hiding place for a fifth of Crown or Jack back in my days there anyway, you still have the strict campus rules on that stuff.

One nice thing that has taken shape just a couple of miles south of campus is the Broad River Greenway.....






And from experience, I wouldn't throw off on women from the Appalachian mountains so quickly....there are some fine fine specimens of the female form in Boone, but I'll let the Appy fans provide the proof.

You aren't kidding buddy!!! Visited campus last fall and there was farmland..........More farmland, cows, farmland and then GW. The school had about 6 resturants on one side of campus, and thats pretty much all that was there.