My mother (88) actually lives on a college campus. Her Independent Living community was built on one. In order to get a zoning variance residents are required to take a certain number of educational classes per year. Some of them are developed in house but they do have access to some actual college courses. She really enjoys the set up. Many students work in the community and there are always “young” people walking through the grounds.
The town itself is not at all a “college town”.
Love the idea of an independent Living community on a college campus.
Over the past few years I’ve enjoyed reading a few stories like this one, where college students get low (or free) rent by living/volunteering at a nursing home. Why College Students Are Living In Nursing Homes - Simplemost
It took a while for my mother to get adjusted (which probably had nothing to do with the college connection) but now she loves it there. It is not cheap but for her it’s been worth every penny.
Senior living on a college campus would be really cool–opportunities for learning, performing arts, athletics, speakers, etc.
This article contains links to several schools that have retirement communities on/near campus. It’s the perfect solution for all of us who toured campuses with our kids and said, “I wish I could go back to school and live here!”
The one my mother lives in is on that list.
Fascinated by those college based communities, although I’m reluctant to define myself as old enough to live there and in denial about the possibility of needing increased care.
Anyone live in Salem, VA - where Roanoke College is located? It looked like such a nice little town when we visited. 10 min (I think) to Roanoke and just off I-81.
Not my perception of Princeton at all, as a local. The culture of the township is dominated by the university. So many people who live in town have some kind of connection to it. And suburb of what? It’s not much of a commuter town for NYC or Philadelphia. And the retail district north of campus and along Nassau is extensive and great. Not like suburb mall or big boxes, but college town great.
Interesting, my perception comes from being a student and an alum coming back every five years (and I haven’t actually been there in 7 years).
I didn’t say it was a suburb but that it felt more like a suburb compared to towns like Amherst, Northampton, Cambridge or Kingston Ontario, it felt pretty suburban to me. Nice, expensive houses in a town with attractive shops aimed at people who live in expensive houses. No areas with student apartments that I recall. The restaurants and shops that I remember were not the kinds that students would regularly frequent, but, maybe the Nassau St. shopping and restaurant scene is a lot more student-oriented than what I remember.
It’s kind of a shame that the splashiest holidays (Memorial Day, Gay Pride and Independence Day) take place after all the college kids have left:
Does anyone live in Urbana-Champaign? We may have a job opportunity there and I’m interested in opinions on what it’s like there as a year round resident. Thanks!
They have Halloween.
I think on many college campuses Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day are mainly party weekends. The town; civic engagement; straying from campus - less of a priority. Last year, Wesleyan was certainly quite festive around Halloween. Maybe too much:
UMass plans its spring break to include St. Patrick’s Day, after too many out of control nights courtesy of rowdy students filling Amherst bars.
Ahh, St Patrick’s Day. Here at Penn State, student outrage over the break being scheduled over the holiday was so great, they created the infamous “State Patty’s Day”. In the worst of it, students were bussing in from out of state in droves to join in, the hospital was completely overwhelmed as were police.
It was brought somewhat into control by PA liquor control cracking down on the bars, and at one point Penn State and the townships paid bars to close. Hotels upped their prices to football-weekend rates, and Penn State threatened action against students hosting visitors in their dorms (but of course, most atudents don’t live in dorms). The dedication to staggering around drunk all day continues to elude me.
In Amherst, MA the bars partner up to market “The Blarney Blast”, staging it before Mar. 17 when students are still around. Like at Penn State, many of those arrested are not UMass students but outsiders.
2022, Middletown, CT