<p>Ithaca, NY…home of Cornell and Ithaca college. Great small city with lots of restaurants, shops, near nature!</p>
<p>Second Ann Arbor, Athens, and Bloomington.</p>
<p>Would also add Oberlin, OH, Yellow Springs, OH (even though its college closed), Ithaca, NY, Urbana-Champaign, IL, and Columbia, MO.</p>
<p>Second Boulder
Add Lawrence KS. Very nice scenic town with campus adjacent to downtown area. KU campus is quite pretty and HILLY.</p>
<p>I would disagree with Oberlin. I like the school, but the town is pretty non-existent. </p>
<p>Agree with Asheville, NC.</p>
<p>Definitely agree with Evanston, IL (Northwestern) and Ann Arbor, MI (Michigan). ;)</p>
<p>Northampton Mass, home of Smith college</p>
<p>awesome artsy little town</p>
<p>University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon (~150,000) [I consider this not metropolitan because it’s 150k people in the middle of nowhere along I-5, whereas I consider Pasadena metropolitan because it’s 150k people surrounded by the millions of people in LA and various suburbs, though wikipedia considers Eugene part of a metropolitan population, just for reference]</p>
<p>I think Eugene makes a good college town because it’s a vibrant liberal hippie community with a large art scene and a pretty good music scene for a town of it’s size. There’s also a lot to do if you’re the outdoorsy type, with lots of hiking in the vicinity, and the beach only 50 miles away.</p>
<p>Knowledge source: Oregon Native (firsthand) and many friends who are currently attending U of O.</p>
<p>I will third Ann ARbor, the epitiome of a great college town (UMich, of course.) Lovely shops and restaurants, great museums, wonderful music scene, easily walkable, the U embedded in the center of it.</p>
<p>Personal experience–two degrees from there, and frequently visited since.</p>
<p>Just a second to both UNC in Chapel Hill and UNC Asheville in Asheville!</p>
<p>Also…Appalachian State University in Boone, NC</p>
<p>I’ve spent a lot of weekends up there and let me tell you, everyone there utilizes the beautiful surroundings! Anyone who loves being active and outdoorsy will never fail to find a new trail to hike/ski and someone to do it with. That, combined with the cutesy-yet-quaint shops area makes a great town!</p>
<p>Clemson, SC - home to Clemson Univ. Situated on a beautiful, large lake in the foothills, it’s a beautiful setting. The very small town is all about the students.</p>
<p>How about the town around University of Delaware - does anyone know?</p>
<p>4th here for Ann Arbor. Wonderful city. Very walkable, safe, and vibrant.</p>
<p>Talk to most U of Michigan grads about what they liked most about college and very high on their list, if not at the top, would be the city of Ann Arbor.</p>
<p>It really is a great college town. Some people dislike the campus because it is so integrated with the town, but most like it that way. In many ways, Ann Arbor is U of M and vice versa.</p>
<p>Burlington, Vermont</p>
<p>I know this is supposed to be a positive thread…but…SUNY schools are definitely missing! New Paltz is an OK little town…but…how could NY State have put together such unattractive schools with virtually no major sports teams???</p>
<p>Amherst, MA – home to UMASS, Amherst College, Hampshire and others is very quaint. HAs a range of low- and high-priced stores and restaurants and a very friendly vibe. (I visited twice)</p>
<p>Saratoga Springs, NY – home to Skidmore – very pretty downtown with great stores, restaurants outdoor activities, arts facilities and even a racetrack!</p>
<p>I second Clemson, SC. Clemson is a 1,400 acre campus on the shores of Lake Hartwell located on the I-85 corridor between Atlanta and Charlotte. The Blue Ridge Mountains are within sight and the weather is very nice! The town of Clemson is filled with several neat shops and restaurants. </p>
<p>The city of Clemson and Clemson University was rated #1 by the Princeton Review for best town-college relationship!</p>
<p>Seconding Amherst and the Happy Valley! Gorgeous scenery, beautiful small traditional New England town with terrific restaurants, cute shops–even a mall, if you need that. Of course, with 5 colleges, there are zillions of fun cultural things to do. AND–Antonio’s Pizza! 'nuff said.</p>
<p>Granville OH, home of Denison University. Very quaint town that reminds people of the traditional New England town pictured in Currier and Ives paintings.</p>