<p>Oh yeah, I totally agree with johnwesley that you don't have to know all about this stuff to come to Wes--esp. since you're from Canada! My post was mainly to explain that the racial devide is a more general American problem. As long as you're willing to keep an open mind and learn, you should be fine here :D</p>
<p>Anyway, I also agree with uskoolfish; Middletown is pretty good (esp. in terms of things to do) compared to some of the other towns I saw when visiting colleges.</p>
<p>I also agree with johnwesley, for sure! Well said. I'm not saying this to make you feel bad about yourself, for sure. You sound like a great guy. :)</p>
<p>I'm actually a Middletown resident and I take some classes at Wesleyan through the High School Honors program. In no way is Middletown a "gangster" or creepy place. Sure it has some sketchy parts, but they are easy enough to avoid. And I agree with some people, it actually can be very pretty at certain times of the year, like around Christmas. There are lights everywhere on the main road, its breathtaking.</p>
<p>Yes, and to the OP: In America we have a lot to answer for vis a vis race, both in the past and now.</p>
<p>So, anything that smacks of racism will get a bashing from thoughtful posters. And the clarification still feels racist to me. I am sure you didn't mean it that way, but here, as opposed to Canada I presume, WesKid has the enlightened attitude and we don't recoil from ethnic neighborhoods; we wish the denizens of them had more options.</p>
<p>I teach in a college with a huge URM population and I can see each and everyone of my students and a person, not an ethnic group, and a person who might have gone to Harvard and not CC if the circumstances of his life had been different.</p>
<p>And WesDad has it right too -- it's a shame that the Northeast has deteriorated. </p>
<p>It is really heartwarming that Wes students love their school and the perspective it provides, Middletown not accepted but very much included.</p>
<p>I will say, in defense of my beloved S, frosh at Williams, he does have this attitude already, and he was accepted to Wesleyan and Middletown is NOT what made his decision. He decided because he is a Bach man (strange phrase I know) and Williams' music department was more oriented toward his interests than Wes's. </p>
<p>We each would have been proud and satisfied had he attended Wes; Middletown was never a concern.</p>
<p>Haha, I'm probably the one driving by in the falling apart car blasting some sort of music but....Wesleyan is in my direct root home. Plus I go to an all-girls, I'm pretty dangerous ;)</p>
<p>In reality, though, I've lived in Middletown my entire life, indirectly across from lo rise and the 'projects' you speak of. I walk to Foss Hill, through Wes, down to Main Street many many times a week, with and without friends. The North End of Main Street is poorer than where a majority of the nicer restaurants are- but in defense, a beautiful all-natural food market and other upscale bars are popping up and the North End is becoming quite nice.</p>
<p>I was going to make a post about the racist implications in the first post, but it seems that's been addressed already.</p>
<p>It could be a lot worse. You want to see an awful town to go to college in, check out Lewiston, ME. It makes Middletown--which I thought seemed nice for the record--look like Amherst.</p>
<p>Seconded!! Lewiston was filled with abandoned mills, old people crying on their front porches, and bright yellow water. Nothing was ever open. It really didn't even feel like America.</p>
<p>I thought Middletown was kind of nicely gritty, when I visited. There seemed to be lots of restaurants and stuff for college kids, so I was content :)</p>
<p>don't worry about it, you're going to be too busy doing work in your room anyway.
i think i went out to eat ...twice? it definitely doesn't apply to everyone, but i just didn't have the time between classes, jobs, and clubs. hopefully that will change next semester but it doesn't look too promising :/</p>