<p>I have just recently visited Wesleyan and really enjoyed the campus and the facilities. Obviously Wesleyan is a very good school, but is there much to do in Middletown? One of the students said that there are a lot of nice resteraunts, but besides that there doesnt seem to be too much going on or anything to do in Middletown, is this true??</p>
<p>My D attends Wes and rarely goes into Middletown unless she needs her bike fixed, needs to pick up something at the pharmacy or her parents are in town for a good meal (yes, the restaurants are really delicious!). And, she has done community service with at risk youth in Middletown which was really interesting for her. But Middletown is not a "college town" per se and as a result the campus offers endless things to do. Wes is residential college in the true sense. See the thread location, location for more input.</p>
<p>this an interesting question because until recently I had always assumed the term "college town" meant something in particular that as a Wesleyan grad simply wasn't privy to me. </p>
<p>Until a couple of weeks ago.</p>
<p>A group of us, four in all, were passing through Northampton, the quintessential college town, right? We stayed for over an hour, walking up and down their Main Street. During that time, the only two things that managed to stand out were the shoe store that sold Chuck Taylors and a rather amusing t-shirt store across the street called, "Faces". I'm pretty sure there was a train station, but, since we were all sharing a car anyway, it never entered into our calculations. </p>
<p>One thing, that was surprising to those of us accustomed to Middletown's strict enforcement of "quality of life" laws: the presence of panhandlers.</p>
<p>The answer is that basically, no, there is not a ton to do in Middletown. There are restaurants (that my friends and I take advantage of fairly recently), a movie theater (if you don’t want to wait for it to come at the Wes film series ;) ), and some local-type bars where upperclassmen sometimes go to grab a drink (but those are, as far as I know, small, chat-with-friends bars, not ones with a big party scene). Obviously there is also a lot of opportunity for community service, but I don’t think that’s what you’re aiming at…</p>
<p>But I’ve found that it’s a perfect compliment to Wesleyan. It offers the basic necessities (drug stores, grocery stores, etc) as well as the things I mentioned above, which are nice ways to start and evening sometimes. But social life takes place totally on campus, and there is a TON to do—from plays to frat parties to concerts. Now, if you really love the idea of city-living for college, Wes probably won’t satisfy, but Middletown, I’ve found, is a pretty good town for a campus-focused school. </p>
<p>(And this is from someone who orginally thought she wanted to go to school in NYC!)</p>
<p>The question was, "What is there to do in Middletown?"</p>
<p>The answer is, Not a whole lot.</p>
<p>If the question then became, "Does that lack of options negatively affect the experience of Wesleyan undergraduates?", then my answer would be, No. Weskid explained it best. What goes on on campus is the main focus of social activity for most of us.</p>
<p>Agree with all... but I'd also say that it's amazingly convenient to have all that Main Street offers -- food, diner, drug store, fruit stand, bike shop, laser tag, etc. -- within easy walk from campus. My friends at some other schools, where you need a car to go anywhere, died with envy when they visited.</p>
<p>There really isn't much, as said before, but it's not that much of an issue. The one place in town that is definitely worth checking out is O'Rourkes Diner (probably spelled wrong here). It's incredible, very homey, awesome food, and the owner is really personable. </p>
<p>Also, in a pinch, the laser tag place is always fun :-)</p>
<p>I do not agree with you about Northampton. There is plenty for a college student to do there. The "panhandlers" you refer to are sometimes street musicians and/or people who are down on their luck, but we have never felt threatened by anyone. Northampton is a great small city. Take a look at the Chamber of Commerce website sometime. Greater</a> Northampton Chamber of Commerce, Northampton, Massachusetts | Welcome
On the other hand, I have heard some negative things about Middletown, but I have personally never visited.</p>
<p>..who are you and what was the point of your post?</p>
<p>I was reading this thread and decided to respond to post #3. What does it matter who I am?</p>
<p>Because no one gives a rat's egg about Northampton. The question was "what is there to do in MIDDLETOWN" to which you gave a completely irrelevant answer, including a link to the Northampton Chamber of Commerce (umm..?)</p>
<p>Jeez, why so nasty, krongman?? I said I was just giving an answer to #3 post. I was surprised to read johnwesley's negative account of Northampton and it's "panhandling" and "quality of life" issues, which really are few, and decided to say something about it. Did you say anything to johnwesley about giving an opinion about Northampton in this thread, or just to me?</p>
<p>My mother was a shark and my father is the Yeti, so I guess it runs in the family.</p>
<p>A friend and I walked up Church St., away from the center of town and found Wadsworth Mansion and Wadsworth State Park. There are a good amount of parks in the area, although some of them require vehicles to get to, but in terms of nightlife, there's not much.</p>
<p>In terms of nightlife, there are some fun bars in town, that are popular with students over 21 (especially on Wednesdays). However, you really don't need to leave the campus all that much. Trust me, there's enough going on here to keep you plenty occupied!</p>
<p>cool article on Cafe Ology in this week's Argus: The</a> Wesleyan Argus - Café Ology nourishes, entertains</p>
<p>Speaking as a local, I think if you're someone who needs city life, like a lot of clubs and concerts and things like that, Middletown probably isn't a good fit for you. If you're like me, however, and you like having a balance of exciting things on campus and the relief of a slower pace off, Wesleyan can work really well for you.</p>
<p>The thing with me is im really happy anywhere. My parents and counselor always ask me "well do you want a city school or a small town school" and honestly i could see myself in both. Though I grew up in the country (surrounded by a 250 acre farm, not mine, my neighbors), I also live about 10 minutes away from a nice sized college town sorta similar to Wesleyan only the school isnt as good but there seems to be more to do in the town than there appears to be in Middletown at first glance. I also live about 30 minutes away from Philly and often find myself in the country half the day and in old city or center city philly the other half.</p>