|
 Three
great New England college towns to visit
Article by Eric
H.
Photo, Courtesy of Travel Guide
of America
College towns have a special
feel, full of proud, old academic buildings on tree-lined streets,
students saturating the sidewalks with their diverse looks and
thoughts, and professors deep in thought at the local coffee
shop.
New England has many fine college
towns, steeped in small-town conservative virtues co existing
with progressive, liberal thinkers. They all have a special feel
of their own. Here are our top three college towns:
Hanover, N.H. -- Hanover would have been a classic
small-town New England community without Dartmouth College, but
this esteemed academic institution puts Hanover over the top
as one of New England's most appealing towns. Located on the
western side of New Hampshire in the beautiful Upper Connecticut
River Valley, Hanover has a population of a little over 10,000
and seemingly that many coffee shops, restaurants, interesting
little shops and places to walk. Dartmouth College, one of the
finest Ivy League schools in this country
with renowned medical school, provides a presence that has allowed
Hanover to develop a considerable economic and cultural base,
as evidenced by the electric downtown and many things to do including
visiting the Hopkins Center for the Arts for myriad special cultural
events and the Hood Art Museum. Success hasn't spoiled Hanover,
as it remains true to its historical community roots and preservation
and its standing as one of the best places to live and go to
school in the United State. Author Bill Bryson, a stingy critic
of generic America, reportedly found Hanover so pleasant that
he moved here in the mid-1990s.
Burlington, Vt.
-- One of New England's most underrated cities (population around
40,000), Burlington Vt. is home to the University of Vermont,
Champlain College. Community College of Vermont and Burlington
College. It is a small city that features the wonderful Church
Street Marketplace, an outdoor oasis with more than 50 shops
as well as diverse restaurants, street vendors, seasonal festivals
and entertainers. The nearby waterfront section affords beautiful
views of Lake Champlain and New York's Adirondack Mountains and
offers a terrific walking/bike path, restaurants, ferry
crossings, cruise boats, concerts, a Fourth of July fireworks
celebration and other events. A
"green" city with a healthy dose of liberalism dedicated
to city beautification, health and wellness resources, and strong
political views, Burlington is certainly not a dull city. It
may be, in fact, New England's most complete college town as
visitors have the benefit of finding things to do often found
in larger cities, while enjoying a small-town feel.
Durham, N.H. -- The significant University of New Hampshire
student population and a bustling downtown still haven't been
able to transform Durham, N.H., into a hectic place. A true small-town
at heart with a population of around 12,000, scenic Durham has
all the attributes of the New Hampshire we love -- farmland,
flowing rivers, old Colonial homes, forested region and parks.
The downtown is special, as it not only caters to students with
eclectic shops and dining options and, but, rightfully, the town
residents with a full range of services. Durham has everything
that a student could want or a resident looking for that classic
small New England town. All in all, Durham might just be one
of New England's most authentic college towns as it rarely overwhelms
with 21st century trappings; it still has a peaceful aura from
another area with its dignified college buildings, people and
places.
|
|
|