Even though the University of Virginia and Davidson College are quite different schools, the surrounding area is strikingly similar. UVA has a student body that is approximately three times as large as Davidson's, but both boast a small-town, college vibe. Charlottesville has more than a Main Street and Davidson... well... doesn't. Not really. Having lived in the two cities, granted as a student on one campus and a citizen in the other, there are a fair number of similarities. So I'm going to take those common themes and apply them to college-towns everywhere, because a sample size of two is enough, right? Let's start with fact #1.
1. There's that one local coffee shop.
You know the one. It's overpriced, organic, gluten-free, and has delicious pastries, so you go anyways. Charlottesville's version is Mudhouse, in Davidson there's Summit.
2. There is always an organic option.
And vegan, and free-range, whatever dietary restriction you can think of, some restaurant in town caters to it. Normally there's a farmer's market, too, where you can get on first-name basis with the people who grow your produce. If that's too much for you, then you can always check out the health stores. Whole foods, Healthy Home Market, you have your pick, but you can be sure that there is some health store within walking distance of the campus.
3. Dogs. So many dogs.
Both UVA and Davidson have beautiful campuses, so members of the communities often bring their pets on walks around the respective colleges. As someone who lived in Charlottesville, this was a great way to exercise pets. As a student at Davidson, this is a great stress-reliever. I can walk up to whoever and they'll let me pet their dogs. It's the best part of my day.
4. Old people, too, like to walk on campus.
My grandparents live right down the street from UVA, and they go on walks in the evening, especially in the summer and fall. The campus is a safe place for them to walk because there are plenty of sidewalks, and my grandmother loves looking at all the trees that abound (because she's a stereotypical grandmother who gardens). It's really cute to see elderly couples strolling around the grounds, whether it's in North Carolina or Virginia.
5. The college extends into the community.
For a radius of about a mile from the college, you can see paraphernalia, whether it's bumper stickers on cars, flags in flowerpots, or tee-shirts on small children. There's a sense of pride associated with living in Charlottesville/Davidson, and the excellent schools housed in these communities.
6. Pedestrian traffic is horrendous.
As someone who lived in the town, I would hear adults bemoan the traffic, and complain about how pedestrians always believe they can walk wherever, whenever. Well, now that I am a college student, I have fallen into that trope. But people are so nice! And they want me to cross the road at my earliest opportunity, right? Right?
7. Joggers/bikers exist in abundance.
Oh man. If I thought that everyone in Charlottesville ran around in neon, then everyone and their cousin runs here in Davidson. I'm not just talking about college students, but they definitely partake in this excess of activity. It's parents, grandparents, whole families as packs, everyone. Runs. I mean, sure it's great. Good for them for exercising. But the sheer quantity of people out flaunting their toned legs makes me feel incredibly guilty for not having gone to the gym.
8. Kids playing Pokemon Go is a given occurrence.
Sure, this fad is fading, as fads tend to do, but there are still plenty of children who come onto Davidson's campus to catch 'em all. There's a gym right outside my window, and on any given day, I see at least someone out there trying to capture it. The same was especially true over the summer, when we flocked to UVA. There were so many Pokestops, it was the best place in town to go for collecting and battling.
9. Everyone knows everyone.
Sure, this is just a small town thing, but I think it still applies in this context. In high school, my guidance councilor's husband worked at UVA. My dad's boss worked at UVA. My friend is now at UVA, where her brother is getting his master's, and her dad is a professor. So 3/4 of her family spends their day at UVA. It's the same thing here in Davidson. If you want to have connections as a community to the college, it's easy. It's even easier to go from the college to the community, because your teachers have neighbors who need babysitters, or your boss knows someone who is looking for someone to rake leaves, or what have you.
