College towns are better without Colleges

The exodus has finished.

Once again everyone remaining in Bloomington can finally savor what a beautiful place we all live. There truly is no other place like the utopia I have come to know as Bloomington during the warmer months.

While I must admit I am not what the locals call a “townie,” this will be my third year enjoying summer life in Monroe County. With a large section of the student population going back to wherever they call home, everything seems to get exponentially more relaxed and enjoyable.

The city goes into a sort of lazy hibernation, mostly due to pure exhaustion from the semester’s daily grind. It would be wrong to assume that most of us don’t breathe a sigh of relief after we realize what a great time we are in for over the next three months.

With fewer students, Bloomington becomes like no other place I have ever been. Anyone can suddenly enjoy all the great amenities of living in a large community, with none of the hassle. You can still get a pizza at 3 a.m. while also not having to worry about whether or not you’re going to get run down by a speeding frat boy in a BMW at every crosswalk.

To those experiencing a summer in Bloomington for the first time, there are a couple things you can do to maximize your potential for having the best summer of your life.

First: get off of campus. Most students don’t even realize what a naturally and socially rich community we live in outside of their everyday surroundings. There are literally hundreds of outdoor activities ranging from boat rentals on Monroe Reservoir to horseback riding in Brown County State Park, all within just a few minutes drive of IU’s campus.

My second suggestion: Track and follow local events. Community gatherings like “Taste of Bloomington”, an annual food tasting festival, are great for having a night on the town without having to be 21. Many of these festivals are also free to attend and are good places to meet friends or take a date. There are scores of more festivals and events that are just a Google search away, you just have to look for them.

Whether you are a student taking classes during the summer term, or just someone looking to get off life in the fast lane, Bloomington truly is a great place to enjoy the easy life. With so many different things to occupy your time; if you are bored it’s not the town that has a problem, it’s you.


­—ogwise@indiana.edu