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A college town is a town (or region) containing a university with either a large university population or a small residential population. In either event it is a place in which the university students either outnumber the actual residents, or at least represent a significant presence in the community. The university students typically come from outside the college town itself, meaning that they represent a different (sometimes radically different) culture than that of the inhabitants. Students in a college town often refer to regular inhabitants as townies, a name which is somewhat derogatory meaning one who is quaint but not sophisticated. Inhabitants of the town, in turn, may feel a resentment towards the students, seeing them as outsiders who invade the town. This "town and gown" dichotomy notwithstanding, students and the outside community typically find a peaceful (even friendly) coexistence, with the town receiving a significant economic boost from the college, and the students often adapting themselves to the culture of the town.

1 College Towns in the United States



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