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Carleton College
- Local Atmosphere

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Carleton College - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.69

Local Atmosphere

C+
Where does this grade come from?View all Local Atmosphere rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Local Atmosphere Grades:

Quick Stats

Points of Interest
  • Archer House
  • Cannon River
  • Carleton Arboretum
  • Jesse James Lanes
  • Jesse James Museum
  • Malt-O-Meal
  • Mystic Lake Casino
  • St. Olaf College

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Northfield is a small town. You get a quaint feeling as you walk downtown and see family-owned businesses. Known as the town of “cows, colleges, and contentment,” Northfield is a classic slow-paced Midwestern town that has its fair share of little quirks and eccentricities. Carleton and St. Olaf College rest on opposite ends of the town, giving Northfield a jolt of young political voices. Northfield has a large Hispanic population due to the abundance of farm work, and both colleges work with the non-English speaking community to help them make their voices heard. 

There may have been tension between the two schools in the past, but now they maintain a good natured rivalry. Although they do not have much contact, there are various social crossover events during the year, and Oles turn up at numerous Carleton parties. There can sometimes be tension between the colleges and Northfield residents, but that is minimal and never really amounts to anything other than a few unimpressed glares.

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Carleton Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at Carleton College

drewse

'13

Biology

4.2
A-

Quiet Town, but Super Charming and Welcoming

Northfield offers a small handful of restaurants, an AMAZING coffee shop (and a couple other ones too if you actually need quiet), two excellent pubs, and a Dominoes Pizza open until 2 a.m. It doesn't sound like much, but the atmosphere of the town is so welcoming, happy, and relaxed. And the Jesse James Day festival in September will absolutely win your heart. If you need more and have access to a car, the Twin Cities are 45 minutes away.

Oct 12, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Carleton College

Lizziefish08

'12

Latin and Ancient Greek Studies

3.1
B-

The Charm Can Fade..

Northfield is small and quaint. There aren't a ton of options for non-Carleton sponsored recreation in town, but there are nice cafes to hang out in and get off campus a bit. Townies are generally very friendly, and seem to prefer Carls to the Oles across the river. It's a very good thing the Twin Cities aren't too far - it's quite nice to have a car and head up occasionally when Northfield seems a little too tiny.

Oct 12, 2011

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Local Atmosphere at Carleton College

cassidyn

'13

History

3.5
B

Small Town Feel

There are some good restaurants and coffee shops, and the public library is nice. Most things worth going to are within walking distance. Frankly, though, Carleton recognizes the fact that Northfield is a small rural town and provides enough activities that there is little reason to go into town. The Twin Cities are definitely accessible if you can find time to go there.

Oct 12, 2011

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the local atmosphere on the following topics

What is the local atmosphere like at your school?

What is the proximity to other universities? Is there much interaction?

Can you see yourself living here after graduation?

Facts

Shopping Centers
  • The Mall of America
  • Nicolet Mall
Major Sports Teams
  • Minnesota Timberwolves: basketball
  • Minnesota Twins: baseball
  • Minnesota Vikings: football
  • Minnesota Wild: hockey
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Chicago: IL: 8 hours 5 minutes
  • Minneapolis/St. Paul: MN: 1 hour 22 minutes
Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about Northfield:
• Every fall, Northfield has Jesse James Days, a carnival celebrating the defeat of Jesse James’s gang at Northfield’s First National Bank.
• Carleton built a wind energy turbine, the first one in Northfield, which supplies the school with 40 percent of its energy needs.
• As you drive into Northfield, a road sign welcomes you to “the town of cows, colleges, and contentment.”
• The town often smells like cereal in the winter due to the Malt-O-Meal factory, Minnesota’s largest cereal distributor.
• The Shakopee-Mdewakanton Indian Reservation is home to the Mystic Lake Casino, which is said to be the second most profitable Indian casino in the nation.

Famous People from Northfield:
Laura Baker, founder of the Laura Baker School
Laurence McKinley Gould, explorer
Ole Rolvaag, novelist
Edward Thye, senator during the Great Depression
Paul Wellstone, senator

Local Slang:
Don’tchaknow – Equivalent to the Canadian “eh,” usually attached to the end of a sentence
Gophers! – Referring to the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gopher hockey team, the main topic of discussion in local barbershops
Hot Dish – Minnesota’s favorite food on a cold day, much like a casserole
Pop – What Minnesotans call soda
Yah – Minnesotan for “yes”
You betcha – Minnesotan for “sure”

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

Carmike 15
15630 Cedar Ave.
Apple Valley
(952) 431-4779

Imation IMAX Theatre at the Minnesota Zoo
12000 Zoo Blvd.
Apple Valley
(952) 431-4629

Mann Southgate Cinema
960 Highway 3 S.
Northfield
(507) 663-7732

Muller Family Theaters Lakeville 18 Theater
20653 Keokuk Ave.
Lakeville
(651) 777-3456

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Carleton

Name: Lingerr Senghor

Hometown: Unknown

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