Kent State University - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

Kent is definitely a college town, as can be seen by the groups of drunken students stumbling down Main Street at all hours of the night. Other than the action on campus and a few local bars and restaurants, there isn’t a whole lot to do. Many people prefer to leave Kent for the night and head out to the bars and clubs in nearby cities. That’s not to say that students who walk downtown to the bars don’t have fun. The local establishments love the college students, since they are the majority of the business. The same cannot be said for Kent’s “townies,” referring to Kent residents who completely despise the college crowd. They’ve allowed their opinions of a few drunken morons to taint their view of the general Kent State population. Not to worry, most students never have run-ins with a native Kent-ite.

From the decades of wear by college students, the city is a little rundown. Most of the houses, especially the rental properties, seem a bit dated, but they’re usually nice on the inside. Most of the necessities are within walking distance, and a campus bus is available to cart hungry students off to the grocery store or Target. Sometimes, it’s nice just to take a walk during the day and absorb the old city feel of Kent. Students who haven’t taken the time to walk around the city are always surprised after they finally venture off campus.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Kent blows. Every restaurant... Kent blows. Every restaurant closes at 10 or 11 at night. My stomach opens at midnight, and every night I am limited to Taco Bell or Main Street Coneys. It’s a college town—stores should cater to a college student’s interests. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

It’s nice and quiet here, and... It’s nice and quiet here, and there is not a lot of crime. There are a lot of local businesses that are student-friendly and sometimes offer discounts. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Go to Streetsboro if you want to... Go to Streetsboro if you want to go to any good restaurants. The selection in Kent really isn’t that good. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Kent is a quaint college town, but... Kent is a quaint college town, but the people don’t really like college students. A few of the crazy drunkards give everyone a bad name. Make sure you walk around the downtown area before you graduate. It’s adorable. Also, the trails by the Cuyahoga River are really awesome. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Kent is really easy to get around... Kent is really easy to get around and learn where everything is. All the restaurants you’d actually want to eat at are all within walking distance. Even the grocery store is somewhere you can walk to. There are nice little shops and a park downtown. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about Kent:

• Kent became known as the “Tree City” in the late 1800s after horticulturist John Davey planted hundreds of trees in the area.
• Brought from Ontario, Canada, black squirrels have invaded campus and are now the city’s unofficial mascots. Each year, a Black Squirrel Festival is held to celebrate Kent’s Canadian invaders.
• The Elgin House on Columbus Street was the inspiration for the mansion in the movie Psycho.
• Each year, hundreds of people descend upon Kent State’s campus on May 4 to remember the infamous shootings that took place in 1970.
• The Kent State library, at 12 stories, is the tallest building in Portage County and holds over 2.3 million volumes.

Famous Kent Staters:
Drew Carey, golfer Ben Curtis, the members of Devo (Gerald Casale, Mark Mothersbaugh, and Bob Lewis), Arsenio Hall, Chryssie Hynde (The Pretenders), Michael Keaton (Batman), David Sedaris, and various Star Trek alumuni including Brannon Braga (writer, producer), John “Q” de Lancie, and Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher)

Local Slang:
Pop – Northeast Ohio slang for soda pop

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