Login Register

Pomona College
- Local Atmosphere

RT
Currently attending or alumni?
Review this school!
Are you interested
in this school?
Yes, let this school know
Maybe, bookmark for later
No, get better matches
Saving your decision
Yes
Maybe
No

We will attempt to notify this
school of your interest.

This school has been saved to your schools list.

This school has been removed from your recommended schools list.

For your next recommendation, check out .

Jump to a section:

Grade
Quick Stats
Student Author Overview
Student Reviews
Student Polls
Facts
Listings
Take A SurveyWrite A ReviewUpload A PhotoLink Up A VideoWrite The Guide
Pomona College - Local Atmosphere - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.08

Local Atmosphere

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

Comparable Schools' Local Atmosphere Grades:

Quick Stats

Fun Local Trivia
  1. Claremont's median income is $66,547, much of which, judging by the average age of the inhabitants, must consist of retirement pensions.
  2. Acclaimed pop artist Ben Harper's extended family runs an acoustic music store in the Village, and every now and then, Ben will drop in and "kick it."
  3. Tired of the kitschy Claremont atmosphere? Just enter the festively-muraled alleyway beside Heroes Bar and you'll find Nick's Café, the closest thing Claremont has to subculture. It's frequented by Celtic-Goth kids, mostly the jobless, 20-something, estranged children of wealthy Claremont residents.
  4. Claremont is far from a bastion of public art, but you can find a marble statue in the center of town that resembles a caveman playing a lyre, while some more modern fellow looks over his shoulder and a kid and a cat climb in a tree. There are many childrens' handprints on the back of the statue. The statue was sculpted, on site, a few years back, and the process was one of the major attractions in Claremont for a while.
  5. Famed rapper Snoop Dogg lives in northern Claremont, and although you may not like his music, he is a solid member of the community. Last year, he volunteer-coached a local sports team.
Notable Natives
  • Sammy Hagar
  • Ben Harper
  • Tommy Lee
  • Steve McQueen
  • Demi Moore
Local Slang
  • "Bra," as in "what's kickin', Bra": No, not an over-the-shoulder boulder-holder, but rather a SoCal version of "bro," which is, of course, a popular truncation of "brother."
  • "Fo' Shizzle!": Actually a variant of "For Sheezy," which means "for sure," as in "I'm going to ace that test fo' shizzle!" Remember, Snoop makes his home in Claremont. (He, at least as far as pop culture is concerned, is the progenitor of this particular phrase, and the
Points of Interest
  • Bernard Field Station
  • The big partially finished marble statue in the small park in the center of Claremont (No, there really isn’t anything more interesting than that in the Village)
  • Foothills Wilderness Park

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Well, now you’ve heard it from the horses’ mouths, and contrary to aphorism, feel free to look in these horses’ mouths, and even to count their teeth, because they’re not selling you a load of bull. Claremont just isn’t cut out to be a college town. There isn’t anything to do except walk around and buy overpriced doo-dads, which (i.e., the doo-dads) your grandmother might find appealing (not to cast aspersions on your grandmother’s taste), but which (i.e., the doo-dads again) will likely leave you unimpressed. LA is great, but only if you have a car. Public transit to LA just doesn’t cut it for evening excursions. The Inland Empire (the area surrounding Claremont) is pretty trashy, and except for a few dive bars, doesn’t have much to offer in the way of activities. Oh yeah. There is a flea market in the Inland Empire, but why anyone would want to buy fleas is beyond me ...

Claremont is far more of a retirement community than it is a college town; you will exhaust its entertainment potential in about a day. Los Angeles is a cultural mecca (well, at least a cultural hub) and boasts tons of museums (if you can, check out the Museum of Jurassic Technology), stores, beaches, clubs, and bars, and you’ll have a difficult time running out of things to do there. The other colleges provide a nice break from Pomona, but aren’t, when you get right down to it, really different enough from Pomona to constitute an off-campus experience. Prepare to be absorbed by the giant social black hole that is Pomona College.

See how you stack up against students who were accepted to this school . . .And calculate your chances!Register to get started

Pomona Student ReviewsWhat's This?

Sort by:

Loading...

Local Atmosphere at Pomona College

gotopomona

Computer and Information Sciences '15

4.2
A-

It's Really Not in LA

Claremont is a pretty small and quiet town. Aside from a few shops, there isn't much to do off campus. But I have never been bored with the plethora of things to do on campus, so it's not really an issue. It does take a bit of effort to get into LA - it's an hour train or car ride, and I have only been once in the semester I've been here. Again, I don't feel deprived since campus is amazing, but don't be fooled into thinking it's right next to LA.

Nov 30, 2011

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Local Atmosphere at Pomona College

wafflecat

Communication and Media Studies '12

2.7
C+

Local Atmosphere Is Lacking...

I love Claremont because of it's old-timesy charm, but if you're looking to go bar hopping or to even get to a supermarket that isn't incredibly expensive, you're out of luck. The surrounding area is catered to an older community with an established income, which means not students. This then creates the Claremont Bubble, where everything happens on campus. Which can be fun but tiresome after 4 years.

Aug 18, 2011

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Local Atmosphere at Pomona College

Sagehen2014

Languages and Literature '14

3.5
B

Not the Best but Not the Worst

Claremont doesn't cater to college students, but it's still a nice, safe place to live. There is usually more going on across the 5C campus than there is in Claremont.

LA is fairly close if you feel too confined on campus. It's always good to get out of "The Bubble."

Aug 15, 2011

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate
Page 1 of 6
User rating for Pomona College - Local Atmosphere is 3.5 out of 5 based on 18 user reviews.

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
  • Montclair Plaza
  • Ontario Mills Shopping Center
Major Sports Teams
  • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: baseball
  • Los Angeles Clippers: basketball
  • Los Angeles Dodgers: baseball
  • Los Angeles Lakers: basketball
City Web Sites www.ci.claremont.ca.us
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Los Angeles: CA: 45 minutes
  • San Diego: CA: 2 hours

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

AMC in Covina
1414 N. Azusa Ave.
Covina
(626) 974-8600

Ontario Mills
4549 Mills Cir.
Ontario
(909) 484-3000

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Peter Cook

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

Download a FREE Printable Summary (PDF)

Find a college

Find a major

Scholarships

Reviews

Search College Prowler

Company

How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.