Many students come here from bustling metropolitan centers such as New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles. For these students, Middletown may be a surprising and, at times, disappointing college town. While the town certainly features some perks, such as a movie theater, good Thai restaurants, and bars, the relationship between town and gown often leaves both feeling isolated.
The distance between Middletown and the University campus has proven to be somewhat of an impediment. Many students and local businesses blame the distance between campus and downtown as the main deterrent to community cohesion. Without the cohesion encouraged by close location, they say, the full potential of Middletown as a college town can never be fulfilled.
Christie Grasis, owner of A New World Laser Town, lamented the effect that students’ absence has on her business.
“Wesleyan students tend to stick to campus,” Grasis said. “Middletown is not geared toward college students, but then again, it’s because they are not the market most businesses are trying to reach. Wesleyan students tend to do their own thing.”
Saruk, an employee and son of the owner at Empire Pizza, shares the same sentiment, claiming that New Haven is a better example of a college town. Though Empire Pizza derives a good portion of its business from the student population, he said that the overall atmosphere of Middletown is lackluster and boring compared to what it could be.
“It’s much quieter in Middletown than in New Haven,” Saruk said. “New Haven has a much livelier neighborhood. They have Urban Outfitters, movie theaters, and lots of places to eat and shop. In order to improve Middletown, they should add more fun places, like more clubs and bars for the students.”
Many students say that they rarely leave campus, either stating that they are content with the offerings on campus or that the inconvenience of going into town is too great.
Mary Claire Abbott ’09 said that Middletown is not “cute enough,” citing Princeton as an example of a college town that is more connected with its students.
However, there are some business owners and students who disagree that there is a significant barrier between campus and town. David Galanto, owner of Metro Spirits, argues that the impact that students have on his business, as well as their presence downtown, proves that Middletown is a college town.
“It’s getting better than it was 10 or 12 years ago,” Galanto said. “Back then it was a ghost town. Now many businesses have expanded to let students use their [Wes] ID cards as both a means of payment and a way to get discounts.”
An employee at a Main Street restaurant said that though Middletown is not as lively and wild as some college towns, one can observe, merely by walking on the streets, the footprint that the student body leaves on the town.
Indeed, the clientele at Main Street restaurants is often heavily comprised of college students. In the summer, restaurants suffer from their absence.
Many of the unique and varied businesses that are available downtown seem often forgotten or taken for granted, according to some students. Middletown offers students an abundance of small businesses, ranging from restaurants, bars, and movie theaters to tanning salons, rollerblading rinks, and laser tag venues. Ultimately, Middletown’s small size and its dependence on Wesleyan may make for a more meaningful relationship than a similar university might have with a big town or city.
“Middletown isn’t the worst,” said Katie Hanna ’09. “In Middletown ,you have a chance to get involved with the community, to give back, and feel like you are a part of it.”
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