Rank the Big 10 Cities

[kchusker_chris]

I'm a little confused looking at some peoples lists, how can you rank Lincoln highly and a big plus is its proximity to Omaha, then nearly all of you have Evanston ranked near the bottom. Evenston is a nice town and its minutes from Chicago. If the city and having options is important to you, then Evenston smashes Lincoln. But I guess thats just my opinion. I have visited that area a number of times and live here. Anyway, here is my list as an outsider who has visited a number of these places and has no attachment to any

 

#1-Evanston, IL

#2- Minneapolis, MN

#3-Columbus, OH

#4-Madison, WI

#5-Ann Arbor, MI

#6-Lincoln, NE

#7-Champaign, IL

#8-State College, PN

#9-Iowa City, IA

#10-Bloomington, IN

#11-East Lansing, MI

#12-West Lafayette, IN

I was thinking the same thing. Chicago is awesome. It would have to be at the top of my list. I'd move Madison to #2 but otherwise this looks pretty close to mine. I really have no clue where to put Lincoln though. Game day - great city...but that only happens 7 days a year - the other 358 wouldn't be anything special. Cost of living is really not much different than Kansas City - yet the salaries run about 25-30k a year less for what I do (was looking a while back). Ask this same question 4-5 years from now after the new arena is built and the downtown area begins to revitalize. That's going to be huge for Lincoln. (look at downtown KC now as an example)

[blinky]

There are few things I know, and since I haven't been to all of the cities I won't rank them:

 

1. Minneapolis/St. Paul is a great city and area. The campus is not the best, but there's tons to do right next to it.

2. If you want to re-live your college days, go to Madison. You can't help but get sucked in. The city itself is beautiful also - located between two large lakes.

3. East Lansing (and all of Lansing for that matter) sucks.

4. Ann Arbor is nice, but the stadium and everything else seems detached from campus.

5. East Lansing sucks, but West Lafayette makes it look like paradise.

 

I don't post much and my opinion doesn't really matter, but I felt like it today, I guess.

[knapplc]

I don't post much and my opinion doesn't really matter, but I felt like it today, I guess.

 

Of course your opinion matters. Don't let the debate or conversation that crops up deter you from posting. The discussion of disparate opinions is the reason online forums exist.

[Ratt Mhule]

4. Ann Arbor is nice, but the stadium and everything else seems detached from campus.

 

That is exactly what I thought when I visited Ann Arbor in September. The stadium isn't very close to the campus, but their campus is huge. Nice city, however.

[VA Husker Fan]

I'm a little confused looking at some peoples lists, how can you rank Lincoln highly and a big plus is its proximity to Omaha, then nearly all of you have Evanston ranked near the bottom.

I saw one single post that mentioned Omaha other than someone else who only commented on population. Not sure how you generalize a conclusion from that.

 

1 - Lincoln, because I have a lot of family and friends still there. If I was totally unattached to it it'd probably move down 2-4 spots

2 - Madison

3 - State College (I'd have to visit to decide for sure but I like rural more than urban

4 - Minneapolis

5 - Evanston

6-12 lumped together, without knowing too much more I'd probably work my way up from the south.

 

#1-Evanston, IL

#2- Minneapolis, MN

#3-Columbus, OH

#4-Madison, WI

#5-Ann Arbor, MI

#6-Lincoln, NE

#7-Champaign, IL

#8-State College, PN

#9-Iowa City, IA

#10-Bloomington, IN

#11-East Lansing, MI

#12-West Lafayette, IN

[NUance]

1 Bloomington, IN

2 West Lafayette, IN

3 Champaign, IL

4 Lincoln, NE

5 State College, PN

6 Madison, WI

7 Iowa City, IA

8 Ann Arbor, MI

9 Minneapolis, MN

10 Evanston, IL

11 Columbus, OH

12 East Lansing, MI

[BIG ERN]

1/2 Madison & Minneapolis

 

3. Everyone else

 

Unless you don't like to party.

[knapplc]

I have no experience with any other Big 10 town, with the exceptions of Minneapolis and Chicago (Evanston). Minny is a fine city with big-city things to see and do. Chicagoland is a fantastic place, especially the west burbs where the knapplc clan laid down stakes.

 

I really have no opinion on any other town, except Lincoln. Lincoln, for all its quiet and peacefulness, is a pretty stodgy, boring, backward town. It's a great place to raise a family, but not much for forward thinking. Maybe I'm too close to the subject, but I'm thoroughly unimpressed with much of this town.

[typ3kal]

I have no experience with any other Big 10 town, with the exceptions of Minneapolis and Chicago (Evanston). Minny is a fine city with big-city things to see and do. Chicagoland is a fantastic place, especially the west burbs where the knapplc clan laid down stakes.

 

I really have no opinion on any other town, except Lincoln. Lincoln, for all its quiet and peacefulness, is a pretty stodgy, boring, backward town. It's a great place to raise a family, but not much for forward thinking. Maybe I'm too close to the subject, but I'm thoroughly unimpressed with much of this town.

 

If we are using politics in the rankings then I would put Ann Arbor or Madison at #1.

 

The thing is, Lincoln may be boring, but it offers a hell of a lot more outside of gamedays than 1/2 of the Big 10 towns. IE: Bloomington, West Layfayette, Iowa City, State College etc.

[knapplc]

I wasn't thinking politically, just commenting on the general mindset of Lincolnites.

[fro daddy]

I'm a little confused looking at some peoples lists, how can you rank Lincoln highly and a big plus is its proximity to Omaha, then nearly all of you have Evanston ranked near the bottom.

I saw one single post that mentioned Omaha other than someone else who only commented on population. Not sure how you generalize a conclusion from that.

 

Just an observation over the years on the board when people talk about lincoln and its plus's. Your right there is only 1 post that says that specifically on this thread.

[Husker NoNo]

Madison is an easy 1...with Evanston close 2nd. Been to most of the towns on this list, none even came close to these two.

[typ3kal]

Madison is an easy 1...with Evanston close 2nd. Been to most of the towns on this list, none even came close to these two.

 

Evanston is close to Chicago but I find chicago such a hastle. Hence I ranked Minneapolis and Columbus higher. Northwestern does have an awesome location and beach right on the lake that is hard to compete with.

[VA Husker Fan]

I'm a little confused looking at some peoples lists, how can you rank Lincoln highly and a big plus is its proximity to Omaha, then nearly all of you have Evanston ranked near the bottom.

I saw one single post that mentioned Omaha other than someone else who only commented on population. Not sure how you generalize a conclusion from that.

 

Just an observation over the years on the board when people talk about lincoln and its plus's. Your right there is only 1 post that says that specifically on this thread.

Gotcha, I think people talk about that wrt to recruiting, which is a different topic from this thread. What I want and a kid more than 30 years younger than me wants are two different things. The effect of Omaha being nearby on recruiting is probably overstated, IMO.

[kchusker_chris]

I'm a little confused looking at some peoples lists, how can you rank Lincoln highly and a big plus is its proximity to Omaha, then nearly all of you have Evanston ranked near the bottom.

I saw one single post that mentioned Omaha other than someone else who only commented on population. Not sure how you generalize a conclusion from that.

 

Just an observation over the years on the board when people talk about lincoln and its plus's. Your right there is only 1 post that says that specifically on this thread.

Gotcha, I think people talk about that wrt to recruiting, which is a different topic from this thread. What I want and a kid more than 30 years younger than me wants are two different things. The effect of Omaha being nearby on recruiting is probably overstated, IMO.

except that's where I'd assume they (parents/recruits) all fly in/out of...so when we have to try and combat geography Omaha's proximity is our saving grace.