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jeannereames · 5 years ago

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Hello, this might seem like an odd or unrelated question but, in these uncertain times, do you have any tips for new writers of aspiring historians? I've been feeling awfully discoursged with my writing and the fact that I missed a whole semester of school over the virus.

Let me divide my advice into that for students and for writers.

First, writers, the advice I have now is the same as at any other juncture. Write. Even if you don’t feel like it. Don’t worry if it’s any good. Just write.

One of the earliest lessons I was taught by successful writers, and have only had confirmed in the years since (including by my own experience) is, “Write every day. Even if it’s just 2 pages. Write everyday.” (Or almost every day.)

Writing, like exercise, is a habit. At first, most of what you write on demand may be utter shite. But the more you practice, the better you’ll get at turning out moderately readable prose on demand. There will be times you’re more inspired, or less, but practice really does improve skill.

Find a writing group. Listen to their critique. Don’t get defensive. Unless you’re spectacularly talented, you probably are that bad. LOL. (I was.) There are tricks to good prose. Learn them. Read your stuff out loud, to hear how it falls on the ear. Read A LOT. I mean A LOT. Good stuff. Study what they’re doing. My teachers were Iris Murduch, Toni Morrison, Graham Greene, John Irving, Flannery O’Connor…. Find a writer whose work picks you up and throws you down again, a little bit broken and a little bit more whole. Figure out how she or he did that.

But don’t neglect the nuts-and-bolts, stuff like, “Passive voice is a Bad Thing,” “Said-bookisms suck,” “Don’t over-choreograph,” and “Just use the character’s name, not eleventy-two synonyms.” And especially “’Emerald orbs’ should never be used to describe someone’s eyes,” or the offending writer should be taken out and shot. ;)

I’m not a big fan of books on the writing craft, but I do recommend Dwight V. Swain’s Tricks and Techniques of the Selling Writer, rev. ed. Some of it is quite dated, but most of it isn’t. Scene and Sequel is still A Thing. It works.

Not everyone can be Carson McCullers to pen classics at 22/23/24 (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Reflections in a Golden Eye). But she really only wrote about 4 major novels (in part due to very poor health).

There are writers out there who can count published novels in double-digits. What’s the difference? They sit down and write. It’s not always a classic. In fact, it’s rarely a classic. But it can still be a perfectly good yarn that takes someone out of herself for a little while.

Long ago, I met author Lawrence Dorr, and when introduced, rather shyly said, “I’m not a real writer, but I want to be someday.” Meaning I wasn’t published yet. (I was about 19 at the time.) Dorr just looked at me and asked, “Do you write?” “Yes.” “Then you’re a writer. A writer writes. A writer can’t not write.”

As you can see, I never forgot that exchange.

Dorr was positive inspiration. Harry Crews was negative. That SOB would make me so mad, I once chucked a typewriter out the sliding glass door of a second-story apartment. Broke the door and typewriter both, and I had to pay the apartment complex for it. The upside was I bought an Atari with a word processor. And I got better. Unfortunately it was usually after Crews had posted our grades. But I did learn a few things from the misogynistic bastard–including the trick that there is no muse and writer’s block is just an excuse. “Write, godfuckingdammit,” he’d say. “Two pages a day. Write two fucking pages a day.” (He was my professor before he sobered up so he was still a roaring pain the arse.)

He also insisted that when we want to tie up things neatly, throw a monkey-wrench in it. And to write our demons. Nobody wants to read a story in which nobody bleeds (even if figuratively).

I realize all that probably gives away my age, Ha. My first attempt at a novel was written in longhand, then the second was typed on this sucker, and yes I still have it (typewriter, not the novel, thank god; it was terrible):

Second, students, I am so sorry that you’ve got to worry about losing your job, and maybe your place to live and your car, and still be expected to do homework and attend lectures online that’s only half an education, if that Will we still be doing this come fall? I don’t know. I hope not, but I fear Covid19 will come roaring back, like the Spanish Flu.

But the world is also a lot different place with much greater understandings of viruses, which is why historians (unlike political scientists and sociologists) rarely try prognostication. History never repeats, even if it sometimes rhymes. If there is any good news in looking back at the Spanish Flu, it’s that after the second wave hit, the US (at least) recovered relatively quickly, especially compared to the ‘29 stock market crash a decade later that set off the Great Depression. The good news out of the Depression was FDR’s ability to shove through the New Deal, which resulted in social safety nets like social security, unemployment benefits, the FDIC, and prepaid hospital insurance (the precursor to the eventual Medicare/Medicaid of the ‘60s).

The unhappy news is that US has a bad habit of not fixing its problems till things break spectacularly…like the Civil War (and the trashfire that Reconstruction became), or the Great Depression, or the violence of the Civil Rights Movement.

Also, don’t forget–historians need records. So write what you see around you. What’s it like to be living right now, at this juncture in history? What does it feel like to be young and looking out at a world on fire?

There you combine both writing with history. Maybe you’ll write your own The Heart is a Lonely Hunter.

#There is no muse #The Craft of Writing #Writers write #history and crisis #asks #the writing life

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silkyandsurveys · 5 years ago

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survey #3

may 17,2020

1)What is your idea of an ideal date?

i love the idea of an amusement park date? it’s so cliche but it’s so cute and fun cause it would just be such a fun time to just laugh with each other and be soft and cute

2)When did you last unexpectedly gain money?

hmmm that’s hard. i just today applied for unemployment and those results will be coming back soon ? hopefully? but then my mom said that my old job is looking for people to take food to cars so i might be doing that and getting some good money so not anytime recently but i’m guessing in the soon future i will

3)What are your favorite preparations of vegetables?

I’m sorry but just extremely soft broccoli and butter with salt and pepper is so good and classic

4)What are your plans for the rest of the day?

uhm it’s 7:08 pm so take my medicine and shower and then just play on my phone for a couple hours until bed

5)What is your favorite movie soundtrack?

this is so hard because i don’t watch a lot of movies. this may seem odd because of course but the bohemian rhapsody movie but that doesn’t really count. love simon is great same as fault one our stars idk

6)If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do?

i really don’t know. part of me wants to say go and like do something crazy but what can you really do that’s ~crazy~ in 24 hrs. i would just go see all my friends. say things i never had the courage to say in the past to certain people hug everyone idk

7)If you came along with a theme song, which song would it be and why?

omg something super bright and sassy for sure!! i can’t think of something necessarily. maybe something harry styles?

8)If you could invite 5 people to a dinner party, living or dead, who would you choose?

this is so hard but why do i wanna say ot5 one direction and literlaly just make all of them speak to each other.

9)What is Victoria's secret?

that she’s fatphobic and transphobic oops

10)If you had to be trapped in a tv show for a month, which tv show would it be and why?

omg 10000000% glee OMGGGGGG i would die but also stranger things would be hella vibes and lowkey scary but fun

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1. Have you ever moved to a different city?

No only ever moved house

2. Do you ever forget names of people you know well?

i’m not as bad with names as i am faces idk i’m just bad at that in general

3. If you could trade lives with a cat, would you do it?

uhm maybe for like a day? they legit just sleep and scratch you so?

4. Have you ever been lost? Was it frightening?

A couple times i think? driving can get very confusing

5. Do you enjoy doing new or shocking things?

sometimes i do sometimes i don’t. it’s very depending on whether i’m like mentally prepared for the information

6. Would you rather be lost in a forest or a city?

the city alone but the forest with someone

7. What is the biggest discovery you have made about yourself growing up?

that i really am quite odd? like i’m very different from what normal people in my area are. not to sound quirky but it’s true. i’m also very very adaptive to lots of different people and groups

8. Do you want to have children and a family?

yes one day. i can’t ever imagine a time though

9. Have you ever seen something strange and no one believed you?

yes!!!!

10. Have you ever had a crush on someone much older than yourself?

no actually. other than celebrity crushes of course

11. Have you ever been separated from someone?

yes. my like biggest crush of my entire life moved away a couple years ago and it was actually really hard and made me grow up

12. Do you cry over books/movies/shows/etc.?

yes i specifically watch movies to cry sometimes i’m just a really emotional person but i have a hard time naturally crying to my problems on my own

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Are there any subjects you’ve made an effort to learn about despite no obvious relevance to your daily life?

yes definitely

Have you or would you ever turn down a promotion if it meant moving somewhere new?

it really really depends. right now? no. i’m not ready to move away at this very moment but in the future ? maybe? depends on who i’m with and how happy i am where i am

Do you have someone you can carry on full conversations with and not get tired of them?

yeah definitely i have a couple friends who i really love having conversations with and we can have conversations about the same things over and over and not get bored

Who is your celebrity crush?

harry styles tehehe

Have you ever broken a bone?

no but i’ve bruised them and also gotten very bad sprains. got very close to breaking my ankle and foot tehe

What is one thing you were really good at as a kid?

crafts? i use to love polymer clay and i was actually quite good at it.

What is one thing about humanity that baffles you?

the fact that schools don’t teach about current events and the injustice of america and how freedom is so selective and UGH

How are you at fixing things?

very good. it’s almost a problem i feel like it’s my responsibility to make things easier and better for other people

Do you have any martial arts training?

no ma’am could be fun but

Do people tend to come to you for advice?

yes!!!

If you knew it would prevent a catastrophe or end a war, would you ever willingly sacrifice your own life?

i got to be really honest. no.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

i love love love telepathy but i think invisibility or transportation would be my top picks

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Someone offers you a chance at immortality. Do you take it, and why or why not?

uhm if i could get a large extension on my young life? yes but idk i wouldn’t want to be completely 100% immortal.

If you had to spend your life with just one person, who would it be?

omg hopefully my soulmate? but if i had to pick someone rn y’all i gotta say harry styles

If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?

ignorance

Do you have any regrets?

yes and no. i know my decisions of my life have led me here but at the same time i always have a bad habit of looking back and wondering if things would be different if i made a different decision. i do regret little baby things though like not going to a 1d concert lmao

Is someone telling you how to live your life, or are you an independent person?

i’m an independent person with chains i haven’t been able to strip yet

If you were to fall into an eternal sleep, do you think anyone would miss you?

yeah definitely

Do you miss anyone right now?

yes. i miss my friends but i also miss people who used to be in my life but not them now them before. it sounds sad but

If you could get away with anything, what would you do?

steal!!!! bro i would legit steal so quick if i could get away with it

What are you like when you’re by yourself?

so out there? i like romanticize my life in my head when i’m alone so i get a little crazy but i’m also way more open when i’m by myself

What would you change about yourself?

id love to be more confident? definitely would like to be healthier

If you knew one of your loved ones/best friends had only one day left to live, how would you spend that last day with them?

i would want to do whatever they wanted to do. hug them tell them i loved them

If you could make anyone do anything, what would you make them do?

make a super rich person give me all their money

If you had one wish that would come true and couldn’t be reversed, what would you ask for?

a credit card that had no limit

What would someone have to do to get in your pants?

that would be hard work as this lady is a virgin queen but idk

What’s one thing you can’t live without?

music. i used to never think this way but now i 100% do

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What did you used to have that you are happier without?

a dad LOL

What was your favorite food when you were a child?

chicken for sure but also fruit gummies

If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?

18 or 21 18 would be perfect if it weren’t for drinking

If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?

sing!!! i love singing so being good at it would be great

What sound do you love?

walking on leaves. the typing noise on a phone. laughing. cracking knuckles. a starbucks glass bottle opening. record players

If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose?

elizabeth from pride and prejudice

What do you want to be when you grow up?

something in social media

What do you miss most about being a kid?

being carefree and not caring what people thought about me

What is something you learned in the last week?

certain words and their meanings from uquizzes lol

Would you rather be really attractive or really smart?

this is actually hard because i’m like averagely smart and i’m so satisfied but i’m not satisfied with my looks so

What are your phobias?

vomit is #1

If one song were to describe your life, what song would it be?

i have a playlist but i could never describe in just 1 song.

What is one habit of yours that no one knows about?

i pick my skin off my thumb?

What annoys you the most?

rude people. people who brag about their lives. negativity.

If you could change your first and middle name to anything, what would it be?

i wouldn’t change my first and middle i would only change my last

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carrera38rs · 5 years ago

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The Monterey Incident

Saturday, August 18, 2019. A day that will live in infamy. Why beat around the bush, right? While all well-informed classic and collector fans have already heard about the debacle on the final evening of RM Sotheby’s Monterey, California auction, I’m finally weighing in. Why now, you may ask. Well, I have been busily cranking out marketing copy for my clients ever since my return from the Monterey Peninsula and as time permits, still trying to process all the camaraderie, events and fun of the jam-packed festival known as Monterey Car Week. Work doesn’t have to be all work and no play, does it? Thankfully, I’m blessed to combine both. Why discuss this situation in a public forum? Well, because this event still baffles me and many other observers on so many levels.

Time for full disclosure. I started my career in the collector-car world and copywriting in particular, with RM Auctions in early 2008. I remain grateful for my time at RM, where I learned my craft and gained incredible experience researching and writing auction-catalog descriptions of thousands of desirable and valuable collector cars. Eventually, all things must pass, in the wise words of George Harrison, and I was released from my service at RM during mid-July 2012, in a reshuffling a few months after my department head resigned from the company.

I knew that day would come sooner or later. In early 2009, I narrowly escaped being terminated along with 5-6 other poor souls, in a ruthless and teary auction-staff downsizing in the wake of the failed offering of a multi-million dollar ($10 million cost to be exact) 1963 Corvette Grand Sport at Scottsdale. The unsung workers were simply expendable pawns following this risky managerial gamble. The savings by the company in salaries paid amounted to nothing more than a small rounding error on the company balance sheet. Still, real people paid for a dubious boardroom decision they never made. Having said that, I truly have no axe to grind with RM today. Life goes on. However, the debacle that unfolded this year at Monterey does not surprise me and leaves me wondering about the future of my industry.

I was not there in person at the RM Sotheby’s auction, other than taking in previews. However, dozens of videos postLapse ed online paint a clear picture of the silly and pointless proceedings. There, Alain Squindo, an RM Sotheby’s VP and my former department head, just stood at the podium and looked on blankly but with an almost imperceptible smirk during the confused bidding. He made no attempt to stop the train-wreck that unfolded when auctioneer Maarten Ten Holder started unwinding the Seventy-Million-Dollar bid posted for the car on the video screen in the saleroom – to confusion and boos from the spectators and bidders in the room. What really continues to baffle me and many auction watchers – including several in mainstream print, online media and high-profile podcasts – is how the prior 61 lots were handled professionally that night without any confusion, misunderstandings or language barriers and without any pronunciation and comprehension errors.

This point was most elegantly covered by journalist Hannah Elliott in her article penned for Bloomberg on August 18 – immediately after the RM Sotheby’s auction and with further insight and analysis on August 22. One key issue discussed by Ms. Elliott was how auctioneer Maarten Ten Holder – a polyglot fluent in several languages – could suddenly mispronounce “Thirteen,” “Fourteen,” and “Seventeen Million Dollars,” sounding as though he had bids of up to “Seventy Million Dollars.” Compounding this was the likely and highly questionable practice of announcing ��Chandelier” or “Phantom” bids – both non-existent, misleading and intended to flush out any real bidders with real money.

Another thing that baffles me is a chance meeting that I and a close friend had during pre-auction previews a couple of hours before the Porsche crossed the block. While we were taking pictures of, and with the sleek proto-Porsche, a twentysomething man wearing a “Luftgekühlt” T-shirt quietly intimated to us, “It will get to $17 million but won’t sell.” I did a double take and he repeated his prediction clearly and confidently. Now, it was clear he was a hard-core and well-informed Porsche enthusiast, but that night’s auction-block debacle played out precisely as he predicted. Was he a clairvoyant, just plain lucky with his prediction, or did he know something?

I do realize the car was shopped around privately for at least the past 20 years and its offering by RM was highly, perhaps over-promoted in the weeks preceding the auction, but come on. How can somebody make such a bold prediction without having some inside information? I should have asked him for stock-market tips, sports odds, the ponies, or his take on Bitcoin and the precise location of Jimmy Hoffa while I was at it. Me and my friend shrugged and moved on to previewing some other cars and then had a late lunch, all the while scratching our heads about the conversation we just had with the young Porsche enthusiast.

In addition to reading the many articles and watching the videos covering the Type 64’s botched offering, I’ve been listening closely to the latest two editions of “Spike’s Car Radio,” the entertaining and well-informed podcast covering classic cars, events, comedy and life, hosted by Spike Feresten. Worthy of further listening, these podcast episodes included Hannah Elliott, Jerry Seinfeld and lawyer Paul Zuckerman. In the latest episode, Spike made the startling revelation that RM Sotheby’s may have sensed the Porsche would not sell on the auction stage at Monterey and decided to turn its offering into a sort of comedy act. He even stated that the auction house approached him to join in the antics. Thankfully, Mr. Feresten refused to take part in RM Sotheby’s ill-advised and frankly, cynical scheme.

Overall, a picture emerges of auction houses trying to land exciting, news-worthy cars to offer and sell and of the intense competition for clients and the drive to be the best seller at each major venue. The latest “Spike’s Car Radio” podcast episode also included the contention I stated earlier, that the whole fiasco makes the collector-car industry look shabby by association.

The collector-car auction world is extremely interesting and yes, it generates significant sales. There are thousands of good, honest and ethical people who make it all happen and a few rotten eggs do unfortunately spoil the bunch. It will be very interesting to see what, if any, fallout comes from this sad – and in my opinion, totally preventable event. It also bears noting that other high-end auction houses do not seem to suffer from the many lapses in judgment that led RM Sotheby’s down this path at Monterey.

Many questions remain. Some of my friends and colleagues may disagree and that is their absolute right, but the farcical offering of such a significant and valuable piece of motoring history has indeed put a massive black eye on the collector-car auction industry. The industry I work in. The industry that to me is a calling and not just another job. And I do not believe for one second that the saleroom antics at RM Sotheby’s in Monterey can be attributed purely to human error or sophomoric humor. And unlike the junior staffers that walked in tears past my cubicle after they got sacked back in 2009, I am doubtful neither Messrs. Squindo nor Ten Holder will face any real consequences for their decisions. What they attempted to do on the auction block in Monterey was crass and totally unnecessary. They would certainly not last long in my employ.

To me, this incident is the adult equivalent of being a young boy who once met one of his hockey-card heroes at an event during the mid-1970s, only to discover the man was all too human – a drunken, staggering, unemployable wreck who did not fully understand why he played professionally for so many years, earned so much money and had so many loving fans. Having earned and enjoyed a stellar reputation for so long, it is truly sad to see some of RM Sotheby’s top personnel stoop to this level. My honest hope is that the players involved in this current situation will sober up, smell the coffee brewing and realize – soon – that this type of corporate buffoonery is far less tolerable in the court of public opinion today than ever before. Not to mention the arrogance of their actions and their obvious contempt for sellers, buyers, spectators, and the general public. I can only guess at the fury yet to be unleashed by the car’s owner. Remember, people vote with their wallets and there are many other solid players to choose from for the big game.

#montereycarweek2019 #RMSothebys

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gillespialfredoe01806ld · 7 years ago

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The Best Affordable College Towns for Recent Grads—and Everyone Else

iStock; realtor.com

It’s the classic collegiate circle of life. You prep, you study, and then you just flat-out pray you’ll get into the school of your choice. Then once you’re there, you reach an inflection point, somewhere between your first game of beer pong and your final midterms, when you start counting the days until you can escape—to the place where you’ll start that whole adulting thing for real.

But these days more and more grads are skipping that final step and opting to stay put. And it turns out they’ve got plenty of company. Because you don’t need to be a student or recent graduate to appreciate all that the best college towns typically offer: walkable enclaves of innovative restaurants, lively music scenes, and tons of fun, unique businesses. And most importantly, many of ’em are becoming employment hubs as companies searching for top talent open offices nearby. Home prices are usually still reasonable. And homeownership is often a smart investment as there’s strong demand from both young and old buyers.

So where are the best college towns that offer the best of everything? The realtor.com® data team set out to find them.

“People go [to college towns] with the intention of pursuing a degree … but find these places have lots of the advantages of much larger places,” says Blake Gumprecht, author of “The American College Town.” He’s also a graduate of the University of Kansas, in Lawrence, one of the towns that made our list.

To find these top college towns best suited to putting down roots, we looked at the 700 largest markets around the country. We included only those with at least one four-year university with at least 10,000 undergraduates. Then we ranked them based on a variety of factors, including their percentage of college students, unemployment rates, home appreciation, and median income.*

The biggest cities didn’t make our list—they’re so large that the percentage of students isn’t as dominant as in smaller communities. In case you’re wondering, if we had simply looked at the country’s 50 largest metropolitan areas, Boston, the nation’s ultimate college mecca, would come out on top, thanks to schools such as Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Boston University. But with so many other nonstudent residents, nearly 675,000 just in its city limits, Boston didn’t make our list.

So crack open a Pabst Blue Ribbon and let’s go on a tour of the best college towns.

College towns where grads should stick around

Claire Widman

1. Ames, IA

Number of college students: 34,935 Median home list price**: $265,200 Median household income: $56,800

Fountains of the Four Seasons on the campus of the University of Iowa State.

Wolterk/iStock

Familiar sights along Ames’ Main Street include an array of historic buildings, funky restaurants, and a seemingly endless parade of Iowa State sweatshirts, banners, and knickknacks. Just about everyone here, regardless of age, seems to love their Cyclones.

With nearly 30,000 undergraduate students, Iowa State attracts many firms and employees from around the world. All of these companies mean lots of well-paying gigs for recent grads and just about everyone else. Did we mention that Ames’ jobless rate is just 1.7%? That’s significantly lower than the national rate of 3.9% as of April.

The region also has a slew of startups founded by former students. Iowa State’s Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship has helped launch some of them, including KinoSol, which sells solar-powered food dehydrators to farmers in developing countries.

“The phrase is ‘Iowa nice.’ If you’re starting a business, people are very open to helping you,” says Diana Wright, a marketing and programs coordinator at the center. “Serial entrepreneurs here help others launch their businesses.”

College grads who stick around flock to neighborhoods such as Hillside. It offers new developments of ranch-style, single-family homes that run anywhere from $300,000 to $450,000.

“They like the town’s good vibe, and Iowa State football and basketball, and the concerts and entertainment,” says Mark Greenfield, a local real estate agent at Re/Max Real Estate Center.

2. State College, PA

Number of college students: 48,480 Median home list price: $257,600 Median household income: $61,100

Downtown State College

aimintang/iStock

For home football games, the Penn State Nittany Lions are cheered on by more than 106,000 fans at Beaver Stadium. And if they beat a rival such as Ohio State University, you can expect Penn students—current, former, or wannabe—to rush the field. Good times!

But State College isn’t known only for its football. It also boasts the annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, which takes over the city in July. And don’t worry: When it comes to actually making a living, there are no shortage of good health care jobs here.

Right out of the gate, it can be challenging to buy a home, however. Recent graduates prefer to live in walkable areas close to downtown. But those a bit further along in their careers find it’s very doable, says Mary Lou Bennett, a real estate agent at Re/Max Centre Realty.

After completing his studies in broadcast journalism at Pennsylvania State University, Thomas Frank Carr weighed an out-of-state job offer or a part-time position at a local radio station near the school. He eventually decided to stay put in State College. Since then, the 27-year-old has gotten married and been promoted. Now the on-air radio talent is thinking about buying a home. This is a feat that many of his peers who went to bigger cities, where prices are steep, might never be able to do.

“The way I describe [sticking around is] it’s the best party you’ve ever been to, but you just stayed,” Carr says. “The longer you stay, the more you appreciate the town. It is a small town with city-sized entertainment opportunities.”

3. Lawrence, KS

Number of college students: 28,883 Median home list price: $289,000 Median household income: $58,600

Downtown Lawrence, KS

Wikipedia

Plato said, “A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.” That’s fine and dandy, but getting your bank account out of the red each month sure helps, too. You don’t need a math (or philosophy) degree to see that the dollar goes far in Lawrence.

The University of Kansas, the state’s flagship university, is home to about 19,000 undergraduates students. It’s also the dominant employer in the region. But employers such as Boston Financial Data Services and Hallmark Cards also have major offices here.

As for fun, you don’t need to be an alumnus to dig Kansas Jayhawks games. The men’s basketball team, winner of five national titles, has been top-drawer attraction over the years.

4. Blacksburg, VA

Number of college students: 46,722 Median home list price: $231,400 Median household income: $52,900

Hikers at McAfee Knob on Appalachian Trail near Blacksburg, VA

Joel Carillet/iStock

After receiving their diplomas, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) graduates often head to cities such as Washington, DC, or Charlotte, NC. But those who prefer the great outdoors over big-city life are choosing to stick around.

For starters, the Appalachian Trail is just a short drive out of town. Claytor Lake State Park is the go-to for fishing and boating, and New River Trail State Park is a fantastic place for horseback riding.

“Blacksburg has a great quality of life,” says Mel Jones, a research scientist at the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech. “The mountains are beautiful, and the area has all the benefits of being a large university town.”

Like many college centers, the biggest employers in the region are the universities themselves. But there are lots of other options, too. Dish Network employs around 1,000 here, and Moog, an aerospace and defense company, also has a large presence.

The most popular homes are often the historic, single-family houses in downtown. However, they ain’t cheap, with price tags often topping $500,000. That’s led many entry-level buyers to opt for homes outside the city limits into the rest of Montgomery County instead. It’s rural, but has more affordable homes for those on a tight budget.

5. Ithaca, NY

Number of college students: 31,547 Median home list price: $250,700 Median household income: $61,700

Downtown Ithaca at Night

aimintang/iStock

You might not expect Ithaca, home of Cornell University and Ithaca Colleges, to have a booming startup scene. This city, four hours north of Manhattan, isn’t exactly thought of as a bustling place. But prepare to be surprised.

The startup vibe is bolstered by low startup costs as well as the Cornell eLab student accelerator program, a special yearlong program aimed at budding entrepreneurs. Alumni have launched ventures such as the Rosie App, an online grocery app, and Ursa Space Systems, which collects satellite imagery to help companies make business decisions.

“The traditional go-to locations after graduation are New York, Denver, and Boston,” says Adriana Condarco, an economic development specialist at the Center for Regional Economic Advancement in Ithaca. “But here you have access to interesting and exciting companies that you might see elsewhere.”

Yes, those soul-crushing winters can be rough, but a good craft beer or two can definitely help. Head over to the Ithaca Beer Co. for supplies and wait for the summer thaw.

6. Ann Arbor, MI

Number of college students: 75,929 Median home list price: $334,100 Median household income: $69,200

Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor

Davel5957/iStock

Google employees get free lunch, can bring their dogs to work, and have access to an on-site masseuse. But here’s the news flash: They don’t have to move to the tech giant’s Silicon Valley HQ, in Mountain View, CA, to do so.

Companies such as Google have set up shop in Ann Arbor in order to attract top talent from the University of Michigan. That saves employees from having to live in the uber-expensive San Francisco Bay Area. The median home list price in Mountain View is $1,400,000—about four times that of Ann Arbor.

That may be why buyers are diving into the market, despite Ann Arbor being the most expensive college town on our list. Over the past year, the share of millennials buying homes here jumped from 38% to 48%—the biggest such increase among the places we ranked.

The area has a lot of housing options, too. There are new condos and townhomes all over this walkable downtown and plenty of single-family houses in the burbs, including this three-bedroom, one-story home on a tree-lined street for $373,500.

7. Champaign, IL

Number of college students: 51,442 Median home list price: $158,100 Median household income: $55,500

University of Illinois campus

benkrut/iStock

Located two hours south of Chicago and two hours east of Indianapolis, Champaign is great for those who want to save some cash—while still being just a drive away from big-city perks.

But what’s really important to many residents is the Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. It has become a technology hub with around 100 companies (e.g., Yahoo, Capital One, and Caterpillar) with nearly 2,000 employees.

The inexpensive housing stock is also a draw, with a median home price well below the national median of $289,900. The downtown is full of multifamily, two-story homes priced under $125,000. These homes can double as rental properties for students.

This college town also has a lively cultural scene, including the famed Spurlock Museum and the Krannert Art Museum.

8. Lafayette, IN

Number of college students: 39,768 Median home list price: $191,600 Median household income: $54,000

Lafayette, IN

Rodrigo A. Rodriguez Fuentes/iStock

Do the math. Lafayette is home to Purdue University, a school known for its superb engineering programs. That’s attracted top-flight employers from all over the world hoping to snag some of Purdue’s finest alumni. They include GE Aviation’s $110 million aerospace technology plant and Rolls-Royce’s jet engine research and development facility.

All of these good jobs have led local home builders to try to ramp up production. This new ranch-style home with stone countertops, a sunroom, and a clubhouse in its subdivision is priced at $178,000—and the builder will allow buyers to customize the finishes.

But buyers should act fast. Median home list prices shot up nearly 9.2% from March to April and almost 5.8% year over year, according to realtor.com data.

9. Columbia, MO

Number of college students: 39,099 Median home list price: $240,400�� Median household income: $53,500

Columns in front of University of Missouri

benkrut/iStock

This is no one-college town. The University of Missouri, the state’s flagship public university, Stephens College, and Columbia College are all based here—meaning there are students and graduates everywhere.

Many locals work in the area’s thriving health care sector and are fans of the annual True/False Film Festival. Some admit to being addicted to Hot Box Cookies, a late-night cookie delivery company that started locally.

Students “stay, or they come back later in life,” says Jim Meyer, a real estate agent at Meyer Works in Columbia. “People from a lot of different places around the world live here and have made this into a unique community.”

Young professionals often want a newer, single-family house with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, Meyer says. But sometimes they have to lower their expectations. The going range for starter homes here is $150,000 to $200,000.

10. Iowa City, IA

Number of college students: 29,192 Median home list price: $290,000 Median household income: $61,400

Downtown Iowa City

harmantasdc/iStock

Students from around the Midwest flock to the University of Iowa, known for its law, pharmacy, and business programs. But when they’re done, some have a hard time leaving. That’s thanks to the University of Iowa Health Care, a large medical center that employs many recent graduates as well as more-seasoned professionals.

Younger residents are particularly fond of the historic homes in walkable downtown neighborhoods such as Longfellow. Most homes here are smaller, single-family bungalows that cost between $175,000 to $275,000, says Julie Dancer, a real estate agent at Lepic-Kroeger in Iowa City.

“Iowa City has great Midwestern values. It is easy to meet and trust people and become a part of the community and get your hands in the dirt,” Dancer says.

* Sources: Home price appreciation from realtor.com; number of college and university students as calculated by Emsi; median household income from Nielsen; unemployment rates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; population trends and share of the population with a bachelor’s degree or higher from the U.S. Census Bureau; and median rent figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

** Prices are a median of the past 12 months ending in April 2018.

The post The Best Affordable College Towns for Recent Grads—and Everyone Else appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

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