I have parents in Bloomington, Indiana. It's a surprisingly vibrant town with restaurants and culture, arguably on equal footing with the more populous Indianap

I have parents in Bloomington, Indiana. It's a surprisingly vibrant town with restaurants and culture, arguably on equal footing with the more populous Indianapolis, and much much greater than surrounding communitites. Oh, right, and it has a Big Ten university in it noncoincidentally. I'm surprised these shitty / declining areas don't take advantage of the incredibly expensive college in other areas by setting up new colleges in their areas and subsidizing the tuition, and investing in them to make them great. Granted that takes a while to accomplish, but the positive feedback of major schools is undeniable... and it ain't just the football team.