For those of us who call Burlington Vermont Home the great colleges here are no secret.  The student population makes quite a POP in the city population. We notice the change in traffic patterns in the fall during move-in weekend. In spring, we see families out celebrating graduations at Church Street restaurants.   This article from the Atlantic gives a fresh perspective on our local colleges, Saint Michael’s College , The University of Vermont and Champlain College, and their ties to the character of  Burlington Vermont. Below is an expert from John Tierney’s full article which poses an interesting question… There’s an intriguing chicken-or-egg kind of question that emerges when you look closely at Burlington and its colleges: is the distinctive character of this small city a consequence of the college’s presence and contributions, or is there something intrinsic and native to the city and its residents (an earthy, Bohemian temperament?) that imparts to the colleges their special flavor? People smarter than I might be able to answer that. I can’t. But even I can see that there is a remarkable symbiosis that enriches the city and its colleges and infuses both with a strong sense of community (about which Jim will be writing more soon). The dominant values of the townsfolk give the colleges a special vibe that gets magnified on campus and then shot back out through the larger community in various ways. READ MORE