Is Fairfax a College Town?

FAIRFAX, VA — Is Fairfax truly one of Virginia's so-called college towns? Is it in the same category as Charlottesville (University of Virginia) or Blacksburg (Virginia Tech)?

Does George Mason University more or less define its town, er, city?

If for nothing more than the germination of an interesting discussion, we at Patch would welcome your input.

If you google "best college towns," you'll find myriad sites of various ilks. Livability has Fairfax as the seventh-best college town in the country, writing that "Fairfax is just outside the Washington D.C. beltway (and) because of that proximity, any college grad will have an almost unlimited number of employment options."

Good for the grad, but what about the town, er, city?

For a more focused and rounded perspective, consider this from Greater Greater Washington in 2014:

"While George Mason is Virginia's largest research university, nobody would mistake the City of Fairfax for a college town. But Fairfax and George Mason are working together to try and improve the downtown area, a measure that will benefit them both."

So there you go.

In the D.C. area, of course, lines are blurred, what with nearby Georgetown, George Washington, American and even Maryland and Navy.

Same thing in the Richmond area with Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Richmond and others.

Ditto the Hampton Roads area, with Old Dominion, Norfolk State and Hampton competing in what is and always will be a military town, i.e., the United States Navy.

Harrisonburg area? James Madison University is the kingpin but shares space with Bridgewater College and Eastern Mennonite University.

But in Blacksburg and Charlottesville, Tech and U.Va., respectively, are the embodiment of their towns.

Is that the case with Fairfax and GMU? Let us know on Facebook or reply in the comments section below.

Photo: George Mason University