As witnessed by outsiders, Kennesaw is considered to be an exceptional area to spend the college experience. Yet some have been lucky enough to call it home for a bit longer than just the required four years spent in school. Colleges like the University of Georgia are predominantly the centerpieces of their surrounding areas, while others like Georgia State are only a small slice of what the city has to offer. Kennesaw is a unique city in the sense that it doesn’t feel primarily like a college town.
Abel Betances, a sophomore Business major has called the Kennesaw/Marietta area home for as long as he can remember. A graduate of Carl Harrison High School, Betances has taken advantage of everything the city has to offer- especially the university.
“When one thinks of a college town, the obvious example of Athens comes to mind. Kennesaw is now becoming a college town, but it is still maintaining the roots that drew people to it in the first place,” says Betances.
In addition to breathtaking scenery, safety, and proximity to Atlanta, the vast amount of degree options and luxurious facilities are both reasons why Kennesaw State is finally a feasible option to those who would like to enjoy a prosperous university setting without the costs associated with a private school. Likewise, the growth of the school has provided a plethora of employment opportunities to the residents as well as a vast amount of consumers to local businesses.
Yet, with all the growth, you could be asking how it has impacted the lives of those who are not affiliated with the university. The influx of apartment homes, congestion of traffic, and overwhelming amount of college students could be considered somewhat of a negative factor to those looking to relocate outside of the perimeter.
“It hasn’t impacted the way of life for anyone here,” Betances claims. “If anything, the university has made the town a better place to live as a whole.”
Because of the rising population, the amount of consumers has grown exponentially, thus increasing rent prices for local store owners. While it may not be preferable, it further demonstrates how desirable the area is to set up shop, and additionally increases the quality of stores opened as a whole. Natural selection has taken its toll and only the best establishments have survived this shift in demographics.
According to the US Census, the tract of land stretching between Town Center Mall, along I-75 to the Kennesaw campus will grow from offering 7,383 employment opportunities in 1990 to over 44,000 by the year 2020. The city of Kennesaw’s website claims the area grew by an outstanding 8.8 percent between the years of 2000 and 2010, making it the ninth largest town in the metropolitan Atlanta area. While this is not solely reliant on the growth of the university, it certainly could be considered a factor.
With the purchase of land at a rapid pace in the Kennesaw area, the university is quickly becoming one of the largest in the country. Already one of the top 50 largest public universities in the nation, there’s really no sign of slowing down for Kennesaw State. Perspective students are drawn to the suburban atmosphere of the town, and the vast diversity of age groups in Kennesaw could be considered appealing to those who are not interested in a mainly homogenous atmosphere like Athens, where residents are primarily of college age. The state of Georgia has over seventy options for higher level education, but the truth is, there really is no place like Kennesaw.
