One Of California's Best College Towns Is A Charming Escape With Walkable Streets And Public Art Installations

When one thinks of a typical American college town, particularly centered around a liberal arts college, one imagines a rural or semi-rural bucolic setting of crisp autumn leaves and cozy coffeehouses insulated from the outside chill. While California is home to many college towns, one of the state's most charming is not only home to several prestigious liberal arts colleges — it's set in the  Los Angeles metropolitan basin, as is this historic neighborhood just east of Los Angeles, where you may least expect to find a community that is arguably one of the most picturesque in the region. 

Claremont may be only 32 miles from downtown Los Angeles, but it's worlds away from the crowds and craziness that characterize much of this densely populated county. Part of the Pomona Valley and what's commonly referred to as the Inland Empire, Claremont sits at the easternmost perimeter of Los Angeles County along Route 66 with the San Gabriel Mountains as a backdrop. 

Claremont is conveniently located near the Ontario International Airport, just 9 miles away. Los Angeles International Airport, on the other hand, is 50 miles of grueling traffic to the west and ranks as one of the worst in the nation. Claremont is easily accessible by the Interstate 10 Freeway; the best exit is Indian Hill Boulevard, or you can exit at Base Line Road if traveling on the Interstate 210. Claremont has the good fortune to have a  Metrolink commuter train stop on its San Bernardino line, which operates daily from the beautiful Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and is one of the cheapest ways to get around LA, considering high gas prices. The historic train depot, built in 1927, is on the National Register of Historic Places, features an art museum, and is within walking distance of Claremont Village.

The Claremont Colleges began in 1925 and have maintained a reputation for academic rigor in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Known for their stringent admissions criteria, two of the colleges — Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College — rank in the top 10 liberal arts colleges according to US News and World Report. Three of the colleges — Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges — rank within the top 50.  Modeled after Oxford University, the seven colleges, also known as the Claremont Consortium, are a group of five undergraduate and two graduate institutions that serve approximately 8,000 students. All of the campuses, except Keck Graduate Institute, are located within one square mile and share common resources, such as libraries and the ability to take courses across campuses. 

The Claremont Colleges have been instrumental in bringing the visual and performing arts to the community with renowned venues, exhibition spaces, and experiential programs that stimulate and challenge. The Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College hosts international music and theatrical performances, comedy, and lectures from the nation's most thought-provoking authors, academics, and pundits. At the Benton Museum of Art, the James Turrell Skyspace is an ingenious public work of natural light and architecture on the Pomona College campus. Take a break for some reflection at the Margaret Fowler Garden at Scripps College, a replica of a medieval cloister garden.

One of Claremont's newer venues, the nonprofit Ophelia's Jump Productions, is a live music and theater complex that produces and hosts compelling plays, comedy, cabaret, workshops, and studio space. Consisting of a main stage and an intimate lounge, OJP partners with community and state organizations to present original performances that enlighten, entertain, and inspire.

Known as the "city of trees and PhDs," life in Claremont centers around Claremont Village, a European-style town square with boutiques, dining, galleries, an indie movie theater, bars, and brewhouses. At its center is a manicured plaza with a trickling fountain and art installations anchoring a distinctive collection of 31 eateries and 45 boutiques, plus an array of spas, salons, and art galleries. One of the oldest and most unique structures, a citrus warehouse built in 1922, is now the Packing House — a lively collection of shops, kiosks, dining, galleries, an event space, and artists' lofts. It's open daily, and you'll find everything from wine and cheese to books, a culinary academy, music and art studios, and more.

Claremont has a long tradition of live music, with venues that showcase a variety of genres and tastes. From wine bars to breweries, several Claremont Village outlets host live music nightly. Enjoy dinner with live blues, jazz, or folk at popular Village restaurants or visit one of the breweries in an industrial complex for scheduled and spontaneous performances. Get in the mid-century groove at the Lounge at Hotel Casa 425, visit the Folk Music Center for events and open mics, or head to Ophelia's Jump for eclectic music from bluegrass to cabaret. No visit to Claremont is complete, however, without a visit to Piano Piano, the city's legendary dueling piano bar, where guests get in on the action as seasoned performers duel it out on competing pianos.

Claremont Village buzzes with activity from farmers' markets and outdoor concerts to art walks and chamber music surrounded by lush gardens. Friday Night Live and Monday Night Concerts delight crowds all summer, while the monthly Art Walk and weekly Forum Farmers' Market promise family fun year-round.