I have never heard of Tufts being described as a suitcase school either.
The city does siphon some of the activity and energy away from the campus, especiallyfor upperclassmen. It’s easy to go to hear music, dine, whatever – off campus. For many students, this is a plus. For those looking for a really robust campus social scene where almost everything happens on campus, the distraction of the city isn’t a positive.