As life at the University prepares students to become wiser, more enlightened individuals, let’s admit: The time spent off campus helps to secure our sanity —or not. Choosing where and how to live as well as who to share the experience with should be a conscious and well planned decision because it helps to determine the fate of the succeeding school year. Each surrounding neighborhood of campus possesses its own style and emanates unique vibrations, so it is recommended to take the neighborhood well into consideration. Students have outlined their experiences in relation to the land they rest on.
When the sun’s out, fun’s out in the West University neighborhood, also referred to by students as the “campus ghetto.” Just ask Sam Somerville, a University junior living in a house his friends have nicknamed “The Big Purple,” on the corner of East 16th Avenue and Patterson Street.
His residence serves as a focal point for his band of friends — the communal house party apparatus. And Somerville loves being the host.
“Picture this: first sunny days, bros and brews and barbecues on the front lawn. People just come out,” Somerville said. “I run into my friends all the time. Our porch is great for people watching.”
Friends wave as they ride by on bikes and longboards, often times stopping for a quick catchup conversation.
Somerville says he’s lucky to live in the house he does, claiming it’s a bit higher quality than the surrounding ones he’s ventured into. It avoids the usual overflow of the upstairs sink, with pipes underneath plastered in mold that’s been growing there for who-knows-how-long.
Housing is relatively cheap. Students can usually find a decent-sized house, with roommates easily paying far less than $500 for each room. There are tons of apartments available, ranging in price and quality, as well.
Somerville cites living close to campus as the best perk, especially during the rainy months.
Weekend nights invite parties galore. They also invite cops on heavy patrol.
Safeway is the closest grocery outlet for students living in West University, but Sundance Natural Foods isn’t too far, and the restaurants in the area help to compensate for this shortcoming. Why make breakfast at home when owner Joy Knudtson can regale your table at Brails Restaurant?
For his senior year, Somerville says his goal is to live in the South University neighborhood, just because it’s a little bit quieter.
In South University, parks lie practically adjacent to one another. Resident families play fetch with their golden retrievers, while students sprawl out on old sheets, setting up a hookah and preparing for the next day’s classes. Trees line the streets, transforming the commute to campus into a nature walk, where residents find leaves turning colors on flirtatious trees found in Eugene guidebooks. Mail carriers wave while passing by. The scenery makes the sometimes-longer commute worthwhile.
Bus lines run down Hilyard and Harris streets for students to use those rushed mornings and winter months.
South University houses revel in their spaciousness. Open yards provide opportunities to build gardens, host barbecues and simply play outside in private quarters.
“I’ve found that the houses are better quality,” said University senior Lexi Allen, who has rented multiple times throughout the area.
The neighborhood hosts a nice mix of residents, ranging from college students to families and professors. Front yards are cleanly shaven and houses finely primed, making them pleasing to look at.
With that, Allen’s neighbors make partying at her house more difficult. She lives next to a professor and can’t host parties past 11 p.m. “I kind of miss it, but now that I’m a senior, I don’t need to have raging parties. No riots go down outside my house. There’s no spraying of tear gas.”
But that doesn’t mean Allen can’t fully participate in the party scene.
“On the weekends, I can go party when I want to, but the distractions aren’t surrounding, and they’re not constant,” Allen said.
Allen also recommends renting from private landlords, who own most of the property in South University. Private landlords are highly responsive to tenant requests and easier to deal with. Students can buy their groceries at Sundance Natural Foods and walk down the block to Capella Market on East 25th Avenue and Willamette Street for their meat. There is also an Albertsons on East 30th Avenue and Hilyard Street. Houses may not be two blocks from campus, but other contributions to a convenient lifestyle are available here.
Downtown Eugene displays a lively scene for the small city. And houses in the area are worth considering.
University senior Veronika Beyers was drawn to her house on the corner of Broadway and Madison Street for its architectural aesthetics. Inside the boxy yellow house with rooftop access are creaky old wooden floors and high ceilings, built-in bookshelves in the living room and a big back porch off the kitchen.
“It’s not the typical college house.” Beyers said. “It has a full basement, reminiscent of the old Portland style.”
This style represents a majority of downtown houses, each beautifully designed with unique features, such as wraparound porches and second-story balconies built out from stained-glass French doors.
Living downtown has a lot of perks. Houses are near parks, downtown bars and multiple bus lines.
“You feel like you actually live in Eugene,” Beyers said. “You miss the football crowd. It’s still lively, but for different reasons.”
For Beyers, the most noticeable drawback was living far from her classes. During winter months, she would carpool with roommates. On crisp spring mornings, she enjoyed the long walk under bigleaf maples and southern magnolias.
Downtown hosts weekly events within walking distance from these houses. Whether it’s a show at WOW Hall or a Friday evening art walk at the local galleries, all residents have to do is walk down the street in pursuit of excitement. It doesn’t include eavesdropping on drunken disagreements over a house party location, but it does include active engagement in Eugene culture. The scene draws in a great mix of characters.
Beyers recently moved a block south of campus, where she’s content as well.
“But I miss (downtown) so much in the spring and summer,” Beyers said.
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