Rowdy, inconsiderate students; huge parties on the weekends — these are the things that college campuses are infamous for. For most students, noise is expected until the wee hours of the morning come Friday and Saturday nights.
However, for those students who do not want to deal with neighbors playing loud music until 3 a.m., there is hope. There are a number of areas close to campus that provide a quiet, calm living atmosphere.
Pointing out specific neighborhoods is a little more difficult. Some people say any area south of East 24th Avenue tends to be quiet at all times. Some people say the neighborhood changes west of East Willamette Street. Living around 10 blocks from campus provides the most mixed student/family neighborhoods.
Rainey DeSiervo,@@http://www.facebook.com/rainey.desiervo@@ a recent University graduate, lived on East 27th Avenue and Harris Street this past year. For her, living somewhere away from the campus nightlife and surrounding parties was vital when choosing a residence.
“I wanted to keep where I live separate from the partying atmosphere,” DeSiervo said. “I take school seriously and I wanted a quieter atmosphere so I could focus on my studies.”
Some people question living far away, because of the convenience factor. However, the bus system around campus can be extremely helpful and often makes the commute easier.
Ruth Murphy, a senior, lived in an apartment complex on East 13th Avenue and Willamette Street. For her, a place that was close to her job as well as school was essential. The bus has been one of her favorite parts about living that far off campus.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Ruth+Murphy@@
“I lived on 22nd and Agate. I thought it would be super-close, but without buses, it was a 25-minute walk,” Murphy said. “Whereas here, there’s a bus that runs every half hour, so that’s nice.”
However, people have to remember the occasional inconveniences that come with riding the buses. Buses can run late, and if you don’t plan your morning correctly a missed bus can get you into trouble.
“If you miss the bus, or it’s too full, that can really disrupt your morning,” Murphy said.
Living farther off campus put many students in a completely different environment. For some students, it tests their maturity level.
Matt Villeneuve, a senior, is a FIG Assistant and has spent the last three years living in the dorms. Villeneuve decided to live just past East 27th Avenue and Agate Street for his senior year so he could distance himself from the busy dorm life.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Villeneuve+@@
“After three years of being in the dorms, it’s extremely loud. It wasn’t a very calm place to want to live,” Villeneuve said.
But more than that, it’s about the maturity level of what it takes to live in a community and not be inconsiderate.
“My actions do affect other people,” Villeneuve said. “In a residential area, there is a responsibility to be a representative of a students. We have to be good neighbors.”
Although there are a lot more families and other types of residents living in these areas, there are still students around. Murphy said her apartment complex was mostly students, with families living in the houses nearby. DeSiervo lives next door to some families, and a student co-op type house.
And no matter what, each of them believes that they are still not that far from campus. None of them have ever felt isolated, and getting to campus just takes the right tools and proper planning.
So if you are looking for the quiet living space, never fear. It’s all there, just a few extra blocks away.