Students interested in campus culture and coursework are naturally attracted to housing close to the University, but when textbooks are looking exceptionally unappealing and a college party doesn’t sound like a good time, what is a student to do?
Rental agencies entice tenants with proximity to campus and everything that comes along with college life, but they often forget to mention that, depending on the particular neighborhood, there may be little else going on. Nevertheless, with a little money and a taste for the outdoors, there are enough distractions around campus to keep an avid procrastinator occupied.
For those under 21 especially, nightlife can be hard to come by. The recently converted Indigo District now has the potential to bridge the gap between campus culture and the all-ages-friendly music venues downtown, an exciting prospect for area residents who enjoy live music but could do without long, sweaty, late-night walks home.
Just down the street, Bijou Art Cinemas is a slightly lower key option for an evening’s entertainment, and the theater itself is a must-see.
Other area nightlife is most visible along 13th Avenue, in the stretch that runs from the western edge of campus into downtown, where a few bars quench even “Animal House” styled thirsts.
Even if the campus area falls a little short when it comes to entertainment, it makes up for it in food. Three key clusters of food dispensaries cater to a variety of tastes, so no neighborhood is completely without a few good spots. An adventurous eater near the corners of 13th Avenue and Alder Street, 19th Avenue and Agate Street, or 24th Avenue and Hilyard Street would have a difficult decision to make, indeed.
From the sizable pies at Sy’s Pizza to inexpensive and delicious pub fare of McMenamins East 19th Street Café, if you have a craving, odds are there is an eatery dying to make it go away.
And although shopping is not always easy in Eugene, there are enough campus area outfitters to keep students clothed throughout the year. Most of the stores in the area are centered around campus and range from the simple, domestically produced wares in American Apparel to the extraordinarily earthy items at Jambo.
Realistically, those who consider themselves fashion addicts may find themselves leaving the comfort of campus in search of variety, but will undoubtedly turn to something closer for a quick fix.
Book shoppers will enjoy the atmosphere at Black Sun Books and the selection at Smith Family Bookstore, while record hunters need look no further than the House of Records for a local band’s CD or a few used vinyl records. The campus area does a good job of satisfying students’ needs for cultural artifacts.
But the real reason to live in these neighborhoods while at the University is, as your future landlord will try to persuade you, to be close to school and people who go along with it. Students who prefer solitude to socializing, or a variety of bars to a variety of prime picnic spots, may be happier elsewhere. For those of us who like to stay out of motor vehicles and involved in goings-on around campus, there’s no better place to be.
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