Where to live in Champaign-Urbana with a dog (Lincoln, Ashton: credit, apartments)

[Strykera]

Hello all,

I will likely be moving to Champaign-Urbana for grad school at UofI. I also plan to get a dog, and would like to live near campus if possible. Can anyone recommend a few places I could look at when I come out to visit the area? A few places I have looked at online have been Waters Edge, Ashton Woods, Baytowne, and Town and Country apartments. How are those?
Thanks so much for your help!

[illini84]

I wouldn't say those are exactly close to campus. Water's Edge is very nice...don't know much about Ashton Woods. Do NOT live at Baytowne or Town and Country. I used to work for the City of Champaign and saw a police study on those two particular communities. They accept Section 8 housing (also known as "tax credits") and have NUMEROUS, recurring incidences of noise and domestic violence. Some of those places look nice, but beware...I got lured into one of those in Urbana...used to be called "University Commons" (on Lincoln Ave.), but they've changed their name about 100 times in the last year or two (should be a bad sign right there). Ask the leasing agents UPFRONT if they accept tax credits or Section 8 housing. If they do, don't go there...it sounds terrible, but I'm just speaking from experience...those places tend to draw a low-quality clientèle...

[Strykera]

Thanks so much for your adivce. Any and all advice helps, since it is tough to find a good place to live without knowing the area. I am living in Boston, so everything is really expensive, and everything seems so cheap in Champaign-Urbana. I don't mind not living near campus (although it would be nice). I am used to it - right now it takes me an hour to get to campus for college. Anywhere else you might suggest living?

Also, this is random, but do you think a vehicle with 4-wheel drive would be useful? How well do they plow when it storms? Thanks!

[illini84]

I'd suggest looking in downtown Champaign (around the intersection of Neil St. & Main St.). That's where the core of restaurants and nightlife is, although it's not the typical college crowd. It tends to be more grad students and early 30s people. It's a lot of fun! It's close to campus too. Kind of a younger crowd, lots of little unique places, liberal people...Parking on campus is a NIGHTMARE, so you'd probably want to take the bus there anyway. Champaign is nationally recognized as having one of the best bus systems in the country, so it's very quick and simple to get to campus. You get to ride the bus for free as a student. It will literally pick you up at your doorstep and drop you off in front of your class...

A 4-wheel drive vehicle is helpful, but not crucial. There have been time it snowed a lot where my friends couldn't get their cars out, but that only happened a couple times a year. It makes life easier in the winter months for sure...

Good luck and welcome! I loved my time in Champaign.

[Strykera]

Very cool about the buses... thanks for all your help and your thoughts. I am very excited to move, so I will definitely check out the downtown area! Typical college crowds definitely annoy me, so not living in it would be nice, ha ha.

[PenguinSix]

I'd really recommend a recon trip one weekend. A few hundred bucks and you can get out there to see things in person that you just won't know over the Internet. ($330 from Boston to CMI, or $212 to O'Hare and rent a car for the longest three hour drive you've ever experienced). "Sure the house is cheap, but the fire station next door keeps you up at night" and "Great location, but the smell of Chinese food from the restaurant next door is a bit much."

Have you figured out where exactly your classes will be? UofI's campus is huge. I mean, 15-20 minute walk North to South.

As for a 4wd vs. a car--what do you need to do? If it is just run to the grocery every now and then and walk to class, a car is probably fine. But if you have to drive 1 or 2 miles to campus daily, then you will have a few snow days in which you'll be thankful for a 4wd.

[Strykera]

Hey PenguinSix thanks so much for your thoughts. Don't worry, I am definitely making a recon visit out to look at places. I was just asking about places to live so I don't waste my time looking at the bad spots, and can focus on the good spots since I won't be out there long.
The car would be used for chores and maybe driving to campus. I am on the fence about what kind of car I want, but I live in new england without four wheel drive, so I can definitely drive in the snow. It would be useful on certain snow days though, ha ha. Thanks!

[illini84]

You can easily get around without a car in Champaign, but if you do get one, I'd advise against a little sports car since you'll be going nowhere once it starts snowing. That's fairly common sense though I'd at least get a medium sized car or a small SUV. You'll be fine the majority of the time, but there are those few times of the year when you're glad you've got a vehicle that can go in the snow!

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by PenguinSix

As for a 4wd vs. a car--what do you need to do? If it is just run to the grocery every now and then and walk to class, a car is probably fine. But if you have to drive 1 or 2 miles to campus daily, then you will have a few snow days in which you'll be thankful for a 4wd.

I was a visiting nurse there for 5 yrs w/o a four wheel drive vehicle. This was roughly 1975-80. In fact, when I first started being a VN, front wheel drives were just becoming popular. I did not have one at first, maybe the last two years I did that work there. I drove around, 8 hrs a day. We were rarely closed for snow. No, you do not need any special kind of car for C-U. You don't even need a 4WD here in Colorado!

Town and Country Apts are quite old. They were around when I first arrived in C-U in 1971! I would bag the dog idea until you get a place. It is hard to find rentals anywhere that allow pets.

[illini84]

Good advice...I wouldn't imagine that the weather in Champaign is all that much worse than in Boston...except for the horrendous wind in Champaign that makes it feel 20 degrees colder than it really is...I remember I was sick my first winter there and my runny nose FROZE when I stepped outside!