Champaign illinois Zip Code 61820 (Urbana, Bradley: 2013, apartment complex, rentals)

[majka]

Hi everyone,
Is someone familiar with this area of Champaign/ Urbana? We need to rent/buy a house for College students. Is it a safe area within a good access to university (bike, walk, car) near the Stratton elementary school. thank you

[NVMove]

Hi majka,

Champaign Police Department posts a crime map. You can zoom in on the area you are interested in and see the crimes that have happened in the past 180 days. I don't know if that will be helpful to you or not, and it is not the most straightforward, but probably worth taking a look. It is here:

https://experience.arcgis.com/experi...d3afb4784c9e8/

Also - the bus system is actually quite good, but it DOES matter where you live and where you are trying to go. The bus maps are here:

https://mtd.org/maps-and-schedules/

I was hoping someone with more direct info specifically on your potential neighborhood would respond to you, but in the absence of that, hopefully this more generic info will be of some help.

Cheers!

[movin1]

I lived in C-U most of my life (1974-2013). The area is not far from downtown Champaign and near lots of restaurants and West Side Park. It's about a 10' drive to campus, easy to walk or bike. I'd say it's a safe neighborhood. I haven't lived there for 9 years, but I doubt much has changed. Call Nick Taylor, great realtor.

[madpaddy]

Originally Posted by NVMove

Hi majka,

Champaign Police Department posts a crime map. You can zoom in on the area you are interested in and see the crimes that have happened in the past 180 days. I don't know if that will be helpful to you or not, and it is not the most straightforward, but probably worth taking a look. It is here:

https://experience.arcgis.com/experi...d3afb4784c9e8/

Also - the bus system is actually quite good, but it DOES matter where you live and where you are trying to go. The bus maps are here:

https://mtd.org/maps-and-schedules/

I was hoping someone with more direct info specifically on your potential neighborhood would respond to you, but in the absence of that, hopefully this more generic info will be of some help.

Cheers!

Long story short, I wouldn't have my college age kid living in that neighborhood. Gun crime is up in the CU area overall, and a lot of it is concentrated in the Bradley Ave Corridor that runs east-west just north of Stratton school. The map linked above doesn't distinguish between minor and major issues. This map should make you think twice:



9 people were shot within about a 3 block radius of Stratton school between Jan, 2019, and October, 2021. Not just shot at, but actually shot.

Source website: https://cu-citizenaccess.org/2021/12...-gun-violence/

[movin1]

Wow, that's somewhat shocking, but I guess not really given how bad things are everywhere these days. So where are the safe areas for students to live now?

Again, I suggest @majka gets in touch with a realtor to discuss the options in his/her price range. I knew people who bought houses for their children to live in while going to school there. If you only plan to own it for 4 years or so, I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not.

Don't forget Urbana is also an option. C-U is not that big so there are plenty of options for places to live that are within driving distance to the U of IL campus. Keep in mind, winters there can make getting around more difficult, i.e you don't want to walk or ride your bike very far when it's cold. It snows in IL, one reason I moved away.

If you buy a house, don't forget property taxes are very high.

[madpaddy]

Originally Posted by movin1

Wow, that's somewhat shocking, but I guess not really given how bad things are everywhere these days. So where are the safe areas for students to live now?

Students have generally lived south of University Ave, and east of State Street. That area hasn't really changed in the 32 years since I came to town as a student. What has changed, in order to accommodate the growing student population, is that many houses that used to be student rentals have been torn down, replaced by apartment buildings. A 16-24 unit apartment block can go in the same space as two adjacent houses. The house I lived in as a student in the neighborhood google maps calls "SeniorTown" is gone, replaced (along with the surrounding houses) replaced by a massive apartment complex.

[twb0392]

Originally Posted by majka

Hi everyone,
Is someone familiar with this area of Champaign/ Urbana? We need to rent/buy a house for College students. Is it a safe area within a good access to university (bike, walk, car) near the Stratton elementary school. thank you

I own a house in this area, and it is quiet and safe. There are more upscale and less upscale areas in that zip, but as long as you aren't wandering around drunk at 1am by yourself yelling at people, the chance you will be a victim of a crime is low.

[fusillirob1983]

Most undergrads live south of University and east of the tracks next to Neil Street. While the bus system is pretty good in C-U, as someone who lived in one of the further dorms on campus, both a 20 minute walk or having to wait for buses got kind of old.

It's probably not unheard of for undergrads to be that far off campus, but that will be a tough location from a social aspect. If starting as freshmen, even tougher as most people make friends through living in the dorms or if they join a frat or sorority.