Any opinions on Ohio U. and Athens (Columbus, Toledo: apartments, rental)

[observer]

Anyone familiar with Ohio University in Athens for college. Pros and Cons re: school, social life, crime rate in the area, etc.

Anyone who is familiar with the area or has gone to school at Ohio U please post your opinions. Also, how is the off campus housing options near the university.

[000000]

you will learn much from astute professors while living in the middle of nowhere.

[truemuck]

The Halloween Party there is legendary, just don't do something stupid and get yourself busted.

[HuskerDu]

I graduated from OU in Athens. That dreamy little town is a place I miss dearly.

* There are little (and not-so-little) pubs all over Court Street and there is no shortage of nightlife in Athens. Even if you don't drink, it is not unusual to go out to these places to see live music/dance and end up out very late at night. I think there are still a handful of late night coffee places still there also.

* Virtually no serious crime. I don't think I locked my apartment door the entire time I lived down there.

* It is a different environment than other state universities that are located near or inside bigger cities. You can relax away from the garbage you would have to put up with at... oh, let's say Ohio State, with all of the violent crime and poverty surrounding the place. People are extremely nice and inviting as a result of not being saddled with all of the pressures of a more populated urban center like OSU (sorry to keep picking on the Buckeyes). You can really feel the difference.

* Southeastern Ohio is beautiful and the campus is pretty much on a hill. You will build up your legs and get a workout just walking from class to class every day.

* Athens is known to be a kind of mecca for hippies but they have outgrown that stereotype for the most part. There is a big underground music scene there and plenty of alternative/indie rock bands playing live most nights.

* Ohio University is isolated, but Columbus is only an hour and a half (or slightly less) away if you need a change of scenery for the weekend.

I dunno... Athens just has it's own little feel or vibe to it in much the same way Chapel Hill, NC affects me when I visit. It's a lovely place that was difficult for me to leave after graduation.

[mattbward]

My old friend Matthew Toledo used to run this Athens Ohio Music web site.
Athens Musician Network - Welcome

It is a GREAT resource for bands and fans wanting to find out where the best shows are in the area.

Crime is usually drunk crime if any, so a few fist fights here and there and occasional vandalism. Even the Halloween Block Party is way more tame then the last time I was there (1997) but it is a GREAT time.

Off campus housing is pretty plentiful. Lots of houses you can rent with other students and it breaks it up by quarter/semester for rental term. Also, if you go just outside of town lots of little hidden apartments in older houses exist.

It's a beautiful little town, the majority of it's population is college students, so jobs aren't super plentiful. Lots of parties, lots of bars all within walking distance of each other and lots and lots of lovely ladies.

Athens Ohio is similar to Bowling Green Ohio in that the college is the only real reason anyone is there, period... It's isolated and off by itself, so people tend to party a bit.

Partying and social life aside, OU is known for it's Journalism School as well as for it's Music School.

The previous poster saying it is all hills for campus is dead on the money. You will def beef up the calves living anywhere near Court Street or just going to school there.

[emmyem]

Athens is a great school. Are you going to college, or one of your children? That would determine the kind of response I give. Haha. My parents wouldn't let me go to Ohio U b/c of its party reputation. I agree that there are lots of cool pubs, lots of music, Halloween. Tons of housing within walking distance-- I think Athens is ALL college housing! If you suck at parallel parking on ginormous hills, do not choose Ohio U!

[anorris]

I'm in an OU dorm as I type this -- and truly loving my experience in Athens. The school has been fantastic -- I'm here studying communications, which the university is widely acclaimed for. As others have said, crime is very low. It isn't uncommon for people to leave laptops and the like sit while they go grab a drink or use the restroom; people just tend to respect others' property.

Most crime in town is related to drunkenness or drug use, and while I know things get stolen, it certainly isn't something that will cross your mind while you're here.

[NorthPoleMarathoner]

Originally Posted by observer

Anyone familiar with Ohio University in Athens for college. Pros and Cons re: school, social life, crime rate in the area, etc.

Anyone who is familiar with the area or has gone to school at Ohio U please post your opinions. Also, how is the off campus housing options near the university.

Do yourself a favor.

Go to Bowling Green.

[bbb3601]

Nice city. I like the charm of the houses, and the community. Beautiful women....and I guess guys. lol. Once you leave campus life slows way down. Pretty good food, and great pubs. If you choose OU you will recieve a top notch education coupled with cheaper living expenses. don't expect to find a job easily if you need one, and parking can be horrid. Oh did I mention beautiful women.

[TheYO]

There's just under two weeks left in my first year here at OU and I know I made the right college choice. The campus and surrounding areas are very safe, I think there were only two major crimes here this year.

The school itself is amazing. The journalism, accounting, visual communications and music programs are some of the best in the country, and the campus is beautiful and easy to navigate (although the hills can be a pain).

Social wise it is known as a party school and there does seem to be more partying than other universities across the state. This doesn't mean that the entire student body is drunk 24/7 or shows up to class hungover every morning. It's surprising easy to avoid the party scene if it's not your thing and there are plenty of coffee shops and other hangouts to frequent. Greek life isn't too prominent (maybe 9% of the student body), but it's there if you want to partake.

The student body is pretty liberal as a whole, more so than other rural schools in the state (Bowling Green and Miami). Most people are very helpful and friendly and make for a pleasant experience on campus.

Having a car at school is very helpful since most of the large stores (Wal-Mart, Kroger, Sears, Staples) are a couple miles off campus. Court Street (the main drag near campus) is full of bars, boutiques, bookstores, and several fast food restaurants. Off campus housing is abundant, ranging from studio apartments to 9+ bedroom houses.