what is riverside/uc riverside life like? (Los Angeles, Ontario: 2009, apartments)

[socrates]

I know nothing about the area and am considering uc. Any information on life in Riverside would be great. also, Is it "LA"? I know "LA" is very vast and downtown is like an hour away from riverside.

[bhcompy]

riverside is mostly nothing like LA. its a bit of country in a metro environment. still have horse properties, ranches, etc in the area and it does have some influence on the people. granted that population is dwindling, but you still see the influence

[that1guy]

I would agree. But also there is both an inner city and suburban element mixed in, in Riverside itself. UCR is at the apex of four different areas. Down University Ave is a more seedy area. On Canyon Crest Dr. is filled with older apartments with both students and retirees. On Watkins and going down the 60 (all the hill areas) is a middle-upper income suburban area, and on Box Springs are some horse ranches. UCR is not the most social school, but with that said, I have friends in the Greek system that love UCR. The Greek system at UCR is smaller, but more tight knit than at other schools. Many people go to LA/OC to party since Newport is about 40 miles away and LA is roughly 60 (downtown LA, but Hollywood is more like 70).

Downtown Riverside is filled with some cool places, but again very sparse. Redlands, another college town, contains a cooler downtown area. But, tuition at U of Redlands is expensive. So what many people do is go to UCR but meet up at Redlands roughly 15 miles away.

Riverside is changing to being more college friendly. UCR is a good school, with a lot of potential and a lot of growth in its future. Just the short time from 04-08 my friends and I remarked how different the area around UCR is.

Though the city itself is boring, at least you have the free Metrolink passes to go to LA/OC/SD. Also, Riverside is not too far from the mountains during the winter.

I hope this helped.

[orangeapple]

Not LA at all. Not interesting...very little night life. Not a fun city if you're young.
Proximity to LA, OC and SD is decent if you don't mind a drive with some traffic.

[vdy1985]

It is up and coming. The town of riverside has some great gems, nice eateries but at cheaper prices compared to OC/LA. You just have to find them. And yes, there are hookah lounges, bars, parties thrown at restaurants/bars by some of the greeks. It is a good time. Also you are not too far from LA/SD/OC. They even throw parties in Hollywood, or have collaborations with the greek system at UCLA. So parties and all are good, you just may have to drive a bit. Most of the people that go to UCR are from the greater LA/OC area. The climate is beautiful in the winter, a bit hot in the summer months, but there is a whole lotta eye candy.

[JennyKnows]

My daughter went there, she loved it!

[schoi328]

There is plenty of restaurants (along Milliken and 4th Street) and shops (Ontario Mills) in City of Ontario or Victoria Garden in Rancho Cucamonga.
There is a sports arena on Concours (Milliken and 4th Street).

Lakes is coming to town on October 22, 2009. There is a lot of concerts being held there too.
There is a lot of big chain restaurants like CPK, yardhouse, BJ PF Chang, Bennihana and Panda INN. There is a lot of small restaurant like Daphnee Cgreek Cafe and Iron Chef Cafe.

[serialdriller]

He said Riverside area... not ontario/rancho cucamonga... oh yeah and this thread is way old too...

[twista6002]

Riverside isn't Los Angeles and native Inland Empirians don't look to be considered Los Angelisites. I went to RCC which is about a mile and a half from UCR and lots of the kids there took classes at both schools and they said they loved it. Decent area, lots to do, and a fun experience. I recomend!