Infographic by Nicole Kowalewski / Nevada Sagebrush

Educate yourself on the different residential areas around campus

*Editor’s Note:  On Page B8 of the Tuesday, April 8 edition, The Nevada Sagebrush published information that suggested Wolf Run Village, Sterling Sierra Apartments and The Highlands were associated with, commissioned by or ran by the University of Nevada, Reno. According to Jerome Maese, the university has no connection to these residences and has no knowledge of whether they meet or operate by the University Student House Standards.

By Juliana Bledsoe

THE CAMPUS OUTER CRUST 

If you think about the University of Nevada Reno campus as the core of our little planet of knowledge, the area immediately surrounding the university is essentially the outer crust where much of the noticeable life of our college community occurs. It is a hot zone of dorms, Greek houses and other university-run housing. This is where most university students, especially underclassmen, typically reside, and it continues to be a convenient place to live for upperclassmen and graduate students who don’t have cars or prefer to walk to school. The university owns much of the available housing in this area, but there are also plenty of independently owned houses and small apartment complexes tucked away throughout this aging but lively neighborhood. The independently owned options around campus are great for anyone that wants to stay in the immediate university area without staying under the control of UNR housing. The neighborhood immediately west of campus features a collection of different homes and small apartments between Virginia and Sierra streets with a friendly college-community atmosphere. The neighborhood directly east of campus is slightly more run-down, but also hosts a collection of inexpensive rental houses with a humble and quiet vibe. It’s a more likely destination if you are looking for a place in the immediate area in which you can also have pets. There are a bunch of hidden gems in this general area surrounding UNR for every need, but plenty of seedy and questionable options as well, so spent some time looking at what is available to suit your situation.

1. WOLF RUN VILLAGE 

For those that are ready to leave the dorms but are not necessarily ready to dive into the great wide world of renting on their own, this off-campus housing option offers suites with individual master bedrooms and shared kitchens. It is a quick five-minute walk from campus. Within this gated community you can have an extension of campus life by living with and near other students while also getting away and exploring the area around the university.

3. PONDEROSA VILLAGE 

This brand new development of campus-owned graduate housing is still under construction, but it is already taking lease agreements and is set to open this fall. It will have both one and two-bedroom units and will be available to grad students, medical students, and faculty.

2. STERLING SIERRA APARTMENTS 

Also under construction but set to open this fall, the Sterling Sierra apartments are slated to include posh features such as Apple TVs and environmentally friendly building materials. The apartments will follow the same suite model as the Wolf Run Village and the Highlands with shared kitchens and private bedrooms and baths, though the bedrooms are relatively small. This new housing option is one of the closest to campus and will be a hot commodity in the fall semester.

4. RESIDENCE HALLS 

This is where the chain of the university’s on-campus residential life dormitories is located. There are now nine different dorms to fit varying student needs and about 12 to 15 percent of UNR students are living in one of them this year. The dorms are already almost entirely filled up for next year.

INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN 

If you are ready to move a bit beyond the most intimate circle of housing around campus, the surrounding residential neighborhoods offer a variety of different kinds of community and housing options with a little more freedom, privacy, and diversity. The neighborhoods that extend away from the university in each direction each have a different appeal.

NORTH OF MCCARRAN 

Though this area doesn’t feature a lot of housing and not too many students live here, there is a collection of apartment complexes and homes in a community cluster north of McCarren Boulevard. It offers privacy away from campus, and is still only about a five-minute drive to campus for those who own a car.

WEST UNIVERSITY 

This is the area where the college vibe is most apparent away from campus, and it accommodates a number of fraternity houses and long-time college haunts, such as Pub N Sub. This is a great area to find a large house to rent out with a bunch of roommates, and there are also a plethora of small apartment complexes, duplexes and studios available. There are two larger apartment complexes close to campus that offer specific amenities as well.

5. WESTWOOD APARTMENTS 

These dark brown apartments are at the intersection of College Drive and Sierra Street. They offer typical apartment living with spacious units outside the reaches of campus housing. This complex includes features such as a pool, a community and laundry room and covered parking, and each bedroom features a walk-in closet. That being said, these apartments have been around for a while and are thoroughly lived in.

6. COLLEGE COURTYARD APARTMENTS 

This complex has become well known for being somewhat of a haven for wild parties and rowdy roommates. It does, however, offer fully furnished units and is just a few hundred yards off-campus across from the dorms.

SOUTH OF I-80 (DOWNTOWN, MIDTOWN) 

If you are ready to get away from campus altogether, have a car (or are OK with a longer walk or bike ride), perhaps a little more money to spend, and are itching for adventure, moving away into the vibrant downtown or midtown areas might be right for you. Downtown has a smattering of condos and niche urban apartments and artists lofts where you’ll be close to the action, but these more exclusive residences often cost more money for the space and amenities that you end up getting. The midtown district slightly further south, past the Truckee River, has a burgeoning art and food community. There is a quiet hometown charm to the Old Southwest neighborhood where you will find cute old brick houses and plenty of small studios and lofts in older homes owned by life-long residents.

EAST UNIVERSITY 

This neighborhood is more low-income and somewhat run-down the further east one travels. Nonetheless, it is very friendly and a great place to own a dog or have some privacy from college life, while still living close to campus. This neighborhood is also convenient for students who work at the University Equestrian Center or the Valley Road Field Labs and Greenhouse Complex.

THE HIGHLANDS 

This massive college apartment complex has been around for about a decade now and is inhabited by a large number of university students.