We don’t know anyone who hasn’t loved living in Athens during their time at OU. In fact, many of Athens’ permanent residents are alumni who either never left, or who ended up coming back, because there’s nowhere like it… especially in Ohio.
The weird thing is, even though this town seems small, you walk a few blocks in any direction and you’re in an entirely different neighborhood with an entirely different vibe. This is great for the full-time residents, but it’s also great for OU’s large student body, because there’s a space for everyone.
Depending on what kind of student you are and what you’re looking for out of life at OU, your idea of the perfect Athens apartment is probably different than the kid’s that sits next to you in Psych. So, how should you decide which of Athens’ mini-boroughs is the place for your off-campus apartment?
But First – Who Are You?
We’re gonna blanket statement people into a few groups. It’s not exactly accurate, but it’s expedient. Typically, the students who rent from us fall into three different categories:
Groups of undergraduate students who want the full experience of living uptown during the school year. We’ll call them Work Hard, Play Hard.
Students who want close proximity to academic buildings as well as Court Street. We’ll call them Work-Life Balance.
Students looking to live a more solitary, quieter student life without leaving central Athens. We’ll call them Laser Focus.
We’ve all got similar priorities, but the order determines where we’d have the best time living. Let’s take a look and see which places might fit your vision for off-campus living:
Life in Uptown Athens, Ohio
Best for: Work Hard, Play Hard
Loosely-defined as Court Street and the surrounding few-block radius around the North, West and East sides of it (campus green is directly South), this is the area of Athens you’ll find the bulk of the student rentals. There’s everything from cozy efficiencies to 8-bedroom (party) houses, and this is the area of town that’s always got something going on. N Congress, W State, High St, College St, Lash St and Fern St are all a part of Uptown.
Street fairs, bar crawls, bike-n-brews, festivals, concerts – and then, of course, there’s the throngs of students on apartments balconies, porches and yards all over the place when it’s nice out. When you’re in Athens’ uptown neighborhood, you know. There are definitely some home-homes sprinkled in everywhere, but the majority of housing in Uptown is off-campus rentals for OU students.
The East Side
Best for: Laser Focus
The East Side of Athens is, once again – loosely defined as, the neighborhoods surrounding State Street East of the Carpenter/Stimson intersection. For the most part, there’s a pretty dramatic shift to residential housing once you venture into this side of town.
Where the East Side overlaps with Uptown, you’ll find a peppering of off-campus rental homes for OU students, but you’ll also find apartments tucked away in quieter blocks even though they’re still close to uptown. East State, Morris, Franklin, Grosvenor, and Sunnyside streets are all parts of this neighborhood.
Primarily home to OU professors, staff and other full-time residents of Athens, the Near East Side is best for students who want to feel like they’re in a regular, not-college-town neighborhood, while still being close to uptown Athens life as well as classes on campus. Rentals for OU students here tend to be a bit more affordable, and you’re never in the direct line of those crazy, town-wide events where the police horses come out.
The West Side
Best for: Work-Life Balance
The West Side is a melting pot of townies, students, grad students, and OU faculty and staff. Walker Street is considered a party street, but it’s two blocks from Stew-Mac one way, and two blocks from a completely residential street the other way.
The Near West Side overlaps with Uptown, so the apartments for students here are perfect for those who want to be nearly-on-campus and nearly-uptown without getting the full force of Court Street noise and nightlife outside your window every evening. For instance, student rentals on Foster Place and Washington Street are super close to 2am french fries at USD, but they’re also super close to the medical school and physical science halls.
The West Side has several easy paths to different parts of campus, and even the farther streets like Columbia aren’t more than a 10-minute walk to Court Street. Definitely still walkable after a night out at the bars. This neighborhood is really representative of the vibe of Athens, with Beads n’ Things, the local West End Cider House & Distillery, and bike path access for exercise… or afternoon rides to Eclipse for a beer or two.
The North Side
Best for: Laser Focus
The North Side of Athens changes with its altitude. The Near North, where it overlaps with Uptown, is arguably one of the best places to rent an apartment in Athens for OU students. It’s a straight shot to Court St and campus, but you’re almost immediately in the trees once you’ve crossed Carpenter. There are some great party houses at the very South end of this neighborhood, but for the most part, the North Side is a quiet residential area.
As you go up the hill to some of the highest-set homes in Athens, you’ll notice a breezy, friendly, peaceful vibe to the neighborhoods up here. And the great thing is, it’s still easy access to everything, but it’s not the college-town feel anymore. There are garages and driveways and kids’ bikes in the front yards. Perfect for those who like to concentrate on their studies and live a quieter college life. The far end of N Congress and the streets around Forest Street are parts of this neighborhood.
The Two Souths
Best for: … it depends
The identity of the South Side is often contested. Sounds fitting, given it’s the South. On campus, the South Green is often referred to as “The Dirty South,” for its very play-hard culture and concentration of barely-off-campus apartment buildings for OU students, as well as OU student family housing. Take a walk up Mill Street and you’ll find yourself in the middle of the college neighborhood – Greek houses, monster 8-bedroom student rental homes, tiny studio apartments smashed into garages, and everything in between.
The most attractive part about this neighborhood, for most people, is that it is completely student-centered and almost-completely student-populated. Mill Fest and Palmer Fest happen in this neighborhood. Many of OU’s outdoor event happen on South Green, which is literally on the other side of Mill Street. And Mill leads right up to Court, so you’re still almost living uptown.
On the other hand, cross over Stimson Street and you’re still in the South Side… kind of; it also melds into the East Side at some point. But this part of the South Side is purely residential. The public library is here, part of the bike path that runs along the river, and, of course, Jackie O’s Tap Room. Which I guess the East Side or the South Side could claim. See? Contested.
Deciding Which College Culture is Right for You
We might not be a sprawling urban center, but we’re still pretty diverse, part in thanks to our history, and part in thanks to the cultural diversity OU has brought us for over 200 years now. So, while these descriptions are by no means hard and fast rules about what you’ll find in each of Athens’ neighborhoods, they’ll give you a better idea of what to expect, which will help you narrow down what you think will be the best fit for you. Happy (rental) house hunting!