There are plenty of good locations when it comes to student rentals close to Court Street and campus. But there’s also a high demand because of the great locations. One area that doesn’t get as much attention as, say, High, Congress or Mill Streets is State Street. The few blocks around where State and Court cross is one of the best areas for students to rent. You’ve got proximity to class, food, bars, groceries, shopping, a pharmacy – East State St has a lot to offer. A little bit on West State, too.
If you’ve been searching for places to rent for next year and aren’t quite sure about all the street names landlords throw around and what they really mean, East State is a good place to start learning more about these key roads. There’s more to Court Street living than literally living on Court Street, and not many neighborhoods are more central than near the junction of uptown and State.
So, what exactly is so great about it? Let’s get into it!
State Street Offers Easy Access to Campus
State Street is a great choice for those with majors that require you to be mostly on West or East Green. Actually, South, too. Let's take the intersection of State and Court, and look at their distance to different colleges’ buildings on OU campus:
- Campus Entrance: Edge of North Green
- .3 miles down Court Street, about a 6-minute walk
- Seigfred Hall: South/East Green (Arts)
- .3 miles down Court, Mill and North College Streets, about a 7-minute walk
- Bentley & Porter Halls: West Green (Social Science)
- .4 and .5 miles down Court St and Richland Ave, about 8 and 10-minute walks
- Morton Hall: Far East Green (Maths)
- .7 miles down Court St, through campus entrance green and down Morton Hill, about a 13-minute walk
- Klippinger Hall: Far South Green (Physical Sciences)
- .6 miles down Court St, through campus entrance green, and University Terrance, about a 12-minute walk
So we’re not kidding when we say that E State is a great location for off-campus housing. You’re a straight shot to campus whichever way you look at it – West, South or East.
Go Uptown or Downtown in No Time
State Street is one of the main veins of the Athens road infrastructure, spanning the width of the city from West to East. A walk up or down State will immediately show you the array of neighborhoods and cultures you’ll find along the way. KPR’s student rentals on East and West State fall solidly within the uptown, central, social OU student neighborhoods; they’re convenient, close, and surrounded by off-campus culture.
Amenities uptown within a block or so include Family Dollar, Athens Underground, Kismet, and Import House. CVS pharmacy and the Asian market underneath Ginger is just half a block more. Amenities just a couple minutes’ walk down the hill include Kindred Market, and Busy Day Market and The Farmacy are just as close on Stimson Ave.
Restaurants Near-East State Street is Close To:
You’re close to a lot of great food living near the junction of Court and State, and much of it is unique to Athens:
- Big Mamma’s Burritos
- A staple of Court Street life, they make weird, hefty burritos and also sell takeout beer!
- Casa Nueva
- Perhaps the most well-known name in local Athens cuisine, Casa is a hub of food, music, dance, drink, and even local art. Home-cooked food, local ingredients and an Hispanic vibe, they’ve got options for every kind of diet.
- Hangover Easy
- Nostalgic, comforting, all-American diner food, and it’s in a location to match! It’s called Hangover Easy for a reason – the breakfast there is absolutely key. They’re great at all the other stuff, too, though.
- North End Kitchen & Bar
- A modern restaurant with a Tex-Mex vibe, including an amazing Mexican street corn dip, and their signature North End nachos, of course.
- O-Betty’s Hot Dogs
- Handmade hotdogs on buns with creative condiment creations, even if you’re not a meat-eater, their fries alone are worth the visit.
- Souvlaki’s
- A Middle-Eastern, Levant fusion, Souvlaki’s is an uptown staple. If you’re looking for something on the different side, or a delicious gyro at 3 am, this hole-in-the-wall is what you’re looking for.
- Village Bakery
- Locally-made, no-meat establishment with pastries savory and sweet, flatbreads, coffee, and baked goods for takeout as well. Plus, there’s a whole wine store on the one side of it, so it’s a two-birds-one-stone place to go.
- Zoe Fine Dining
- Great for a fancy date night that stays local, Zoe is the place to go for an upscale experience.
What Size Apartments Can I Rent on East State?
KPR manages and leases nearly all sizes of apartments, and even some houses, on E State that are all on the near side – some are even less than a block around the corner from Court Street. A few different KPR properties you’ll find on East State include:
- A spacious 1-bedroom efficiency apartment at 74 E State that’s literally around the corner or down a short alley from North Court St.
- Several large, remodeled 2-bedroom apartments in that same 74 E State building. The location is unbeatable, really.
- A 3-bedroom rental house at 14 Lash St, on the corner of E State, less than 2 blocks from North Court.
- A 4-bed, 2-bath off-campus unit at our 74 E State student apartments.
- And if we’re cheating just a little, there’s a few well-located apartments on West State just as close to campus and Court St, including an 8-bedroom house perfect for student life.
And that’s just a sampling. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a single, a visiting professor and family, or a bunch of friends who want to live off-campus together. East State and uptown is the perfect place.
Kleinpenny Rentals: Updated, Luxury Student Rentals in Central Locations
We’ve spent a long time collecting rental properties for OU students that make college life easy and fun. That means that whether it’s apartments on East State, Congress, Kern, or Washington, you’re just a few minutes’ walk from the edge of campus, and often an even shorter jaunt to uptown. Living in the center of Athens is the best balance of work, play, and having the real living-off-campus-in-Athens experience. With updated spaces, on-site laundry, dishwashers, AC, and a responsive maintenance staff, college living goes from limited to luxurious.