pcph wrote:Chardee_MacDennis wrote:pcph wrote:vercify wrote:I've been lurking here for about 9 months now but today I accepted my offer to UIUC after a productive scholarship negotiation meeting with admissions, so I figured I might as well register and check in here!
I am currently a senior at UIUC so I can help answer questions regarding campus life and housing (I actually live across the street from 75 Armory right now). 75 Armory is brand new, its currently in its second year. IMO, it is ridiculously overpriced. A buddy of mine lived their last year and yes, it was SUPER nice inside (brand new, high quality appliances, furniture, etc.) but personally I would rather pay half of that and live in a mediocre place and save the money.
If money isn't an issue then go ahead and sign somewhere like 75 Armory or the Village, they are definitely nice places. However, if you are trying to budget then there are plenty of affordable options as you move further away from campus. I would recommend living East of First St or North of Green St. or West of Lincoln Avenue if you are looking to stay away from the undergraduate rabble while also find affordable housing options... and trust me, you want to stay far away from their noise, lol.
Sort of related Q- do you drive your car to campus? Take the bus? How is the bus system at UIUC/Champaign/Urbana area? Is a parking pass to drive worth the money (I read its like 600$)? Anything you can tell me would be great, thanks !
The parking pass for E-14 is $127. It's about a 10ish minute walk from the lot to campus that's pretty terrible during the winter. There is a shuttle that's supposed to run every few minutes, but it doesn't seem very reliable.
The pass for E-15, the lot in front of the law building, is that expensive, and there's a waiting list for it. Not worth it, in my opinion.
The parking lot at Assembly Hall just off 4th St is free. It's a 5 minute walk that's much more tolerable. Plenty of students park there and manage just fine.
Thank you! I didn't know about the Assembly Hall parking lot.
LOL, I didn't even know about the Assembly Hall lot, that is a neat find that I will definitely check into.
I personally do not drive to any of my classes on campus. This is actually the only semester I have had a car out of all 4 years here, as parking is always expensive (I lucked out and am only paying $50 a month for a spot in an adjacent alleyway to my building, but parking in my building is $75/month and parking in Champaign-owned lots or University lots will be hundreds of dollars a semester.
I was at the Law School yesterday and I walked from my Apartment (1st and Armory) in less than 10 minutes. I am a quick walker though. I personally like to walk to most of my classes, as the buses (while efficient and plentiful in routes) can get really crowded, especially in the winter and during inclement weather. Walking in the winter sucks but its not nearly as bad as everyone make sit out to be. Its Illinois everyone, just bundle up! I have never felt that walking was a big deal, but I guess that is just because I accepted the size of campus as an undergrad and just dealt with it. However, walking from where most law students will be living (i.e. The Village, or somewhere in Urbana, or Noth of Green, for example) is going to be quite far. I think the only way I would walk regularly is if I lived close to 1st St. or Locust or somewhere within the campus square. Google Maps has an excellent walk feature that will give you estimate walking distances/times that you can look into. It also syncs with our bus system! Oh, and the walk from E-14 would suck in the winter but it would be a lot better than walking all the way to the law school, and probably better than spending $600+ a semester on parking permits. Totally up to you, though.
The bus route for the 22 Illini is literally out my front door and that takes you right across the street from the law school. However, that route is more of an on-campus route and you probably will not be able to use it if you are living outside of the campus square (First St., Green St, Lincoln Ave, and Pennsylvania Ave). Actually, living in some of the Urbana areas closer Lincoln Ave can probably benefit from the 22's route. The 1 Yellow and a few other routes will go to E-14 and you can time those out via helpful apps that the bus routes sync to and try and use that to get closer to the law school. Again, check the bus option on google maps to see which routes can take you from your apartment to the law school (it will include walking distance to and from the nearest stops).