Athens, OH

[malmal]

I'm starting at OU in the fall as a English grad student. What's the town like? It seems like rent is considerably cheaper in Nelsonville...is this the case and is it worth it? Any renters I should avoid?

[StarvingStudentYeah]

It is cheaper, and you won't live beside a sorority/frat house. A lot of people do this. Pretty boring area, Athens itself has a nice chill, hippy sort of vibe to it. I'm getting ready to leave the area for my own grad school experience, but let me know if there's anything specific you need to know. I'm not aware of any landlords to avoid - never really heard anything bad in that way.

[picklejar]

I've lived in Athens for almost three years. One frustrating thing about the area is that you'd expect it to be a lot cheaper than it is, but that fact that Athens is essentially deadlocked by the highways or the river means people will charge more for in-town rentals.

Besides that, though, my advice would be not to rent in Nelsonville or The Plains. Both areas can be a bit sketchy, and the commute (particularly from N-ville) is nothing to sneeze at, particularly in the winter. Plus, with gas prices where they are, it might be worth it to live in Athens and avoid a daily commute.

In general you want to avoid the Mill Street/Palmer Street area, as they are party central. The eastside neighborhoods tend to be nicer, both the neighborhood between E Stimson and E State, and the one just north of E State east of the 33 overpass.

As far as apartment complexes go, I can only speak to the one that I help manage: Putnam Square, on Home Street. I think they are in general considered among the nicest apartments in Athens. Fairly new, very energy efficient. Rents between $600-$800.

[Subang]

My husband and I just finished a Master's program in Athens and are waiting to hear where we will be moving for Ph.D. Athens is a nice little laid-back town where in general the hippy crowd outnumber the young sorority/fraternity partier type. I agree with the previous poster that it seems like it should be much cheaper than it is for housing. We rented a house just north of town and it was $950 for a three-bedroom with some land. Not too bad. My first year, I lived above the Cycle Path (a local bike shop) and it was ok, just really small. I would suggest if you have a car trying to find someplace outside of town a bit. A lot of crappy places close to campus and shady landlords.

My favorite places:

the farmer's market - State Street past Wal-mart. Saturday and Wednesday mornings. A lot of local farmers, strange hippy backwoods types, Mennonite and the such. Don't miss the asiago cheese bread from Avalanche Pizza...only available at the Saturday market and not at their store. (on the topic of Avalance pizza...just simply the best in Athens. no competition. don't waste you money on others...just go to Avalanche.)

The Village Bakery - State Street before the highway. Great food from local sources, fair trade products in their market. A bit pricey but worth it occasionally.

The Farmacy - Natural food store and cafe. Don't miss their fried tofu sandwich. mmmmm! Reasonable prices.

Casa - Downtown off of Court Street. Claim to be Mexican food, but that's a stretch. A very local, healthy take on Mexican but still yummy. Seasonally changing menu based on local availability. Their sweet potato fries in autumn are amazing.

The Pawpaw Fest - Every fall outside of town towards the airport. If you don't have transport try to catch the shuttle that leaves from campus. Great local fest with music, food, and activities centered around the pawpaw...don't know what it is? Go to the fest!

Enjoy!

[kotov]

Can someone from the area give me an idea of what Athens is like? I'm used to Auburn and want to still be in the small college-town type environment. Is that what I'd be getting in Athens?

[Scottielass]

Athens is a very small-town atmosphere. OU is the largest part of the town and is a very beautiful campus. I've been there and really like it. Make sure to check out the China King restaurant. It's the major haunt for students/faculty at lunchtime.

One thing that I tell people that you won't find in the brochures...it is very hilly. Make sure you have some decent walking shoes or a bike to get around. I made the mistake of wearing 1 inch heels during my campus visit. I was miserable by the end of the day. I found out most of the female professors keep a pair of flats in their bags for walking around campus .

Columbus is the closest metro area and is about 1 1/2 hour drive. I think the closest major airport is in Columbus, too. Housing is at a premium, so start your search early. You'll want to look at the surrounding cities if you have a car. The Plains, Nelsonville, etc.

[kotov]

That's what I was hoping to hear. I love the small college town feel that Auburn has and was hoping I'd be getting more of the same at Ohio. The hills are fine with me. I'm used to the "rolling plains of Dixie" as we like to call them, so I won't die. Also, I'm a guy so the heels aren't a problem for me, mercifully. I will have a car, so I'll do the best I can with housing. I'm used to being able to walk everywhere in Auburn, which is nice, but I can adjust. Also, I'm not much for Chinese food, but I'll give it a shot, especially if it's a social hub, since I'll know literally no one. Thanks for responding, that definitely puts my mind to rest. Ohio is kinda towards the top of my list, and the positive impression you give of Athens is helping that.

[Scottielass]

Happy to help. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[duoduo]

how's the common living expense per month in Athens? I heard someone said the rent for housing is at a premium...I wonder how much is it...

Besides, is a car really useful in Athens since it's really a hilly place? How's the parking on campus.

Thanks!

[La_Marina]

Athens is a quirky small town set in the foothills of Appalachian Ohio. During the school year the town is dominated by student life (this is a top party school and unfortunately many folks pride themselves on that) but when school is not in session you will find Athens to be at its most beautiful. The university roads are paved with brick, indicative of the history of brick-making that once dominated this region. However, before the university, this region was booming with the coal-mining industry. Sadly, that industry has led to the degradation of many streams and rivers but the result of that has been an outpouring of community and university support to work towards the revitalization of these waterways. This is a typical response of Athenians as they tend to be environmentally progressive and this mentality is certainly reflected in the local food and drink.

Food / Bars - Athens has a wonderful locavore scene. We have one of the largest farmer's markets in the Midwest and it functions year-round. So there are several restaurants in town that pride themselves in purchasing produce from local farmers, making food from scratch, or purchasing fair trade goods. If you really want a feel for the community and the truly Athens-vibe I would highly recommend checking out Avalanche Pizza, Casa Nueva restaurant, the Village Bakery, Dellazona, Purple Chopstix, Zoe's, Jackie-O's Brewery (*fantastic* beer and great food too) and Tony's Pub.

Rental Properties- There are certainly local apartment complexes in which one could find suitable housing, however these tend to be more expensive (upwards of $700 for 1 bedroom) than the alternative and are typically located on the outskirts of town. I would recommend checking out the Athens, OH craigslist apartment listings sooner rather than later because housing is snatched up quickly. But it's safe to say that 1 bedroom apartments (in homes) can range from $400-$700. My roommates and I rent a 3bdrm house for $975/mo and it is not unheard of to find a 3-4bdrm house for around $1,000+.

Environment/Recreation- Athens weather can be considered to be a "humid continental" climate. That is to say, we experience hot and humid summers and cold winters, but our winters are relatively mild with little snowfall and few days getting below freezing. As previously indicated, Athens is set in the foothills of Appalachia. And so, it can be said that the surrounding landscape is breathtaking. There are numerous state parks in Athens county with over 50 miles of hiking trails (I recommend going for a swim at Stroud's Run or hiking to Old Man's Cave in Hocking Hills). The bicycle path along the Hocking River is about 16 miles in length and continues to expand (it now reaches Nelsonville). There are two dog parks, one on the East side and one on the West side, with ample grounds for running and playing. Bouldering is a favorite local past time in the summer. Also, there are several festivals to attend including the Paw Paw Festival (local fruit), Ohio Brew Week and the Nelsonville Festival.

My roommates and I completed our master's degrees in the geography program at OU and I am sure they would all agree, this is a great place to be a graduate student.

Edited March 10, 2011 by La_Marina

[DeVryGrad06]

Here are a few of the rental companies I recommend in Athens:

Grace Rentals (properties in quiet locations around $350 a month)

Magic Rentals (properities in quiet locations around $350 a month)

L'heureux Properties (Diverse range of properties with varying prices)

If anyone needs help finding a place to live, I have always found very affordable houses within walking distance.

[LisaCampbell]

I liked this place!!

[serpentina02]

I just received an offer for a stipend plus a graduate assistantship of $10k per year - is that doable? I won't have a car, so I would have to find a place in walking distance.

[lshragg08]

Hey all,

Will be going to Ohio University in the Fall for PhD program, and after briefly browsing the Internet, wanted to get some personal opinions about good affordable housing options. Generally, I'm not picky but I prefer to live close enough to either bike or walk to campus. 

 

Cheers!

 

 

[RFutureSLP]

I was accepted to graduate school at OU and am visiting this Friday, not sure if I'll officially accept, but I definitely want to follow this thread in case I do move to Athens

Edited March 15, 2016 by RFutureSLP
typo

[lshragg08]

@RFutureSLP congrats! In what field? I would love to hear about your visit since I've never been there!

[RFutureSLP]

5 minutes ago, lshragg08 said:

@RFutureSLP congrats! In what field? I would love to hear about your visit since I've never been there!

Thanks and congrats to you to on the PhD program! I got accepted to the speech-language pathology program. The visit is with my specific program so I don't know how much help I'll be!

[bioarch_fan]

On 3/15/2016 at 3:57 PM, lshragg08 said:

Hey all,

Will be going to Ohio University in the Fall for PhD program, and after briefly browsing the Internet, wanted to get some personal opinions about good affordable housing options. Generally, I'm not picky but I prefer to live close enough to either bike or walk to campus. 

 

Cheers!

 

 

I'm actually in Athens for my undergraduate right now. I absolutely love this town due to how close most of the student body is. There are some problems with the community as a whole because there are very strong opinions on campus. But it's still relatively friendly for everyone. If you're at all into the bar scene then you'll love Athens. We have 22 bars in a quarter of a mile radius...one reason why we're known as one of the biggest party schools in the nation. But we also have a lot of other fun stuff to do around the town, i.e. hiking, going to the lake and swimming, listening to amazing music around campus (coffee shops, our main auditorium, the student center, music festivals, etc.), numerous clubs to join (including A LOT of a capella groups), and I could go on and on about what there is to do here.

Now on to your question about affordable housing...that's the main negative about Athens. There really isn't much of an option for affordable housing really (at least it depends on your living situation). If you're okay with living with 3+ roommates, then you can find decent apartments for cheap. Also, if you want to bring your own furniture then here are specific apartments for those or you can get apartments that are completely furnished (including dishes). Look into University Commons (they're about a 15 minute walk to campus). They have everything from a studio apartment all the way up to a 4 bed apartment. I have a couple friends who live in the 4 bed and they pay about $350/month and only have a couple utilities to pay for. So that's not too bad in the end. I'd also check into River Park. This would be the ideal place for you since you're doing ethnomusicology (at least I think you are). They are located on South Green, which is about a 5 minute walk to Glidden Hall (the music building). They're not exactly cheap by any means but they have numerous options as well (River Park, River's Edge, and the new River Gate) with varying prices. These normally don't come furnished at all and you will have to pay for a couple utilities here as well. There are other options that are a little farther off campus but they supply a shuttle to get back and forth to campus. These would be The Summit and University Courtyard. They have numerous apartment plans from 2-4 bedroom apartments and the prices are about $500-600 but all utilities are included. However, these apartments come fully furnished. So that would save you on having to bring anything with you.

There are obviously numerous options available in Athens that are not apartment complexes as well. The sad part about Athens is that most of the landlords in Athens are horrible...we call them slumlords. And most of them have a monopoly on housing in Athens. There's one in particular that I would stay away from...their company is called Prokos Rentals. This is the worst rental company in Athens in my opinion and I've had nothing but problems from them.

If you have any other questions about Athens or OU PM me and I can give you more details about it. I'm sure once you come here you'll fall in love with the campus like most people do.