Lincoln, NE

[sam3135]

Dear Friends

Do you know about this university and its reputation in Us for Mechanical engineering and do you know about the life in this city? Is it a good city for international students?

thanks

[LongGone]

Is there anyone who can tell something about this university / city ?

Dear Friends

Do you know about this university and its reputation in Us for Mechanical engineering and do you know about the life in this city? Is it a good city for international students?

thanks

[omahairish]

I'm from Nebraska, and my brother went to UNL. I can't tell you about its reputation for mechanical engineering. I have no idea.

I would think it would be a friendly city for international students, but it depends on what you want.

What other questions do you have?

Edited February 3, 2011 by omahairish

[davolicious]

Lincoln is a town of about 250,000 people, that resembles a quiet suburb of a big city. The cost of living is insanely low here, rent is very affordable, and there are quite a few options as far as housing goes. While Lincoln does have a few options for entertainment and culture, there isn't a ton to do, especially late at night. There is a bus system, which is free for university students, but the city lines usually stop between 6 and 7 p.m. (I don't know what time the university system shuts down however). There are two main campuses for the University of Nebraska in town, and they aren't very far apart (about 15 minutes or so). One of more of the agricultural campus, and the city campus is pretty much everything else. College football is huge here, and although we've had some letdowns over the past decade, Nebraska is poised to be a major contender again (I don't want to start a flame war about teams here). What this means is that on Saturdays during football season, the city almost turns into a ghost town, except for campus/downtown. If you don't like football, this is a great time to do shopping, run errands, and so forth, since you won't be competing with crowds or traffic. Student tickets for games are inexpensive, and fairly easy to come by. They're going to be expanding the stadium (again) in the coming years to accommodate even more fans, and Nebraska has the longest consecutive game sellout streak in the nation.

If you have other questions, let me know, as I've lived here for about 20 years, and did my undergraduate work here.

[davolicious]

One little quirk about housing here, while housing is extremely affordable, and there are lots of choices, don't expect to have a ton of roommates. I don't know if it's a city law or a state law, but there is a maximum of three unrelated people who can live in each dwelling. That is, at most, you and two roommates. Hypothetically, if there were two brothers, or two sisters, or something, then you could have four people, but that doesn't happen too often.

[woolfie]

How walking friendly is the city, especially near the university? Are there places where mostly undergraduates live? Is it possible to live in walking distance from campus but also avoid undergraduate noisy party neighborhoods?

[davolicious]

How walking friendly is the city, especially near the university? Are there places where mostly undergraduates live? Is it possible to live in walking distance from campus but also avoid undergraduate noisy party neighborhoods?

In my experience, even the party neighborhoods aren't that bad most of the time, but, it depends which campus you're going to be near. If you're on the agriculture campus, there is plenty of housing nearby, and very little party issues. The neighborhood, however, is questionable as far as crime Lincoln goes (you probably wouldn't want to leave a bike on the porch at night). By the main campus, you have downtown to the South (there are some decent apartments just South of downtown, which is a long walk, but that's where I lived before I got married), dorms, apartments, and cheap houses on the East, a minor industrial area to the North, and cheap houses to the Northwest. I've heard that in the North Bottoms neighborhood (the houses to the Northwest), there are issues with parties and so forth, but I never saw any of that when I was visiting friends. To answer more directly, there are plenty of acceptable options within walking distance, but not a lot of great options for grad students, in my opinion.

That said, as most Universities do, Nebraska offers city bus passes to students, which you pay for with your fees, whether you use it or not. The bus system has a decent network throughout the city, which will lessen your need for a car, so, in principle, that would expand your options for housing within "walking distance." The problem, as I believe I mentioned in a previous post, is that the schedules for the buses leave MUCH to be desired. Most bus routes start around 6 A.M. and end between 6 and 7 P.M. Depending on the route, they usually only come once every 1/2 hour to once an hour. The exception is the inter-campus line, which has two routes, both of which have buses coming every 10 minutes, and I believe that runs until 10 P.M. or so. Buses can really open up the city IF you don't need to be out in the evening.

[MinorGirl]

Lincoln is a great walking town. If you live in the near South neighborhoods (where majority of undergraduate and graduate students live), you have Blockbuster and a grocery store about half a mile away. Plus the University and the heart of downtown are only a mile away. And there's plenty of bike lanes!

[Fr. Bu]

Hey guys, this thread has been uber-helpful! I'm an international student studying here at the Fall 2011 semester, do you have any tips or info that you think I should know? Stuff like what part is the best place to get an apartment (or do you recommend any apartment)? Places where there is a high crime rate/places to avoid? Awesome places to eat? Thanks!

[HistoryGrizzly]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be entering UNL's MA program for history in the fall, and I'm apartment hunting. I can't decide if I want to live alone, or if I want to try to find a room mate (is anyone looking for a room mate?). I was looking at a place called The View that's near campus and specifically for student housing. Looks like it's basically a really, really fancy student housing complex, but it screams "party dorms" to me. Also, I've read some pretty nasty reviews of the place, so I'm a little hesitant. Does anyone have any experience with the place?

And in general, does anyone have any advice on where the best location to be in Lincoln is? Everyone keeps saying how cheap the housing is, and how low the cost of living is, but it seems that's all relative, so I have no idea what people mean by that. Any advice at all would be welcome. Are there any areas I should absolutely stay away from?

Thanks in advance.

[coffeecoffeebuzzbuzz]

I checked out UNL and the housing scene and this is what I gathered from discussions and mapping out what I think is important in a city (I have cartography geekiness at times)...

- Grad students tend to live in the "Near South" region of the city, basically it is the area south of downtown in streets with alphabet letters F- A running North South, and roughly 5-30 West to East.

- The Near South area is roughly less than a mile to downtown, mile and a half to campus, and a mile north of grocery stores (food co-op)

- Undergrads tend to live north and east of the main campus

- Chances are you should avoid anything that reminds you of the dorms (if you want to avoid football crazed drunkiness)

- Rent for a studio tends to be 300-400 range, one bedroom is 400-600 (for a large w/office), and two bedroom tends to be 600-800 (depending on if it is an apt vs.house).

- A good time to find an apartment is May or June, July is so-so, and by August everything is pretty much picked over

[spctle342]

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be entering UNL's MA program for history in the fall, and I'm apartment hunting. I can't decide if I want to live alone, or if I want to try to find a room mate (is anyone looking for a room mate?). I was looking at a place called The View that's near campus and specifically for student housing. Looks like it's basically a really, really fancy student housing complex, but it screams "party dorms" to me. Also, I've read some pretty nasty reviews of the place, so I'm a little hesitant. Does anyone have any experience with the place?

And in general, does anyone have any advice on where the best location to be in Lincoln is? Everyone keeps saying how cheap the housing is, and how low the cost of living is, but it seems that's all relative, so I have no idea what people mean by that. Any advice at all would be welcome. Are there any areas I should absolutely stay away from?

Thanks in advance.

As the other poster mentioned, near south is popular for college kids, as is what is referred to as the highlands area. Both are sometimes considered low-income/high crime, but I don't really buy into those sorts of associations. I don't feel there is such as thing as a "bad neighborhood," at least in Lincoln (where I've been living for the past 8 years). Apartments are dirt cheap in Lincoln (you can easily find a decent one-bedroom for 300-550/month), and quite plentiful, so you should rest assured that you won't have trouble finding one, even on short notice. Many apartments aren't advertised online or in print, and it's often easiest to drive around the areas near campus to scope out the places with "for rent" signs in the yard.

[HistoryGrizzly]

Yeah, I'm finding that even looking online, there are tons of choices. I hadn't considered just driving around. I'm visiting at the end of the month and need to cram lot of apartment shopping into a relatively short time span. I'm looking forward to a relatively low cost of living. Hopefully utility rates are just as low.

Does anyone have any advice on phone service in the area? I have ATT right now, but it's about time to get a new phone and re-up, so I'm wondering if ATT sucks there and if I should switch to Verizon. Are they both pretty good, both for voice and data plans?

[spctle342]

Yeah, I'm finding that even looking online, there are tons of choices. I hadn't considered just driving around. I'm visiting at the end of the month and need to cram lot of apartment shopping into a relatively short time span. I'm looking forward to a relatively low cost of living. Hopefully utility rates are just as low.

Does anyone have any advice on phone service in the area? I have ATT right now, but it's about time to get a new phone and re-up, so I'm wondering if ATT sucks there and if I should switch to Verizon. Are they both pretty good, both for voice and data plans?

A lot of people use Verizon and like it. I find that I can get more features and equally good coverage for the same price with Sprint, so that's my preference.

[ILuvPsych2013]

I have lived in Lincoln my entire life and am sad that I will have to leave here for grad school. I know my town pretty well, so anyone who has any questions about UNL or Lincoln in general is welcome to hit me up

[mallorn]

Since I'm seriously considering an offer from UNL, I'd like to bump this.

1) Is having a car absolutely necessary? Are there any options like renting a car hourly for grocery shopping and the like? I'm going for an MS degree, not quite sure if I'm going to extend to a PhD so I'm hesistant to plunk down the cash for one.

2) Where is a good place to live near the East Campus, preferably walking distance?

3) What is the estimated cost of living for a single person for the whole year? Would $15k or slightly higher suffice?

Edited March 16, 2012 by mallorn

[ILuvPsych2013]

Mallorn:

1) I would say that having a car is not absolutely necessary. We have a descent bus system that runs through all major parts of town. Lincoln is also becoming increasingly bike-friendly, and our buses are equipped with a "bike and ride" feature with a mount for your bike on the front of the bus...this way you can bus any longer distances and then bike around campus (or wherever). I know many students who are taking advantage of this.

2) The area around East Campus is practically all rental homes and apartments. I personally lived in a home right across the street from East Campus on Idylwild Drive. The area is okay, albeit old. Some of the houses in the area (like the one I lived in) are approaching 100 years old, which means insulation may be an issue (think heating and cooling bills). I will also warn that the apartment buildings in the immediate area can be rather sketchy, so proceed with caution. All that being said, East Campus itself is very nice and park-like. Is it possible to live on campus?

3) $15k seems very reasonable for a yearly stipend. You can get a modest 1 bedroom for $500/month, and utilities should generally run $100-150/month. Most landlords cover water/garbage costs.Overall, cost of living in Lincoln is very reasonable especially when it comes to rent.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions!

[yoshiko]

Hi everyone,

I am a born and raised Californian, possibly moving to Lincoln for a 3 year PhD program. I am going to be honest: I am scared shitless to move to Lincoln because I've actually never been to the Midwest. I am visiting Lincoln in the next week so I guess I will have better insight on it. I already know the weather is significantly different than Cali (really cold and really humid).

A question for those already living in Lincoln: How are the people like? Since the university is a big part of Lincoln, are there a lot of out of state people? Would it be a bad idea to wait until August to look for an apartment? I wont lease an apartment from an online ad and I wont be able to actually move to Lincoln until August when school starts. I might do the whole living in a weekly rent hotel for a bit until I find a good place.

A question for those considering or going to Lincoln: Are any of you from the east or west coast?

[ILuvPsych2013]

Hi everyone,

I am a born and raised Californian, possibly moving to Lincoln for a 3 year PhD program. I am going to be honest: I am scared shitless to move to Lincoln because I've actually never been to the Midwest. I am visiting Lincoln in the next week so I guess I will have better insight on it. I already know the weather is significantly different than Cali (really cold and really humid).

A question for those already living in Lincoln: How are the people like? Since the university is a big part of Lincoln, are there a lot of out of state people? Would it be a bad idea to wait until August to look for an apartment? I wont lease an apartment from an online ad and I wont be able to actually move to Lincoln until August when school starts. I might do the whole living in a weekly rent hotel for a bit until I find a good place.

A question for those considering or going to Lincoln: Are any of you from the east or west coast?

Yoshiko:

Don't be scared Yes, the winters are probably going to take some getting used to. My husband moved here from Houston, TX and he has found that he actually enjoys having four distinct seasons.

Here is the midwest, people are friendly for the most part. We wave when someone lets us in during "busy" traffic, we use blinkers, etc. The university is very diverse, having students from all over the country as well as a decent sized international student representation. Because we are such a college town, you might be pressing your luck to try to find an apartment in August. I would recommend late June or July as a best bet, or earlier if you are trying to be very close to campus.

A couple of potential negatives: Depending on where in California you are from, you may find Lincoln to be a bit on the boring side. We have a decent bar scene downtown, movie theaters, restaurants, etc., but little in the way of "big city" entertainment. Omaha, however, is only 45 minutes away and offers many more options.

I hope this helps, please feel free to p.m. me if you have specific questions!

[mallorn]

2) The area around East Campus is practically all rental homes and apartments. I personally lived in a home right across the street from East Campus on Idylwild Drive. The area is okay, albeit old. Some of the houses in the area (like the one I lived in) are approaching 100 years old, which means insulation may be an issue (think heating and cooling bills). I will also warn that the apartment buildings in the immediate area can be rather sketchy, so proceed with caution. All that being said, East Campus itself is very nice and park-like. Is it possible to live on campus?

Based on the website, on-campus housing is available, but I'd prefer off campus as I'd like to stretch my funding as much as possible. That said, I'm an international student so if I decide on UNL I'm probably going to arrive in Lincoln in August. Do you think looking online for rentals is a viable option or is it better to wait until I'm there in person? Would the latter be even feasible?

Thanks for answering all these questions, ILuvPsych2013! Lived in California for a while, visited the East Coast, but I've never been to the Midwest! Grew up and currently live in a big city which has never seen snow and never will so like yoshiko, I'm a bit apprehensive of moving somewhere which is extremely different from anything I've experienced so far. That said, Omaha being 45 minutes away is not bad and based on some googling Lincoln seems to be an ok size.

[ILuvPsych2013]

Based on the website, on-campus housing is available, but I'd prefer off campus as I'd like to stretch my funding as much as possible. That said, I'm an international student so if I decide on UNL I'm probably going to arrive in Lincoln in August. Do you think looking online for rentals is a viable option or is it better to wait until I'm there in person? Would the latter be even feasible?

Thanks for answering all these questions, ILuvPsych2013! Lived in California for a while, visited the East Coast, but I've never been to the Midwest! Grew up and currently live in a big city which has never seen snow and never will so like yoshiko, I'm a bit apprehensive of moving somewhere which is extremely different from anything I've experienced so far. That said, Omaha being 45 minutes away is not bad and based on some googling Lincoln seems to be an ok size.

I think whether you pursue your search online or in person is a matter of comfort. I can tell you that the last 3 places I rented in town were found on craigslist. Obviously it can be a gamble, but I also feel like if you wait until August to start your search, you may run the risk of having to settle for whatever is left instead of finding somewhere you really like. I also used to lease apartments in town, so if you run across a complex you are interested in, I can probably give you some info on it.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions.

[yoshiko]

Thanks ILuvPsych! I can already tell that the people in the Midwest are very nice and welcoming from just your posts alone!! I will most likely come back to Lincoln in Julyish so that i can get a place by August. I have been looking at a lot of complexes online....there are a lot of choices actually! Oh and I am from Los Angeles, and currently live in San Francisco...so I know there are going to be a lot less things to do in Lincoln as opposed to these areas. I am also an outdoors person...love mountains...so again this will be difficult for me BUT I am trading this for a PhD in a program that I am very enthusiastic about. Also, some comforting advice professors have told me is "do your PhD in an 'uncool' place so that you can finish faster" - I do not wish to label Lincoln as "uncool" since I haven't lived there yet but the general gist is that getting the PhD done in an appropriate time frame will mean moving to more places. I consider this move to Lincoln as one that can also help me grow as a person because I have always lived in hustling and bustling places.....this may be good for me!

[ILuvPsych2013]

Thanks ILuvPsych! I can already tell that the people in the Midwest are very nice and welcoming from just your posts alone!! I will most likely come back to Lincoln in Julyish so that i can get a place by August. I have been looking at a lot of complexes online....there are a lot of choices actually! Oh and I am from Los Angeles, and currently live in San Francisco...so I know there are going to be a lot less things to do in Lincoln as opposed to these areas. I am also an outdoors person...love mountains...so again this will be difficult for me BUT I am trading this for a PhD in a program that I am very enthusiastic about. Also, some comforting advice professors have told me is "do your PhD in an 'uncool' place so that you can finish faster" - I do not wish to label Lincoln as "uncool" since I haven't lived there yet but the general gist is that getting the PhD done in an appropriate time frame will mean moving to more places. I consider this move to Lincoln as one that can also help me grow as a person because I have always lived in hustling and bustling places.....this may be good for me!

I love Lincoln for many reasons...but "cool" is not necessarily a label I would give it, so don't worry-I'm not offended

Feel free to let me know if you have any questions about specific complexes!

[gwpwnt]

I just accepted my offer to attend a PhD program at UNL and would love to hear some specific recommendations on places to live. I know it's overall a pretty cheap place to live and coming from the east coast, this is great to hear, but I would love to get some specific recommendations because I don't think I'll be able to come out beforehand to choose an apt.

[ILuvPsych2013]

I just accepted my offer to attend a PhD program at UNL and would love to hear some specific recommendations on places to live. I know it's overall a pretty cheap place to live and coming from the east coast, this is great to hear, but I would love to get some specific recommendations because I don't think I'll be able to come out beforehand to choose an apt.

Congrats on your acceptance! A couple of questions to try and help you:

1) Will your program be at City Campus or East Campus?

2) How many beds/baths do you need?

3) Do you have a car or will you be using the bus system?

4) What's your budget?