Off-Campus Housing & Apartments near Indiana University at Bloomington (IUB)

Welcome to off-campus living at Indiana University. If you're looking to move off campus into Bloomington this year, you've come to the right place. ForRentUniversity.com offers advice for students and parents and dozens of listings to help you find the best apartments near Indiana University. But what's student life in Bloomington, Indiana really like? What are the best neighborhoods for Indiana University students? Read on for the details in our IU Bloomington off-campus guide.

Indiana University Bloomington is one of the top-rated schools in the country, especially in areas like nonprofit management, environmental policy, public affairs, and music. Of course, IU also is home to the legendary Hoosiers! Indiana University has some of the country’s most passionate and loyal sports fans. But IU offers more than just an energetic sports scene. Here are a few other facts of note: - Indiana University makes numerous lists for its beautiful campus, marked by limestone architecture and landscaped grounds. - IU has more than 750 student organizations and about 75 fraternities and sororities. In fact, about 18% of Indiana students belong to a Greek organization. In all, 38 chapter houses line the perimeter of the IU campus, many along North Jordan Avenue. - Perhaps not surprisingly, Niche.com ranks IU in the top 20 nationally for Greek life and as a top 10 party school. - For those of age, Kilroy's on Kirkwood is ranked as one of the best college bars in the USA.

What’s it like for a student living in Bloomington? As you can imagine, given that IU’s enrollment is more than half the size of Bloomington’s population, this is a college town through and through. Kirkwood Avenue is the main student strip running from campus through downtown Bloomington, while international eateries form a restaurant row along Fourth Street. Life in Bloomington is casual and somewhat laid back. Weekend afternoons are spent lounging by Monroe Lake during the warm days of summer, while the nationally recognized Eskenazi Museum of Art at IU offers the ideal artistic escape. Students and city residents love the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, which hosts theater, music, and film. The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market is another local favorite, and plenty of wineries and craft microbreweries let you sample the region’s best flavors. Brown County State Park sits just outside Bloomington, and the gently rolling hills of Southern Indiana are a bicyclist’s paradise. As for town and gown relations, Bloomington’s leadership has long looked at the city and the school as parts of a whole rather than two individual entities. Students and the community live cohesively, enjoying all that Bloomington and IU have to offer, including plenty of art and music.

Staying Safe in Bloomington

Bloomington’s crime rate is significantly lower than that of nearby Indianapolis. This is a college town, though, so property crimes (burglary and theft) are more common. At IU itself, CollegeFactual found that about 65% of crimes reported on campus are for burglary. Fortunately, many apartment communities around IU have safety features. You also can take advantage of Safety Escort rides and the Night Owl bus service to get back and forth to campus at night.

East of Campus (Green Acres)

Green Acres is a popular location for off-campus housing for IU students, sitting on the eastern edge of campus across Union Street. Initially, the neighborhood is more single-family homes, but as you cross State Road 46, you’ll encounter dozens of apartment communities. You can bike to campus from these apartments, or many of the apartments are served by Bloomington Transit’s 6 Campus Shuttle. Across East 3rd Street, you’ll also be very close to shopping at Eastland Plaza and College Mall.

West of Campus (Old Northeast / Downtown)

This is perhaps the most popular place for IU students to live off-campus, especially if you want to be near the action on East Kirkwood Avenue. The area has a lot of student rentals and numerous student-friendly restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and clubs. The adjoining neighborhoods of Old Northeast and Downtown also are highly walkable, so you can get around town and to campus easily. If you head a bit north into the Garden Hill neighborhood, you’ll be set for game days. This neighborhood is right beside Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium, where the Hoosiers play basketball and football. Other sports facilities near here host baseball, field hockey, tennis, soccer, swimming, and track and field.

South of Campus (Eastside / Elm Heights)

This area is south of the IU campus, near the university but also close to College Mall, which boasts more than 80 stores and restaurants. This area is particularly well located if you’re going to be attending the Jacobs School of Music at IU. You’ll find numerous student-friendly apartments here. Along 3rd Street near the music school is a cluster of restaurants, a coffeehouse, and the T.I.S. College Bookstore. There’s also a lot of green space south of campus to walk your four-legged friends.