College Area is a residential community in the Mid-City region of San Diego and is dominated by San Diego State University students, earning it the name of “College Area.” It includes the neighborhoods of the Catoctin Area, Dennstedt Point, East Falls View Drive, and Saranac-Mohawk.

Fun fact – Some students have been known to create “mini-dorms” out of rented homes, which means they rent out homes in these neighborhoods that are typically single-family units and split them among SDSU roommates.

Zuma on Montezuma Rd is another popular apartment complex among SDSU students as it is within walking distance to SDSU. Montezuma Rd also hosts other SDSU off-campus apartments, such as Corinthian Apartments and Aztec Corner Apartments. These complexes are within walking distance to the San Diego State University campus.

BLVD63 on El Cajon Blvd is yet another popular off-campus housing spot for SDSU students when it comes to apartment living. Located less than a mile from SDSU, tenants often use shuttles to get to and from campus. The Plaza Apartments is a highly coveted off-campus housing choice for SDSU students as well.

The communities of North Park, South Park, and Normal Heights are also popular among students looking for off-campus housing near SDSU, as they offer several convenient food and bar options.

For students looking to live closer to the beach than to campus, Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach are popular spots for off-campus living. While they are a bit of a drive, the allure of living close to the beach is a big one for plenty of San Diego State University students.

Dining

There are plenty of dining options that students can explore that are close to their off-campus apartments.

On College Avenue, for example, there is a selection of places that make for quick bites without straying too far from campus. For fast food, there’s Domino’s Pizza, Jack in the Box, and McDonald’s. Stop by Broken Yolk Cafe to get the perfect breakfast before a long day of classes or load up on some tacos at Trujillo’s Taco Shop after a day of studying.

A little bit further from campus is a street of dining options on El Cajon Blvd. If your off-campus apartments are located here, like the BLVD63 apartments, these eateries are just a short walk from your front door. To satisfy any caffeine or smoothie cravings, there is the Daily Grind Cafe, Starbucks, and San Diego Blenders. For some Greek & Mediterranean classics, there’s Fattoush. There is a little something for everyone near SDSU, including Thai at Sala Thai, sushi at RB Sushi or Tokyo Sushi Loha, Chinese food at Great Wall Express, and many more.

For bars close to SDSU’s campus, El Cajon Blvd is thriving with students looking to decompress after hours of studying. There is Dirty Birds, which can satisfy any SDSU’s students for a combo of hot wings and beer as they watch their favorite sports teams compete on the many screens mounted around the bar. Students frequent the College Area location, but they also have locations in Pacific Beach, Liberty Station, and Ocean Beach.

Lastly, there is also The Ugly Dog Pub and City Pub close to students’ off-campus apartments, perfect for a night out with friends.

Transportation

The Metropolitan Transit System’s Green Line Trolley has a station right at the heart of campus at the SDSU Transit Center. The Green Line Trolley runs every 15 minutes throughout most of the day and gives students access between SDSU, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, Old Town, and downtown San Diego.

Additionally, there are also MTS bus routes that can take students from SDSU to their off-campus apartments located in neighborhoods like North Park, Normal Heights, City Heights, University Heights, and Balboa Park. Bus route Rapid 215 is popular among SDSU students because it makes both campus and off-campus apartments easily accessible. Students can purchase discounted semester and monthly transit passes.

Parking

While public transportation makes it easy to travel to and from campus, some students opt to have their cars on campus, especially if they are living further off-campus.

Students can only park in areas that have an “S” or “N” symbol. A student semester parking pass is $174 for day use only and $276 for day/overnight use.

Safety

San Diego State University takes safety very seriously and as such students can reach out to the SDSU police department if they ever need any help. There are also emergency “blue light” duress phones located throughout SDSU’s campus.

Shopping

For grocery shopping, SDSU students do not have to stray too far from their apartments to stock up on groceries each week. Close to off-campus apartments on Montezuma Road is Ralphs for easy shopping within walking distance. Down El Cajon Blvd, there’s Rite Aid, CVS, and Smart & Final for students to stock up on essentials. Right off campus on College Avenue, students can stop at Trader Joe’s on their way home to off-campus apartments after a day of classes.

For those occasions when students just want to treat themselves to some new clothes or other items, there is the Westfield Mission Valley -- an open-area shopping mall that has stores you would typically find in traditional malls.

Down the street, there’s Fashion Valley which features even more shopping and dining options that are still close to SDSU. For convenient transportation, there is the Fashion Valley Transit Center that can take students to and from campus using the MTS.