The area west of campus is also dense with apartments. Street parking is hard to find, but the campus evening vans, and security escort programs operate in this area.

There are a lot of apartments on Wilshire Boulevard, which tend to be lower in rent and are close to the free UCLA Campus Shuttle.

West LA is located south of Westwood and west of Veteran Avenue. Many students choose to walk or bike to campus due to the proximity of this neighborhood to campus. Students can find spaces to rent east of the 405, and there is a cluster of apartments located along Santa Monica and Olympic Boulevards.

Brentwood is located two miles west of campus. Most of the apartments are located within the triangle created by Wilshire, San Vincente Boulevard, and Bundy. While this area is more known for its condos, there are still several apartments to choose from.

Bel Air is located directly north of campus, but students may find it difficult to find space to rent here or things of interest. There are no apartments located in this area, though there may be a few rooms to rent within houses or condos.

Santa Monica is located near campus. It is widely popular because of the beach, parks, libraries, buses to UCLA, clean air, and rent control. Due to its popularity, long waiting lists, low turnover, condo conversions, and competition, rent tends to be more expensive in Santa Monica. Students have a greater chance of finding a place to live in Ocean Park on the south side and in the inland area off Santa Monica Boulevard since there is a higher rental turnover rate and the rent is cheaper.

Pacific Palisades is located west of Brentwood and north of Santa Monica. It is popular for the apartment shares and rooms in homes that are in the hills and canyons that overlook the ocean. On the downside, there is limited bus service, making it difficult for some to get to campus, but on the plus side, it is known for its beauty and is near the beach.

Dining

Since off-campus students do not typically utilize dining hall services, knowing where to get the best food before, between, and after classes is important, especially if you have full days on campus without time to cook. Like many college campuses, there are a variety of coffee shops on and near campus, including Café 1919, Jimmy's Coffeehouse, and Bruin Café.

There are also a variety of fast food options available, including Panda Express, Chick-Fil-A, and In-N-Out Burger. For a slightly more upscale quick dining option, Wolfgang Puck Express has a location at UCLA. Other chain options are Taco Bell and California Pizza Kitchen,

For a more unique experience, there are a variety of cultural restaurants, from sushi at Tomodachi Sushi to Nina's Mexican Food. College is a great time to explore foods you never tried before, and the convenience of having these places around campus makes this time ideal.

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse is located south of UCLA in Westwood Village. They are known for their pizza, handcrafted beer, and their Pizookie. Broxton Brewery is another popular bar near campus, located in Westwood.

Transportation

Getting around UCLA is an important thing for students who live off-campus. The BruinBus offers a year-round bus service that serves the UCLA campus and the Wilshire Center. There are also charter and driver services that serve UCLA departments and student orgs. Though it is a year-round service, not every route is in service all year so be sure to check out the BruinBus website.

The University of California – Los Angeles also offers an evening van transportation service for access between campus buildings, on-campus housing, and nearby residential areas. These vans are operated by Community Service Officers who carry two-way radios to provide a direct link to the UCLA Police Department. This service is available during the fall, winter, and spring terms, Monday through Thursday from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. It is not available on holidays or during breaks. Students who wish to use this service need to download the UCLA Safe Ride app to request a ride.

UCLA is close to Los Angeles public buses and students can opt to buy a transit pass if they plan to use the buses for commuting to an apartment or to a job or internship. This is a great way to save some money, especially on a student budget.

Students who choose to live in the Westwood neighborhood have access to walking and biking to campus. For those that would rather use other modes of transportation, this area has access to the Big Blue Bus routes #1, #8, #11, and #12/Super 12 and UCLA BruinBus Campus Express and Wilshire Center routes. Those who live in West LA have the options of biking to campus, taking the Big Blue Bus routes #1, #2, #8, #11, and #12/Super 12, or the Culver City Bus #6. The Brentwood neighborhood has access to biking to campus, as well as Big Blue Bus routes #2 and #3 (#4 connects with #2 and #3, and Metro line 2. Students who do find space to live in Bel Air usually walk or bike to campus. Those living in Santa Monica can take the Big Blue Bus #1, #2, #3, #8, #11, and Metro line 2 to campus. The only mode of transportation to campus from Pacific Palisades is Metro line 2.

Parking

UCLA has a variety of parking spaces around campus, from lots to structures. Students who want to park in non-metered parking areas need to apply for an e-permit. The e-permit uses the car's license plate to verify that a student can park in a specific place.

For short-term parking, UCLA has Parking Pay stations that allow you to select how much time you need. Full-day passes are available at these locations. Parking Pay stations are ideal if you know exactly where you want to be. These stations accept $1- and $5-dollar bills, as well as VISA, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. Students may also pay via the Parkmobile app.

Since campus is busy during the academic year, spots tend to fill up quickly. It is suggested that students plan accordingly and carpool if possible. There is also a Trip Planner on UCLA's website so students can plan for parking.

Safety

For many students, safety is a huge concern for moving off-campus. UCLA has its own police department that is trained on campus and is familiar with the campus and its surrounding neighborhoods. To receive safety and crime alerts from campus police, students are asked to join the Campus Safety Listserv for updates about police activity.

UCLA also has an email and text alert system called BruinAlert. These alerts inform students of official information during emergencies or crises that disrupt the normal operation of the campus or put the university's community in danger. Anyone with an ucla.edu email address is automatically enrolled in email updates. Students can receive these alerts via text messaging by entering or updating their cell phone information through McUCLA.

Community Service Officers offer a variety of safety services for students. As mentioned in Transportation, these officers are responsible for the evening van service. CSOs are also available for free walking escort services. 15 minutes before a student needs to leave a location, they should call (310) 794-WALK and provide their current location, where they are going, and their name and callback number. These escorts are equipped with pepper spray and connection to UCLA Police officers in case of danger. The escort service is available anywhere between Wilshire and Sunset, and Veteran and Hilgard.

Shopping

Having places to shop, from clothes and groceries to more fun items, is important for many students. Luckily, UCLA has all the above. For essential items such as groceries, there is a Target, CVS, Rite Aid, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods Market on or near campus. There is also an Urban Outfitters nearby for clothes shopping needs.

For more fun shopping trips, there is Aahs! Gift Store for party supplies and gag gifts. Westwood Square Mall is also near UCLA's campus for fun shopping, as well as clothing needs. Many students also choose to go to nearby Santa Monica for more shopping options.