Westport, located about a 7-8-minute drive from the UMKC campus, is a well-known midtown area. It offers many options for students looking to rent apartments, including at apartment complexes such as Ellison Apartments and North Terrace Property Management Apartments.

Waldo is located about 10 minutes south of the UMKC campus. It is a walkable, bikeable community that is both a residential neighborhood and a business district. Waldo is also a versatile, fun place for students to live, with boutiques, bakeries, day spas, and opportunities for nightlife.

Some neighborhoods in the downtown area include Quality Hill, Union Hill, and River Market, which are all about a 10-minute drive from UMKC. This area includes many options for apartment and loft living, including Quality Hill Apartments, Interstate Flats, and Pendleton Flats.

Brookside is just a short five-minute drive from the UMKC campus. With many places to dine, shop, and play, Brookside is a thriving community and a great place for college students to live.

Dining

When University of Missouri – Kansas City students get tired of on-campus dining hall food, there are many dining options off campus that students can explore.

One popular restaurant near UMKC is Pizza 51. Located in a former garage, this pizzeria serves thin-crust pizza, salads, sandwiches, and beer -- cuisine that many college students will not hesitate to turn to.

Aixois is another well-known restaurant near UMKC. A classic French bistro with a coffee bar and bakery, Aixois offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While it is a bit on the expensive side, this restaurant is a great place to go for students who want something a little fancier than the usual food they can find on campus.

Brookside Barrio is a Mexican restaurant located near UMKC in the Brookside shopping area. For lunch and dinner, this eatery offers quite a variety of dishes -- appetizers such as ceviche and Mexican lettuce wraps; enchiladas and burritos; main courses such as surf and turf kabobs; tacos; sandwiches; and salads.

Kin Lin Chinese Restaurant is a popular eatery frequented by UMKC students, especially because it is so close to campus and very convenient to get to.

Transportation

The University of Missouri – Kansas City has a shuttle bus that takes UMKC students around campus to various buildings. Students even can track the shuttle bus in real-time by visiting umkcbus.com

Students looking to travel off-campus around Kansas City can use their student ID to take advantage of the citywide student bus pass program. The student transportation fee is only $28 per year, which is quite affordable. The Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA), also known as the “Metro,” allows travelers to get around Kansas City and suburban Johnson County, Kansas.

UMKC also offers biking options. It has 64 bicycles for the bike commute program, which are loaned out and can be chained to one of the 359 bike racks now installed on campus. All UMKC students can borrow these bikes for one semester, although they are subject to late fees if the bikes are not returned on time.

Parking

On the University of Missouri – Kansas City campus there is no free parking available during the day or at night, so for those who wish to park on campus, they must either pay at a meter or purchase a parking permit.

There are many parking spaces available in the Cherry Street Parking Structure, which is located at Oak and 50th Street. Metered parking is located on the fifth level of the parking structure along with a pedestrian walkway.

For those who wish to purchase a parking permit, there are several different kinds available: student permit; faculty and staff permit; motorcycle, moped, or motor scooter permit; and visitor, student, or employee one-day permit. A student (24-hour) permit costs $68 for a semester, while a student evening permit (valid only after 4:15 p.m.) costs $58 for one semester. Students also have the option of purchasing an Oak Place Apartments garage permit or a Hospital Hill Apartments garage permit.

Safety

For University of Missouri – Kansas City students who feel unsafe on campus at any time, they can call the UMKC police or use one of the blue emergency phones on campus to be connected directly with them. UMKC police also act as safety escorts on campus, provide motorist assistance (jumpstarts and unlocks only), conduct property registration, hold hostile intruder training, and women's self-defense, do safety presentations on drugs, alcohol, theft prevention, and personal safety.

UMKC even has its own campus-wide alert system; students receive alerts through email, text, and phone calls.

Shopping

There are several great places to shop near the University of Missouri – Kansas City.

One area is the Crossroads Arts District, a fun place for students who are interested in the arts and creative design -- think art galleries, studios, clothing stores, and gift shops.

Oak Park Mall is Kansas' largest shopping mall. It has four major department stores -- JC Penney, Nordstrom, Macy's, and Dillard's -- and offers a variety of other stores to please shoppers.

Several grocery stores near UMKC include Whole Foods, Marsh's Sun Fresh Market, and Cosentino's Market, all no more than a 10-minute drive from campus and convenient for stocking up on groceries for students who do their own cooking.