Downtown Fort Collins has several neighborhoods, including Old Town Fort Collins, which is close to many restaurants, shops, Old Town Square, and of course, CSU.

In addition, the neighborhood of Old Prospect is just a quick six-minute drive from the CSU campus and is in a very convenient location with supermarkets and restaurants nearby. Due to its central location, many residents of Old Prospect bike everywhere. In this vicinity, consider Bucking Horse Apartments, Flats at the Oval, and City Park Lofts.

Other complexes to check out within a mile or so from CSU’s campus include The Social West, Governor’s Park, ReNew Foothills, The Social at Stadium Walk, and Union on Elizabeth.

South Fort Collins is a rapidly growing area of the city with many residential and new commercial buildings. Warren Shores, one of the neighborhoods in this area, is known for its ideal location thanks to its close proximity to CSU, various shops, and hiking trails for those who enjoy a good hike, making it a great place to live for an outdoorsy CSU student.

If you do not mind living further away from CSU, there are also lots of great apartment communities. Consider Settlers Creek, Pinecone Apartments, Miramont, and Uncommon Fort Collins when you are looking for your off-campus home.

Dining

There are many dining options for Colorado State University students that live off-campus to choose from.

Big Al’s Burgers and Dogs, just a nine-minute drive from the CSU campus, is a casual eatery that serves a variety of burgers (cheeseburgers, veggie burgers, etc.), hotdogs, shakes, and flavored fries. The restaurant also has an eclectic charm -- its furniture and decor are made from recycled and repurposed objects.

La Piadina is an Italian restaurant that is a short ten-minute drive from CSU. This eatery specializes in authentic piadina flatbread sandwiches.

Bindle Coffee is a coffee shop only about 15 minutes away from the CSU campus. It is a great place to go for CSU students looking to grab a morning drink and some breakfast or brunch with friends perhaps on a weekend.

Transportation

Colorado State University students have many options for getting to and around campus. For CSU students that live off-campus, they can get around on the Transfort system by using their Transfort transit pass, which is covered by their student fees. They can also choose to get around by Zipcar, bike, or e-scooter.

On-campus, students can catch the Around the Horn shuttle, a free cross-campus shuttle system that runs every ten minutes from 7 AM to 6:40 PM during the academic year, and every 30 minutes during the summer.

Parking

Colorado State University students who wish to park on campus need a valid CSU parking permit, or they need to park in designated hourly parking spaces and pay at a parking meter. Students can choose from a variety of parking permit options, such as a daily permit, a commuter ten-pack, a monthly option, and many more. Parking is enforced from 7:30 AM to 4 PM, Monday through Friday, year-round, or as posted, including fall, winter, spring, and summer breaks. Visitors can also purchase a daily parking permit or park in designated hourly parking areas and pay at a pay station or the WaytoPark app on their phone.

Safety

There are several security programs in place to ensure the safety of all CSU students. CSU has a SafeWalk program, for which Campus Service Officers -- students who are employed and trained by the CSU Police Department -- are available to escort any student from any location on university property to another university-owned location or within a three-block radius. SafeWalk is available to any student, faculty, staff, or visitor to university grounds.

Shopping

There are several great places to shop near Colorado State University. Downtown Fort Collins has several shops where students can go out to have a good time. These shops range from bed, bath, and beauty to books to clothing and accessories.

Foothills is a shopping mall just a ten-minute drive from CSU’s campus, offering department stores, boutiques, and restaurants.

For students who wish to do their grocery shopping off campus, several nearby grocery stores include Beavers’ Super Market, King Soopers, and Mountain Avenue Market.