As for where to search for housing, TAMU students will usually look along one of Texas A&M’s several bus routes, as transportation to the university’s large campus is a necessity. Specifically, popular neighborhoods include the Bryan area as well as the West Park area.

Bryan is approximately five miles north of College Station and together the two towns are commonly referred to as the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area due to the number of people that reside in both areas. The town of Bryan is a popular choice for students due to the affordable housing, proximity to campus, and all the fun that the town has to offer. Restaurants, live music, historic museums, and architecture, as well as the breathtaking Lake Bryan waterfront are just some of the perks of living in the town.

Some housing options in the Bryan area include College Edge Apartments, Riverstone Apartments, Camber Villas, and Aggie Station.

The West Park area, located just slightly west of campus, features several housing options such as apartments or homes for rent. Park West, a luxury student apartment complex, is a popular choice among students for its price point, style, and location.

Additionally, the West Park area is home to some of the college’s fraternity and sorority houses, such as Sigma Alpha Epsilon. In the West Park Area, students have a large variety of housing to choose from, including Campus Crossings, Fox Run Condominiums, Quarters on Luther, and U Club Townhomes.

Among the other different apartment complexes and housing options around campus, some favored places include Gateway, Northpoint Crossing, Sterling Northgate, Crossing Place, Eastgate Apartments, and Reveille Ranch.

Dining

College Station is considered to be a part of what many refer to as the “Texas Triangle”, a name for four of the prominent metropolitan, interconnected cities in the Lone Star State: Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin. Combining an eclectic and balanced array of various cultures, you will never have trouble deciding what to eat while at Texas A&M.

Whether you are craving some wholesome, comforting Texas barbecue, a greasy burger after a night out, a steaming bowl of ramen noodle soup, or authentic Mexican tacos, there is no shortage of options around campus. Here are some of the local favorites: Gumby’s, Sweet Eugene’s House of Java, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Casa Pachita, Layne’s, Napa Flats Wood-Fired Kitchen, Zatar, TAZ Indian Cuisine, Jin’s Asian Cafe, Swamp Tails, Salata-College Station, Christopher’s Wood Grille, Antonio’s Pizza, Fuego Tortilla Grill, and MAD Taco.

And for the 21+ crowd, enjoy the lively nightlife at some of the popular bars students frequent which include The Tap, Dixie Chicken, 12 Rooftop Bar & Lounge, Hurricane Harry’s, Grub Burger Bar, Koppe Bridge Bar and Grill, Chimy’s College Station, and Four Downs Sports Bar.

Transportation

As Texas A&M University has one of the largest college campuses in the country and is home to nearly 70,000 students (plus staff and faculty), providing adequate transportation to and from the school for all is an immense priority. Thousands of Texas A&M students, staff, and faculty travel to campus every day, with the primary ways of travel being car, bus, bike, and walking.

As a student at Texas A&M, you will never be without a means of transportation. Currently, the university has 10 bus routes for on-campus destinations, and 14 bus routes for destinations off-campus. Any student, faculty, or staff member with a valid Texas A&M ID, along with members of the public with a Brazos Transit Direct ID may ride on all campus bus routes, including off-campus routes. The buses do not operate on holidays, nights, and weekends during breaks, or on home football game days.

Biking as a means of traveling to and from campus is encouraged, as Texas A&M has plenty of resources and services to support student bikers. Bike share, for example, allows TAMU students, faculty, and staff to ride one of the hundreds of bikes located throughout campus. Additionally, students can lease a bicycle through the Texas A&M Transportation office. There are several bike lanes and thousands of bike racks across campus to make travel and storage easy!

Texas A&M requires everyone who uses a car to get to campus to have parking permits. The university also uses Zipcar, a car-sharing network that allows you to drive a variety of cars on demand. Zipcar allows you to drive by the hour or by day, around Texas A&M, or even farther outside of the general campus for an affordable price.

Parking

Though Texas A&M has an exceptionally large campus, parking is still limited. As stated previously, parking permits are necessary for all students, staff, and faculty who travel to campus using their own vehicles. For TAMU students, parking permits are divided into two categories: students living on-campus and students living off-campus. On-campus students can register for a parking permit based on their location on campus and select different packages according to their preferences. While on-campus parking permits are based on location, off-campus parking permits are based on class, meaning what year you are as a student.

Off-campus parking permits are broken up into categories by graduate students, seniors, juniors and sophomores, and freshmen. Depending on what class you are in, you will be able to select from different parking options. Pricing for the different permits depends on where you live (on or off-campus), where you are looking to park, and for which academic semester. Availability for parking can fluctuate depending on the time of year- for instance, there is more available parking during summertime or winter break, but those who must park during these times still must pay to park.

Safety

Texas A&M has one of the safest campuses in the country and takes the safety of its students, staff, and faculty very seriously. The university offers several different resources to ensure their protection and assistance if a problem arises. The college has its own safety department, The University Police Department, to assist with and guarantee the safety of students.

Corps Escort: If you are headed back from a late-night class or walking home from a party that ended too late, there is free escort service from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. Upon calling the Guard Room, a member will meet you and walk you to most on-campus locations.

Emergency Phones: Throughout campus, there are several blue light phones that are distinguished by a blue light and “police help” written on the front and sides. If you are in a bad situation or feel an uncomfortable situation arising, you can press the red button on the phone and a police dispatcher will immediately know your location, and talk with you on the phone.

Shopping

Outside of the Texas A&M campus, the city of College Station has so much to offer for students. In terms of shopping, students can visit a variety of areas depending on their interests. Perhaps you want to pick out a new outfit for a formal next week, or you want to grab some fresh veggies from the farmers’ market- College Station has got you covered! Some great places to shop include the Post Oak Mall (Torrid, Forever 21, Bath and Body Works, Victoria’s Secret), Century Square (Sabi Boutique, Lululemon, Merge Boutique), and Jones Crossing, where you can find an array of fast-food eateries, beauty and grooming stores, and health and wellness spots.