Neighborhoods

While many students live on campus in dorms during their first year at the University of Maryland, College Park, upperclassmen often decide to move off campus. There are plenty of housing options to choose from that are catered towards students at the university.

Some of the most popular neighborhoods where students reside off campus include Berwyn Heights, Old Town, University Park, and Riverdale Park. Students can find Greek life houses in the Old Town on Sorority Row. These neighborhoods mostly consist of college students with some residents.

Many students find off-campus housing within the boundaries of University Boulevard east to Route 201 and south to Route 410. Within these boundaries, there are plenty of apartment complexes available for UMD students to rent rooms and apartments while attending the University of Maryland, College Park.

Some of the most notable apartment complexes include Monument Village, Varsity College Park, Glen Oaks Apartments, and The Apartments at Bonnie Ridge. Each of these complexes offers their own amenities. Some include a pool, gym facilities, a business center, and more.

The University of Maryland, College Park also helps students search for off-campus housing. They offer available listings and additional resources for students to use while searching.

Dining

There are many restaurants and bars around the University of Maryland, College Park's campus and off-campus neighborhoods. Most of the restaurants in the area can be found along Baltimore Avenue. The best spots for a quick bite to eat include Sweetgreen, Blaze Pizza, and Chipotle. For a sit-down meal, the best spots to go to are Latao Hot Pot and Sushi, NuVegan Café, and Kangman BBQ.

The most popular bars that students frequent in the area include Looney's Pub, Town Hall Liquors, The Hall CP, Trinity, Hard Times Café, and Terrapins Turf. Along with great food, these college bars also offer specials to college students and have themed nights.

While there are a lot of options around the University of Maryland, College Park's campus, students also have access to a broad selection of restaurants in downtown D.C.

Transportation

The University of Maryland, College Park offers its own transportation system with the Shuttle – UM. This shuttle is perfect for UMD students who need to get around campus or to their off-campus apartments. Students can use the NextBus app to track where their buses are in real time and find different routes available to them. Students need to show their school ID to ride.

The university also offers e-bike and e-scooters to students who would like to take an eco-friendlier approach to getting around campus. This is also a great economical option for those who do not want to spend money on buying a bike.

For those students who need to go a little further and do not have public transportation as an option, there are ZipCars located on campus for students to use.

Lastly, local transportation stops are located close to campus including the MetroRail, MetroBus, and the MTA Commuter Bus. These all travel outside of College Park and to major cities such as Washington D.C. and Baltimore.

Parking

There are parking lots available on or near the University of Maryland, College Park's campus. Faculty and students can buy daily parking passes for $12. These passes are sold in bundles of five. It should be noted that a parking pass does not guarantee a parking spot, though.

Free parking is available in certain lots after 4 pm on weekdays and all day on the weekends.

Safety

The University of Maryland, College Park takes safety very seriously and has its own public safety program. Within this program, they have implemented an alert system to notify students of any danger or announcements happening in real time.

An escort service is available to students, so they do not have to walk alone at night from a location on campus to their dorm or apartment. The Shuttle – UM also turns into the Nite Ride service, which operates from 5:30 pm to 7:30 am with selected routes. Students can also charter rides if needed.

Lastly, the campus has installed numerous blue emergency phones around campus for students to get in touch with public safety team members within seconds in case of an incident or emergency.

Shopping

UMD Students have access to plenty of shopping options around campus and the surrounding neighborhoods. There are two Targets in the area and a Walmart for everyday items. Plus, The Mall at Prince George's offers multiple stores and department stores.

Students can also take advantage of the shopping options downtown in D.C. for even more specialty shops and high-end fashion.

There are a great number of options for grocery stores and supermarkets in the area as well. Some of the large supermarkets to note are Giant Food, Walmart, Safeway, Lidl, and Whole Foods. Convenient stores such as 7-11 can also be found around campus for a quick pick-up.