If you are seeking a small house to share with Wichita State roommates, many students choose the College Hill area which lies south of Wichita State University. Contrary to the name, it is not right next to campus, but approximately a 10-15 minute drive away.

If you are looking to escape the city life completely, you may want to opt for the more suburban living in Bel Aire, a suburb that lies to the north of campus. Here, you can find quieter areas and larger houses.

Dining

Because of Wichita State's location, there are not too many restaurant options right next to the university beyond some fast food places. Many students choose to venture closer to Downtown to find the coolest restaurants. Most of Wichita's best dining happens on Douglas Avenue. There are some popular choices around the College Hill area like Ziggy's Pizza and Dempsey's Burger Co. alongside Dempsey's newer Biscuit Co.

You can also find some Wichita classics like The Anchor on that same street. If you're wanting something a little more elevated, venture into the Old Town area which features popular spots like Public and Sabor. For a more casual setting, try out some of Delano's hits like Yokohama Ramen and Milkfloat, which specializes in coffee and dessert. Milkfloat has a student deal where you show your student ID to get $6 bottomless drip coffee and receive 15% off all food offerings.

The most popular student bars are in the same area as the popular restaurants. A few favorites include Central Standard Brewery and Wichita Brewing Company. If you're looking to try a pub crawl, lots of students opt to spend the night in Old Town going between River City, Pumphouse, Bricktown, and Mort's.

Transportation

Wichita has limited public transportation options. There is a campus bus line that runs frequently throughout Wichita State's campus and stops at the nearby student apartment complexes on Oliver. There is also Wichita public bus transportation, but it is much less frequent. Something that may come in handy is the Q line Trolleys that run on Douglas Avenue during the evenings. These trolleys are free to use and can be very helpful when going between different nighttime spots.

Parking

Thankfully, Wichita has adequate parking almost anywhere. Every Wichita State apartment complex will have a large parking lot specifically for its residents and almost every house will have a garage or at least a designated driveway. Students often pay for parking permits to park on campus which can be competitive during peak hours. There is free student parking at the Metroplex where you can take the campus shuttle to campus.

The only other place you may run into parking issues is visiting Downtown Wichita on weekend evenings. However, there are quite a few parking lots and street parking that are free to use. You can also make use of the free trolley to get around.

Safety

Crime in popular WSU student living areas is minimal. There are a few housing areas right outside of WSU that are not known for being particularly safe so it would be best to avoid those, especially at night. During weekends and peak hours, there are usually quite a few police officers patrolling the area to ensure that people are safe. If you live close enough to campus, you can also have campus police officers escort you to your building.

Shopping

There are not many grocery stores close to WSU's campus. The closest ones would be the Walmart on 29th and Rock Road or the Dillon's on 21st and Rock Road. If you live near College Hill, you will likely use the Dillon's on Douglas and Hillside.

When it comes to shopping, you can find most stores, including H&M and Forever 21, at the Towne East Mall which sits east of the university on Rock Road near Kellogg. There are a number of independent stores and thrift shops scattered through the Downtown and Delano areas.