University of Southern California Top Questions

The freeway, and surrounding fast food shops.

When you step off campus, you're literally in the heart of LA. USC's neighborhood doesn't have the best reputation, but it's definitely improving. You'll see lots of people/students commuting to their dorms. There are tons of places to eat around campus surrounded by various buildings including the historical Shrine Auditorium where concerts are held in time to time!

Well, USC is located in downtown LA, and not the nice part. A few blocks around campus, however, are not ugly. Its mostly a bunch of student housing and food places until you go a few more blocks in any direction. As you get further away from campus, you will realize that you are in the "ghetto", unless that is you went down the street to LA Live. That being said, being on campus always feels safe to me, and so does the nearby surrounding community, however, you should try not go places alone at night. This is not just a "USC-is-in-a-bad-neighborhood-thing" though, that piece of advice is very important for safety at any college you go to. Be street smart.

USC has purchased a lot of land in the community in recent years, in efforts to make it more of a college town. Eateries like Five Guys, Chipotle, Chick Fil A, Coffee Bean, and ColdStone's are less than a block East of campus, and more traditional fast food places like Taco Bell and TOGO's are to the West. North of Campus is the University Village, which is soon to undergo a massive face lift. Currently, there's a bike shop, a theatre, and an ethnic food court that is really popular with the dental school students. Just south of Campus is the California Science Center, which is a really fun place to spend a free afternoon. It's free of charge, and they offer a variety of hands-on exhibits for the kid in all of us! Next door is the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, which is also free for SC students. Right behind that is the Coliseum and the LA Sports Area where the Clippers used to play and the 1984 Olympics held events. Further down Figueroa from campus is the world-famous Staples Center and the new hot spot, LA Live. LA Live opened in 2008 and is the place to be if you're young in Los Angeles. There are two nightclubs, Nokia Theatre (a concert/performance hall), Regal Cinemas and many upscale dining options. Just be sure to check who's playing at Nokia before you plan to go to the movies--traffic gets intense!