Ashton Woods Apartments are just one of the many apartment complexes located in Champaign. However, because apartment living has become increasingly popular, these apartments are in high demand.

Most students on campus jump at the chance of moving into an apartment during their junior or senior year. Ryan Nygaard, senior in Aviation, said that living in residence halls barely compares to living in an apartment.

“It’s night and day,” Nygaard said. “Dorms are cramped and generally too hot; the food is decent, but it’s loud in the halls and community bathrooms and showers are typically unsanitary. With a good apartment, the living is quieter, clean, temperature controlled, and the food choices are up to you.”

Nygaard, who lives in an off-campus apartment at Westgate Apartments, said living in Champaign doesn’t get any better.

“I love Champaign. I really like having a lot of people around and I love the atmosphere that living on this side of campus creates. There are plenty of things to do; going out to dinner with friends is fun, because there is a lot of industry and restaurants in Champaign.”

As far as the locations are concerned, living in Champaign is extremely different from living in Urbana in many ways.

Cindy Brewer, the office manager at Illini Manor Apartments, recognizes the differences because Illini Manor leases apartments on both sides of campus.

“Our Champaign locations are right in the heart of campus, right between 1st and 4th (streets), making it seem more social and in the middle of everything happening on campus,” Brewer said. “Our Urbana locations are on the Engineering Campus and tend to be a lot quieter.”

By leasing an apartment in Champaign, students will experience a livelier, social side to the University, putting them in the middle of activity, Brewer said.

Students looking to live in an apartment may have a lot of their questions answered just by asking a friend or classmate who lives in an apartment questions about it. However, some are still concerned with the more serious questions, and would like to have more detailed answers. For those skeptical students, the Tenant Union is the place to go.