First time posting....hopefully doing this correctly....where are most students living? Would like to be within 5 minutes of the campus but made a visit out this weekend and with the exception of a few high end buildings the immediate area is not so terrific. I really do not want to be a 20 minute drive from campus.
I can try and give some advice regarding this topic -- I've lived in CO for 6 years, and studied and/or worked on campus for the whole time.
You're right that most of the surrounding neighborhoods immediately near the campus aren't amazing. I lived in Aurora my first year in CO, and there were pretty high crime rates, rates of theft, property damage, etc. I lived in an apartment complex about 3 blocks from school when I started graduate school on campus, and I had a classmate who got his car stolen within 3 months of moving in. It's a little cheaper to live in Aurora, and there are some places that are nice-ish, but it definitely comes with some risk with that.
There are a handful of apartment complexes near campus (within 1-2 blocks either north or south of campus), which are nicer, and I do know that a lot of students on campus do live in these apartment buildings, so I would say it is probably nice to be living around focused, like-minded individuals. However, even though those buildings are close to campus, they are still in Aurora, so it's a factor to take into consideration that the places you go for things like grocery shopping, running errands, will still be in that neighborhood. Additionally, those apartment buildings are *P R I C Y*, so definitely a factor to take into consideration as well.
If you go Northwest from campus, you have the Central Park (previously called Stapleton) neighborhood, which is VERY nice. Lots of parks, green areas, walking trails, recreation centers, pools, nice grocery stores, nature preserves, etc. Central Park/Stapleton is very safe, very quiet, and is about 5-8 minutes away from campus. There are a number of apartment complexes scattered throughout the neighborhood, but I will say that housing in this area also tends to be on the -more expensive- side.
Going Southwest from campus, you have a neighborhood that borders Aurora called Lowry, which is also nice (maybe not as nice as Central Park, but still would say is much safer, quieter, and nicer than Aurora). Lowry has a number of apartment complexes, townhomes, and other houses that are a little less expensive but also pretty nice. Lowry also has a lot of parks and green areas, beer gardens, museums, etc. Lowry is probably about 10 minutes away from campus.
Going Northeast from campus, there is a neighborhood that is called Green Valley Ranch. I will say that Green Valley Ranch is like a slightly better version of Aurora (not as nice as Central Park for sure, but still feels much safer and nicer than Aurora). Green Valley Ranch is kind of in between the medical campus and the airport, so you get to school by hopping on the interstate for about 8-12 minutes. Not too far, definitely manageable, but it's not something you could easily walk or bike. Green Valley Ranch is pretty nice, there are some parks and green spaces, some recreation centers, and lots and lots of fast food restaurants. Housing is cheaper in GVR for sure, so if price point is more of an issue, it makes sense to at least check out the apartments, townhomes, and even houses in that neighborhood. I lived in a nice, big house with a few classmates in grad school in this neighborhood, and our rent ended up being about $500/person/month. Not too bad.
Hope that helps! Please feel free to DM me if you need more info!
🙂