University of California - Riverside - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

While there is not much in Riverside, students find their way to the surrounding areas in Southern California. The campus and its immediate area create a nice college atmosphere, but venture out into the city of Riverside, and you won’t find a whole lot. Beware of the homeless people, especially in downtown. There are also some historic sites that are worth checking out. It is strongly suggested that you travel in groups, especially at night and when going farther away from the campus. The Orange Blossom Festival, Market Nights, and Mission Inn are a few of the highlights. There are a number of movie theaters close by, and the closest malls are about a half hour away.

For weekend recreation, many students travel into Moreno Valley for restaurants, bowling, clubbing, and playing broomball. Your best bet for a variety of activities is to check out the Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego areas. If clubbin’ is your thing, people say the best places are in Los Angeles. Some students like to test their luck with friends at Casino Morongo in Cabazon or Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, which are both about 40 minutes away. During the winter, many find their way into the mountains surrounding Riverside and go snowboarding and skiing in Big Bear. Idyllwild, nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains, is also a popular place for group weekend retreats. The student recreation center on campus also offers group weekend getaways through Campus Excursions. Through these programs, students can venture into the surrounding areas of Southern California to go snowboarding, kayaking, horseback riding, and rock climbing at discounted rates.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

Riverside is right in between LA... Riverside is right in between LA and San Diego, so an hour and a half in any direction will take you to some really cool places. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Southern California is the best... Southern California is the best place to live. The weather is great all the time, and there are a lot of parties and social stuff to do. If you don’t mind driving, it’s a really wonderful place. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

bl1288cca says: University of California - Riverside 2011 Social Sciences

A Few Attractions, but Not the Best Environment for College Students C+ Riverside is a large suburban city with a historical downtown. Downtown is historical and generally attractive, but small-scale. The Mission Inn, which is interesting and historical, is the prime attraction here, and there are a few small museums as well as some resturants and a small variety of small shops. There are two other small private universities here, but it is not a college town in the definition. There are a couple malls and a few movie theaters, but not much in the way of things to do beyond that. LA, Orange County, the mountains, and the desert are within an hour, but you must have a car to take full advantage of Riverside's central location. 12345 Local Atmosphere: December 15, 2009 Report

crystalizesea says: University of California - Riverside 2013 Biological and Biomedical Sciences

There Is Very Little to Do in Riverside. C Although there isn't many things to do in RIverside, it helps you keep focused on what you're really there for. The problem is when you need to wind down and don't have a car. 12345 Local Atmosphere: December 15, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

There is not much going on in the... There is not much going on in the area surrounding our campus. I am not a big fan of the local atmosphere at UC Riverside. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about Riverside:
• The first two navel orange trees in the U.S. were from Brazil and planted in Riverside in about 1875. Virtually all navel oranges grown in the U.S. are offspring from these trees.
• Riverside is home to the annual Orange Blossom Festival, and UCR is home of the largest variety of citrus fruits—even more than China.
• The Mission Inn has played “host” to presidents, royalty, musicians, and numerous movie stars. The Reagans honeymooned there, the Nixons were married on its grounds, and a special chair built for the 300-pound William Howard Taft when he visited is still available for visitors to see.
• The University of California, Riverside has the largest “C” inscription of all the UC campuses.
• The March Field Air Museum in Riverside is home of the world’s fastest plane, the SR-71 Blackbird.

Famous People from Riverside:
Barry Bonds – Baseball player
Don Imus – Radio personality/author
Kellie Martin – Actress
Reggie Miller – Former NBA player
 

Local Slang:
Hella – A Northern Californian slang term that has made its way down to Riverside; a synonym for "really"; as in “This food is hella good!”
So Cal – Southern California

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