University of Notre Dame - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

At Notre Dame, a trip off campus is not a fun-filled vacation in Beverly Hills (or a walk in the park, for that matter). As you can see, most students find the South Bend atmosphere to be disconcerting. The consensus is that this is not a quaint college town, but a dirty and somewhat dangerous small industrial city. While some students confess a longing for the relief of big city activities and attractions, most will admit that, although South Bend is not their favorite town, they find comfort in the isolation of the Notre Dame “bubble.”

Notre Dame is so isolated from South Bend that it even has its own ZIP code. In the minds of many students, they believe this is a good thing. South Bend is a poor city and has many rough neighborhoods. While this may make it difficult for many students to feel comfortable venturing off campus, leaving the Notre Dame “bubble” to run errands is a feasible idea, as long as you know what areas to avoid. However, the lack of student attractions and the disparaging comments from students, leaves Notre Dame’s location with low marks.

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Students Speak Out

ltosatto says: University of Notre Dame 2014 Architecture and Planning

The University Is Really Its Own Little Community. B Most students spend their time on campus rather than going out into the surrounding Southbend area. However, if you can find someone who grew up in the area, there are a bunch of awesome whole-in-the-wall resturants. 12345 Local Atmosphere: March 12, 2010 Report

Anonymous says:

South Bend is separated from ND. I... South Bend is separated from ND. I don’t really feel like I live in a town, I just feel like I live at Notre Dame. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Coming from a larger city with... Coming from a larger city with almost a million people in the entire area, South Bend was a noticeable step down from the city atmosphere I was used to. I’m from the Southwest, where mountains and rolling hills are abundant, so the flatness of the area and the horribly underdeveloped, ill-planned roads of South Bend would often leave me lost when I ventured off campus. Most people in South Bend are very nice. As nice as people are though, it is not a good idea to go walking around South Bend at night, especially to off-campus parties. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

You want to stay close to campus,... You want to stay close to campus, as South Bend is not the greatest city. But you are within two hours of Chicago and Indianapolis. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

South Bend, Indiana is not a great... South Bend, Indiana is not a great place. The school is the best, but its location kind of sucks. Although some may complain, it doesn’t bother me. There’s plenty to see on campus, and Chicago is only an hour and a half away. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

Five Fun Facts About Notre Dame:
1. Notre Dame was founded as a primary and secondary school before becoming a University in 1844.
2. Notre Dame became a coed school in 1972.
3. Notre Dame is the only college in the country to boast a full-pads, 11v11 intramural football league.
4. 57.6% of students choose to study abroad at some point in their college careers. This is 6th highest percentage in the country.
5. Curly Lambeau (of Green Bay Packers fame) attended Notre Dame and chose Blue and Gold to be the Packers’ first uniform colors.

Famous People from Notre Dame/South Bend:
Schuyler Colfax – Former U.S. Vice-President, Speaker of the House
Ryan Newman – NASCAR driver
Charles Butterworth – Actor
Vivica A. Fox – Actress
Craig Counsell – Baseball player
 

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