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University of Notre Dame
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University of Notre Dame - Local Atmosphere - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler2.31

Local Atmosphere

C
Where does this grade come from?View all Local Atmosphere rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Local Atmosphere Grades:

Quick Stats

Fun Local Trivia
  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.
Notable Natives
  • 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
Points of Interest
  • College Football Hall of Fame
  • Morris Performing Arts Center
  • Potawatomi Zoo
  • South Bend Symphony Orchestra
  • Studebaker National Museum

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

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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Notre Dame Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at University of Notre Dame

kblanco2255

Psychology '12

2.7
C+

Old, Not Inviting to Students

South Bend is not really a college town, but it is developing into one.

Apr 17, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at University of Notre Dame

slovejoy

English '14

2.7
C+

Big Name School in a Small Town

When I tell people that I go to school at Notre Dame, everyone knows what I'm talking about. What they don't know, however, is where it is. That is primarily because South Bend traditionally has Notre Dame to offer and that's it. While certainly far from a bustling city, I find South Bend to possess everything a college town needs. There is a large mall practically within walking distance, countless strip malls with public transportation, Rocco's pizza place, 2 movie theatres, a small zoo, and the College Football Hall of Fame. South Bend is certainly far from a tourist destination, but it has more than Notre Dame would ever need- pretty much all you need can be found within the golden gates of the university itself.

Jan 08, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at University of Notre Dame

jfredric

Marketing '15

4.6
A

Everything You Need Is Right There

Notre Dame is right next to South Bend, Indiana, but you never really need to leave campus the way it is set up. However, if you ever get restless or need to go and get a halloween costume or get Christmas lights, there is a Wal Mart just 5 minutes away by taxi or upperclassman. Eddy Street is also a great place to go if you get tired of the dining hall. There is a Chipotle, Five Guys, McAllister's, Hot Box Pizza, and an ice cream shop just ten minutes away by foot. Finally, the College Football Hall of Fame is about ten minutes away by car. It is worth going to sometime during your 4 years at Notre Dame. *For when you're 21... Yes, there are numerous bars to go to in South Bend and a bus that drives all night from campus and back.*

Jan 06, 2012

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Page 1 of 8
User rating for University of Notre Dame - Local Atmosphere is 3.5 out of 5 based on 22 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the local atmosphere on the following topics

What is the local atmosphere like at your school?

What is the proximity to other universities? Is there much interaction?

Can you see yourself living here after graduation?

Facts

Shopping Centers University Park Mall
Major Sports Teams South Bend Silverhawks: minor league baseball
City Web Sites www.ci.south-bend.in.us
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • Chicago: IL: 2 hours
  • Indianapolis: IN: 3 hours

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

Cinemark 14
910 Edison Rd.
Mishawaka
(574) 254-9689

Cinemark Movies 6
6424 N. Grape Rd.
Mishawaka
(574) 277-7336

The Michael Browning Family Cinema
On campus
(574) 631-2800

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Alex Barker
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College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.