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University of Southern California
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University of Southern California - Local Atmosphere - Local Atmosphere - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

Local Atmosphere

B+
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. Founded in 1781 by a group of 46 people comprising 12 families, Los Angeles's full name is "El Pueblo do Nuestra Senora la Reina de Angeles do Poriuncula."
  2. Only eight American states have larger populations than Los Angeles County.
  3. The Emmy Awards for television are held annually at the Shrine Auditorium, directly across Jefferson Avenue from USC. This is where a plane can fly over a car traveling over a train, going over a boat . . . (or submarine, or Pogo stick, or hovercraft).
  4. The first motion picture theater opened in LA on April 2, 1902.
  5. The famous Hollywood sign is on Mount Lee, not far from Mount Hollywood
Notable Natives
  • Drew Barrymore
  • Dustin Hoffman
  • Jackie Cooper
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • Leonardo DiCaprio
  • Duke Sneide
  • Jodie Foster
  • Leonard Slotkin
  • Tom Hanks
  • Madeleine Stowe
Local Slang
  • Agro: Out of control
  • Hollyweird: Another name for Hollywood
  • PCH: Pacific Coast Highway
  • S&M Boulevard: Santa Monica Boulevard
Points of Interest
  • Ahmanson Theater
  • California Science Center
  • Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
  • Exposition Park
  • Grand Central Market
  • LA Live
  • Museum of Contemporary Art
  • Museum of Natural History

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Most USC students begin to appreciate Los Angeles after they’ve had a semester to get comfortable living in such a big city. Once students develop a navigational sense of the area and find a mode of transportation, they gain access to a world of mountains and oceans, city and country, shopping centers and art museums, movie stars on the silver screen and in person, and job opportunities matched both in quality and quantity—with opportunities for fun. People are friendly at any time of day, other than rush hour. The weather is beautiful. The food is amazing. Anything is possible in LA—anything.

On the other hand, USC is in the heart of South LA, only blocks away from the site of the infamous riots of the early '90s. Now that USC is the leading private employer in LA, the school has a bigger stake in the community. Most of the low-income communities that surround USC have a tremendous amount of respect for USC students, though some can’t help but resent the obnoxious wealth that certain students flaunt and flash. But, hey, it’s LA—you’re going to get that from time to time.

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Southern California Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Local Atmosphere at University of Southern California

cinema999

Creative Writing '13

2.3
C

Have to Go Far for Fun

Local area is a lot of fast food/cheap movie theater type stuff, it you want cultural events/nice food/even a nice coffee shop you have to leave the USC area

May 11, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at University of Southern California

aguilar28

Acting '15

4.6
A

USC Is Great

The UV is a nice place to grab some food, Six Flags is extremely fun, it's LA so if you want culture this is the place to be. Visit a museum or art gallery, there's plenty of them. USC football is amazing and the staples center is right there if you want to catch a Lakers or Clippers game. Everyone here is extremely friendly. The only thing I'd change is the area by one of the Residence Halls. Don't live in Trojan on the street side. You will not sleep.

Mar 30, 2012

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Local Atmosphere at University of Southern California

jakyc

Social Work and Youth Services '14

4.6
A

I Love L.A.

Atmosphere in L.A. is like living in hollywood. YOu can do so many things here, it's amazing. From going to the beach, to going to the mountains on a snowing day, or just going to Mexico! All within 2 hours on the dame day. I love L.A.

Mar 20, 2012

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Page 1 of 14
User rating for University of Southern California - Local Atmosphere is 3.5 out of 5 based on 41 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
  • Beverly Center
  • The Grove
  • Shops at the Bonaventure
  • University Village
Major Sports Teams
  • Anaheim Ducks: hockey
  • Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: baseball
  • Los Angeles Clippers: basketball
  • Los Angeles Dodgers: baseball
  • Los Angeles Kings: hockey
  • Los Angeles Lakers: basketball
City Web Sites
Distances to Nearest Major Cities
  • San Diego: CA: 2 hours
  • San Francisco: CA: 6 hours, 30 minutes

Movie TheatersWhat's This?

AMC Magic Johnson Crenshaw 15
4020 Marlton Ave.
Los Angeles
(888) 262-4386

IMAX—California Science Center
700 State Dr.
Los Angeles
(213) 744-7400

Laemmle’s Grande 4-Plex
345 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles
(213) 617-0268

Pacific’s The Grove Stadium 14
189 The Grove Dr.
Los Angeles
(323) 692-0829

University Village 3
3323 S. Hoover St.
Los Angeles
(213) 748-6321

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
BJ Grip
Hometown
Colorado Springs, CO
Major
Theater

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.
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