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Mostly Safe but There Is a Bad Part of Town

Winter Park is a beautiful, wealthy town located 15 minutes from downtown Orlando. Central Winter Park is very safe but there is an adjoining area, a couple of blocks wide, that is a dangerous part of the town. Once you cross over the train tracks you are treading in unsafe territory. Because of this unsafe part of town, located closely to campus, there are a few instances of bikes being stolen or houses being broken into. Although these instances are rare, it is essential to be aware when living off campus.

Convenient but Expensive

Living on campus is a requirement for Freshman and Sophomores. Freshman have to live in either Rex Beach, Ward, or McKean. Mckean is more fun but Ward is much nicer. Sophomores can either live in greek housing, Sutton Apartments, or Elizabeth. Greek housing is the best option because many of the houses have singles and have been newly renovated. Sutton is a renovated retirement home but still has heat lamps in the bathrooms. In Sutton four people live to an apartment (two doubles) and are equipped with two bathrooms, a living room, a porch, a kitchen, and an eating area. Elizabeth is an older building and is a randomly assorted group of people. All on campus housing is very expensive and every student must be on a meal plan. It is very hard to get permission to live off campus Sophomore year and almost impossible to get off the meal plan.

Conveniently Located Housing but High Cost of Living

Rollins has a neighborhood that is located almost on campus called College Quarter. This neighborhood is made up of single story 2-3 bedroom houses that were built in the 70's. Many of the houses look like they are about to fall apart but the rent is astronomical. A 2 bedroom 2 bath house within walking distance from campus that is around 1,000 square feet usually has a rent price tag of $1,900 per month. This price decreases the farther from campus you get but since parking is hard to find, many student prefer to walk to class. Although it is pricey, College Quarter is the mainstay for off campus parties since it is so conveniently located. College Quarter is not the only option though, there are several apartment complexes near campus.

Diverse for a Small Private School

Although the majority of the student that attend Rollins are white, there are a good number of international students. I have friends from all over the world and it is nice to have different opinions in the classroom.

Talented Athletes but Not Much Support

Rollins has very talented athletes in many different sports, from water skiing to soccer. Although we do not have a football team, soccer is the substitution. The soccer team has won many victories and the games are supported but by a small crowd. The other sports are barely attended at all.

Something to Do Every Night of the Week

Rollins is located next to Park Ave., which is a street filled with high end restaurants, bars and shops. The restaurants usually have happy hours and the bars have specials to attract the college crowd. You will always see someone you know on Park Ave. around happy hour. The College Quarter, an off campus housing neighborhood, is great for house parties. If you get sick of the scene within walking distance, downtown Orlando is only a 15 min cab ride away. Church St. is full of clubs and bars, and traffic is closed off to this street. Not being 21+ is not an issue for most clubs.