By Valerie Green, Manager of Resident Life, University Student Apartments

On a perfect fall day, University of Utah student families enjoyed bounce houses, carnival games and cotton candy while they learned about campus and community resources at the annual University Student Apartments USA Block Party. University Student Apartments, or USA, hosts the event to celebrate the beginning of a new school year and help students get equipped with information to enhance their university experience.

“My kids still haven’t stopped talking about the block party,” said Kristin Bayles, USA resident. “It was the highlight of their week! They just love living here, and we as parents really appreciate everything USA does to make this such a fun community in which to raise our kids.”

University Student Apartments provides housing to more than 1,000 student families in the Sunnyside Avenue and Foothill Boulevard areas and also houses single students in the Medical Towers near Health Sciences.

Playgrounds, community barbecue grills, garden plots, child care and easy access to campus make USA a great choice for U students with families. The community is rich in diversity, with residents from many states and more than 35 nations. Residents include newly married couples, couples with children, single parents and single graduate students. There are more than 500 children under the age of 6 living in the complex, so residents of all ages and cultures enjoy this vibrant community.

Resident Council, USA’s elected student government, collaborates with the Associated Students of the University of Utah, ASUU, and the Union Programming Council to coordinate family friendly activities throughout the year. Resident assistants, hired for one-year terms, provide orientation for new residents, inform residents about resources and policies and arrange monthly court activities. USA’s Moms’ Club and International Women’s Association offer regular social and educational activities for parents and children.

Resident life activities provide a variety of opportunities for residents to engage and support each other throughout the year. Campus Recreation offers fitness classes in USA community centers each semester so that busy parents and students can take time out to exercise. To aid with child care needs, USA partners with Salt Lake Community Action Program to offer residents a free Head Start program. A partnership with the Center for Child Care and Family Resources provides full- and part-time child care for infants through 5 years old. International residents can attend English classes offered through the Cross Culture Club. In addition to the programming provided for them, USA residents may also enjoy free use of on-site community centers for personal events such as birthday parties, cultural celebrations or various family activities.

The benefits of community life, affordability and close proximity to the University of Utah campus make University Student Apartments a great place for student families to live. For more information, visit the USA website at apartments.utah.edu.

We live at University Student Apartments because Stephen is studying accounting at the U. I graduated from BYU and now work for the University Credit Union. We’ve lived here for about two years and have come to love it!

We initially moved into University Student Apartments for the low price in rent and proximity to campus but have stayed because of the friends we’ve made and the community we’ve become a part of while living here. We especially love the green space right outside our front door and the opportunities it gives us to interact with our neighbors and enjoy the beautiful area where we live.

We have enjoyed getting to know many different people who share a similar stage in life as us because they’re also studying at the U. Stephen has been able to use the convenience of our location to campus to maximize his study time and attend campus events easily, which has been great for his education. We would highly recommend living here and have really loved it for the first years of our marriage.

– Allie Millet

My husband Gajadhar and I moved to Utah in fall 2011 from Nepal. My husband got a scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, and we came to Utah, leaving other family members in our home country. Since the first day of our arrival in Utah, we have been living in the University Student Apartments. I am thankful that my friend recommended the East/West Viagge to us.

The most exciting thing at USA is the community of people from the different parts of the globe. I always feel comfortable chatting and sharing feelings with neighbors whenever I meet them. People living here are very kind and eager to share their culture. This makes the apartments a superior place for international student families like us. The other incredible thing is the playground facility for children. Kids of all ages play together, but it also creates an opportunity for parents to socialize with their neighbors. The fun USA events like the block party and the court activities sponsored by the RAs are wonderful opportunities to mingle with neighbors.

In order to be productive in a professional student career, our whole family needs a healthy and a stress-free environment. I believe this is an ideal place for all kind of families to live while pursuing their careers at one of most prestigious universities in the United States.

– Diya Badu

We have lived in University Student Apartments for two years. We moved here when David started his Ph.D. program in the Eccles School of Business. We have four children, ages 5, 3, 2 and 6 months, and we have loved our time here.

When we moved to Salt Lake City, we had lots of concerns. Where should we live? Who would our neighbors be? Where would our kids go to school? Could we find an affordable community close to campus where we felt safe and included?

For us, the West Village has fulfilled all of these needs. It is close to campus so David can get to and from school easily and can focus on his studies. Our neighbors are in the same stage of life as we are — many newly married or with young families that are trying to make it through school. We have made lifelong friends here, and there are lots of chances to get to know each other at USA parties and events. The elementary school that our daughter attends is fantastic. We also love the international community here. We were so excited to meet people from all around the world and to let our kids interact with other cultures.

We recommend University Student Apartments to everyone we know. USA does everything it can to keep rent low and make a great community for families. Before we moved here, we met lots of people who had lived in the village, and they all had great things to say about it. Now that we’re here, we agree.

– David and Melissa Hunsaker