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Lawrence, Kansas sits between Kansas City and Topeka, and it's about as student-shaped as a city gets. The University of Kansas crowns Mount Oread above town, and its tens of thousands of Jayhawks set the rhythm of daily life. Downtown runs along Massachusetts Street, a walkable stretch of shops and music venues students actually use. Green space is everywhere, from the Kansas River trails along the levee to South Park near downtown and the Baker Wetlands to the south. Game days pull the whole place toward Allen Fieldhouse and David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, and you'll feel the crowd long before the gates. Add summer festivals, live music, and an easy walk between class and a riverside trail, and you've got a town built around its students.
The blocks ringing the top of Mount Oread, the classic upperclassman pick, full of older houses within a short walk of class.
The streets just off Massachusetts Street put you in the middle of the action, steps from the city's best shops and venues.
West of downtown, mixing quiet residential streets with quick access to both campus and the city core.
Here's what you need to know about getting around Lawrence.
Lawrence Transit runs nine city routes Monday through Saturday, connecting downtown, the campus edge, and most student neighborhoods. KU On Wheels handles the campus side with about a dozen routes looping Mount Oread and the streets just below it, so getting to class is rarely the hard part. Both systems are free with a student ID, which adds up fast over a semester. Most renters in the core lean on the bus.
Walking works well near campus and downtown, where Massachusetts Street and the Oread blocks keep everything close. Biking is popular thanks to lanes and river trails, though Mount Oread is a real hill. Students living in the core can reach class and the shops on foot. The trails give cyclists a route along the river.
If you commute from the far west or south sides, a car helps, but the core stays tight and most renters lean on the bus. Parking near campus is limited, with permit requirements on Mount Oread. The outer neighborhoods offer easier parking. Many students borrow a friend's car when they actually need one.
Common questions from students searching for housing.
It depends on size and how close you are to KU, but Lawrence runs friendlier than most college towns. One-bedroom apartments commonly land around $700 to $1,000 a month, while rooms in shared houses near Oread often drop to $400 to $600 per person. Newer complexes on the west side and furnished units downtown sit at the higher end. Splitting a house with roommates is usually the cheapest path.
Browse student housing near each Lawrence-area university.