In and Around Champaign-Urbana
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Champaign-Urbana (C-U) has the friendly atmosphere of a small town, yet has the facilities of a larger city. It has a large international community and is within easy travel distance of Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis. |
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| Champaign Urbana |
Champaign-Urbana offers:
- Shopping
- C-U has a wide variety of shops from huge, general department stores and large electronic stores to international food shops and clothing boutiques. Some are located on campus and the others are easily accessible by car or public transportation. From spring to fall, students can also enjoy the outdoor Farmer's Market where fresh fruit and vegetables and arts and crafts are sold.
- Public transportation system
- Students who don't have a car in C-U will find that the award-winning public bus system here will easily take them almost anywhere they want to go. Students ride for free with their student ID card.
- Nightlife
- Champaign-Urbana has several different movie complexes offering more than 15 different movies each week. There are also concerts, plays and Big 10 sporting events such as basketball games. Many students like to visit C-U's numerous bars, music clubs and dance-bars offering live music.
- Restaurants
- C-U has a wide range of restaurants offering American and authentic international food at prices ranging from cheap to expensive. In particular, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Mexican and Italian restaurants are quite popular.
- Other ways to have fun
- Six public golf courses can be found in or near C-U as well as bowling alleys, skating rinks, and billiard halls. C-U also has the second largest planetarium in Illinois
- Parks
- C-U has more than 50 public parks which offer many different types of recreational opportunities such as tennis courts, picnic areas, playgrounds, basketball courts, swimming pools, a nature center, boating, fishing, soccer fields, walking and biking trails, and open green spaces.
- Community Festivals
- C-U also hosts several community festivals during the year such as the Roger Ebert Overlooked Film Festival in April, The Taste of C-U in June, the Independence Day Celebration in July, a Music Festival and Sweet Corn Festival in August, and A Parade of Lights in December, as well as many other smaller events during the year.
For more information visit the Champaign County Visitor's Guide.