<p>What is the area that Rice is located like? I know that it is "in" Houston, but is the immediate area very urban? Is it safe?</p>
<p>The Rice campus is bordered to the east by the Texas Medical Center, the world’s largest medical complex, comprised of 13 hospitals and 2 medical schools. On the west side of the campus is Rice Village, an eclectic/upscale mix of shops and restaurants within walking distance to the school. To the north and the south of the campus are beautiful residential neighborhoods with tree-lined streets. A light rail line is located on one side of campus with easy access to downtown, the museum district, and the football stadium. Also located nearby is a large urban park with a zoo and public golf course. The campus is about 4 miles from downtown.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s in a very safe area, but like any urban/suburban area, you still need to be aware of your surroundings.</p>
<p>Take a look for yourself: [Rice</a> University - Virtual Tours](<a href=“http://www.rice.edu/virtualtours/]Rice”>Visit Rice | Rice University)</p>
<p>Your view of an urban university really depends on your perspective. Rice is in Houston, but in an upscale residential area of Houston, very upscale from my perspective. In my experience, many urban universities are spread out in downtown areas rather than neighborhoods. Rice is a great mix if you want a contained campus but need more than a college town surrounding it.</p>
<p>Your replies have been very helpful <em>hugs</em></p>
<p>We had looked at the virtual tour, but our experience (with several older siblings having already gone through the process) is that the virtual tour tends to be a bit sanitized.</p>
<p>He knows he is not interested in a very urban area. His older S is a senior at Stevens, in Hoboken, NJ, and an older D spent a year in Flatbush, Brooklyn. So those are his images of an urban area. It sounds like Rice, while still in the city, is not like either of those.</p>
<p>Houston is NOTHING like any city we have back on the east coast. It’s something you have to see for yourself. To answer your question–Rice is in a very nice part of Houston. I don’t feel uncomfortable walking around at night, but that may just be me.</p>
<p>susgeek – I’ve lived in Houston (very close to the Rice campus) for 25 years and was originally from Maryland. The virtual tour on the Rice website is actually very representative of the campus and surrounding area. If anything it doesn’t give you a good picture of how beautiful and upscale the surrounding neighborhood is or how nice and extensive Rice Village is. You can check out the Rice Village website here: [Rice</a> Village](<a href=“http://www.ricevillageonline.com%5DRice”>http://www.ricevillageonline.com).</p>
<p>Having just visited New Jersey and Brooklyn recently I can definitively tell you that the area around Rice is nothing like those areas. The campus is very well defined and seems much more suburban than urban. There are oak trees and shrubs surrounding the campus and lined by a running path always frequented by students and neighboring joggers. Many Rice students forget that there is a city “beyond the hedges.”</p>
<p>Here’s an example of a house near Rice University: <a href=“We're Sorry, but we couldn't find the page you were looking for.”>We're Sorry, but we couldn't find the page you were looking for.;
<p>Do the dorms have air-conditioning or not? Houston is very hot.</p>
<p>Yes, all the dorms have central air conditioning. In fact, everything at Rice (and most of Houston) has central air conditioning. My son never saw a window unit until he lived in NYC.</p>
<p>That sounds great!!!
Thanks.</p>