Here are some thoughts from past residents about life in the Village and Cripe Street apartments.

"Having lived in apartments in South Bend for the last two years, when we learned I was pregnant, we decided to move into The Village for our last year at ND.  Our decision was the best one we could have made for our family.

We find living at the Village is convenient, safe and has a wonderful community.  The shuttle that transports students/families to the campus runs conveniently twice an hour making the commute easy during the cold winter months.  The shuttle has been wonderful since my husband and I share a car.  Rather than having to take our daughter out in the cold, we are able to stay inside and my husband doesn't have to make the long walk from commuter parking to his classes.

I feel incredibly safe living in the Village.  A code is needed to enter the buildings after dark, neighbors across the hall are always looking out for one another and the outside is well lit.  If something within the apartment breaks, it is promptly fixed.

Perhaps the greatest blessing for me was having meals provided for us after our daughter was born. With family far away, it was amazing having residents, many of which we did not know, offer to make us meals so that we could spend time focusing on our new daughter.  The community here is incredible and it has offered much support during my transition into motherhood."

Sue
Law School
New York

"People here are very nice. Residents greet each other even though they may not know each other. That makes me feel at home.  Not only can children play on the playground, but also we enjoy chatting, playing with other friends or their kids there. To quote a friend of mine who left the Village in the summer of 2006, "You will never find such a nice place like the Village once you move out. It is just fantastic." I agree. I will definitely miss it when I leave. The office of the Village organizes lots of activities, which make our lives colorful. Almost on every holiday, we have a party. This means a lot to us whose homes are far away. I really appreciate it.

Xia
Biological Sciences
China

"My wife and I lived at Cripe Street a couple of months ago and now we have lived in the Village for some time. Since this is a campus residence for couples, safety is never a problem to worry about. At the same time, the community staff try their best not only to create a pleasant living environment for every separate family, but also to have us together exchanging and sharing our wonderful international experiences.  The best thing keeping me warm is what the community does for the kids. Varieties of education classes or other activities are prepared for babies and children. And the community policies show a lot of solicitude for the families having new babies. You will see a lot of friends come to help you and give their best wishes to your prince or princess. I would say the community is much more like a big family rather than a union of families. And one more thing: I am longing for a baby in this year and have his or her happy life start in the Village."

Yu
Electrical Engineering
China

"Although neither my wife nor I had ever lived in South Bend before, we came to live at Cripe Street hoping to part of a friendly community of fellow graduate students and young families.  That said, we were surprised at how quickly we found new and good friends in our neighbors here! It has been especially nice to get together for weekly masses at our little "parish" and to enjoy the convenience of being able to bicycle through the woods daily to campus, a little joy that we have decided is one of the greatest benefits of living at the village."

Michael
Political Science
Minnesota

"We chose to live at the village because we wanted to be a part of the Notre Dame community as a family.  We are so happy to have had the opportunity to socialize with other families in similar situations.  From this experience, we know we have developed long lasting friendships.  The small apartment was a huge adjustment, but our village community more than compensated for the lack of space."

Angie
MBA
Wisconsin

"It has been an amazing experience getting to know families from all over the world.  My kids are buddies with children from Egypt, China, and Bulgaria just to name a few.

As the wife of a full-time Law Student, it has been nice to know that you have neighbors out on the playground to talk to, offer support, and lend a hand.

Having a child with Autism while living in the Village---Everyone knows him, accepts him as part of our community, and keeps an eye out for him if he gets out of my sight.

Lots of support and joy from neighbors upon the arrival of new babies (meals, gifts, and offers for help with the other kids)

The large, fenced in playground is wonderful---You'll never have to travel to a city park.  Just walk outside the back door of your building to find swings (even big ones for mom & dad), slides, sand boxes, climbing trees, and plenty of friends of all ages to play with."

Mandy
Law School
Texas

"We are very happy living at University Village. What we like most is that the staff and the other residents are very kind and always willing to help. The staff of the Village very often organizes different activities for residents. These are good opportunities to meet our neighbors and share nice moments with other people.

Every Sunday, we have mass at the community center. The environment of the mass is very intimate and special for reflection. We also have a small gathering every Sunday after mass.

To go and come back from the University, we have two very good alternatives: The first is the Trolley, which is very punctual and it crosses all the campus so it always leaves us close to our final destination. The second option is just to walk. I really enjoy this, especially when the weather is not so cold. 

If we had to decide again where to live, we definitely would choose the Village."

Andres and Catherine
MBA / MBA
Chile