University of Dayton Ghetto facts for kids
The University of Dayton Student Neighborhood is a special area in Dayton, Ohio, where older students from the University of Dayton (UD) live. It's a bit like living in a dorm, but also like renting a house from a landlord.
This neighborhood has a long history, going back to the 1870s. Today, it includes over 200 houses owned by the university. There are also houses owned by private landlords, plus bigger apartment buildings and places for students to gather. The university also owns properties in two smaller nearby areas called Holy Angels and The Darkside. Together, these areas have more than 400 houses for students. Because some houses are old, the university is always working to fix them up and make them better. More changes are planned for the future!
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History and Location
The Student Neighborhood is located south of downtown Dayton. It's not far from the Great Miami River and Interstate 75. The area forms a rough triangle, bordered by Brown Street, Irving Avenue, Trinity Avenue, Evanston Avenue, Caldwell Street, and Stonemill Road.
The land for the neighborhood was once owned by John Henry Patterson. In the 1870s, it was divided into housing lots and a factory area for NCR Corporation. The first owners of the neighborhood included Thomas S. Babbitt and Harry Kiefaber. The area was first known as the town of Babbitt. It started with just four streets: Lowes Street, Kiefaber Street, Hughes (now Stonemill Road), and Wead (now Lawnview Avenue).
The NCR Corporation used Babbitt as homes for its workers. In 1906, the city of Dayton, Ohio took over the area, and it continued as a middle-class neighborhood. In the 1950s, the University of Dayton started buying houses there. They wanted to see if students liked living off-campus. By the 1970s, many students were living in the area.
For a long time, the neighborhood was called "the Ghetto." This name is offensive to many people because it refers to places where minority groups were forced to live. The university now calls it the "Student Neighborhood." This change helps make sure everyone feels welcome and respected.
New Buildings and Updates Since 2000
As the houses got older and more students wanted to live in the neighborhood, the university started a big project to renovate and replace homes. They wanted to keep the neighborhood's friendly feel. Around 2000, they started building new duplexes (houses split into two parts) on empty land. These duplexes could house 12 students each.
In 2003, the university tore down some old houses on Stonemill Road. They replaced them with new houses designed for five students. Many more of these new houses have been built since then.
In 2006, the university spent $2.5 million to fix up four existing buildings and build five new attached townhouses. These new homes, located on Frericks Way and Stonemill Road, can house 55 students. One of them is the famous "Castle," which got a new stone-like look to match its name. These houses were ready for students in the 2007-2008 school year.
With all these new buildings, the university now owns 328 houses in the Student Neighborhood, including several duplexes. In 2005, there were also 73 houses owned by private landlords that students rented.
The newest building in the South Student Neighborhood is the Adele Center. It was built where the old McGinnis Center used to be. This $11.2 million apartment building has 96 new living spaces for older students. It also has a front desk, offices, and other spaces for university use. The Adele Center opened in the fall of 2018.
Holy Angels and The Darkside
Besides the main Student Neighborhood, students also live in two other areas: The Darkside (officially called the North Student Neighborhood) and Holy Angels (also known as "College Park"). These areas used to be connected by Alberta Street. However, they were separated when the Thomas J. Frericks Center and a new entrance were built.
The Darkside got its name because there weren't many streetlights when students first moved there. It's bordered by Stewart Street, Brown Street, Woodland Cemetery, and Wyoming Street. In the past, mostly junior students lived on the Darkside. Now, with a new housing system called AVIATE and "PATH credits," junior and senior students are more evenly spread out between the two main student neighborhoods. Groups with more PATH credits get to choose their location first.
The smallest of the three neighborhoods is Holy Angels. It's named after the Holy Angels Church and School in the middle of the area. Holy Angels is located between the Darkside and the South Student Neighborhood. It's separated from them by Stewart Street and a parking lot.
Special Features
Not all houses in the student neighborhoods are just for students. Some houses are home to groups of Marianists. These are members of the Catholic religious institute that founded the University of Dayton. Between six and 10 Marianists live in each house. They work at the university as ministers, groundskeepers, professors, and in other roles.
The Student Neighborhood also has some bigger apartment complexes. These include the Garden Apartments and the Lawnview Apartments. Campus South is a tall building for sophomore students. In 2004, the ArtStreet complex opened. This is a unique place where students can live and learn at the same time. It has housing for 56 students, a cafe, an outdoor theater, practice rooms, activity rooms, and art galleries. It also has a studio for the campus radio station, WUDR.
Some houses in the neighborhood have fun nicknames given by students, like "The Deli House" or "The Castle." These nicknames often change each year. Many houses are also used by fraternities, sororities, and other student groups.
Future Plans
In 2002, the University of Dayton shared a Master Plan for the campus. This plan included fixing up and building new houses in the neighborhood. It also suggested extending Stonemill Road and improving parking areas. There were no plans to replace the neighborhood with bigger buildings, even though the campus doesn't have much extra land.
In 2005, the university bought an additional 49 acres of land. Much of this land used to belong to the NCR Corporation. This new area, called Mid Campus, led to a new Campus Master Plan.
The new plan changed some of the earlier ideas for the student neighborhoods. A big new building is planned for the Darkside, east of Alberta Street. This building will be a sustainable residence hall with 75 to 90 beds. It will also have an educational area. This building will use cool technologies like solar energy, geothermal heating and cooling, and special showers that use less water. The plan also includes a path for walking and biking to connect the neighborhood to the main campus and sports areas.
