Arroyo Vista Dorm Reviews at UC Irvine

The only bad thing about this is that they got rid of paper towels in the bathrooms in order to save money. They said they gave out reusable towels during move in day but no one was ever provided at least in my dorm.

It was fun and as long everyone cleans up after themselves, it's pretty manageable. All in all a pretty good experience for younger people living "alone" for the first time. It also encourages strong sense of community.

The environment is friendly and it made it so I didn’t feel so alone. Thankfully my friend and I are close to each other so that helps. You don’t have to worry about your safety as much as you would at another campus or off campus.

I love this community!! Definitely, the place to live if you want to venture and step out of your comfort zone while in college. You meet amazing people and can find a niche that is suited for you. Not to be biased, but the Greek-themed houses make living at Arroyo Vista so much more fun since (pre-COVID) they would host campuswide events where anyone who goes to UCI can attend, help raise money for charities/philanthropies, and have fun with peers! The on-campus apartments around AV, like Camino, VDC/VDC Norte, Plaza, Puerta, etc. give students easy access to friends who live in those apartment complexes. Not only that, Arroyo Vista is right next to the Arc, which is the big gym that Kobe Bryant used to go to. On top of all of that, AV is not too far from food places, like the UTC or the plaza right across the street. There is so much more I could say about Arroyo Vista, but you're going to have to experience it yourself!

Arroyo Vista is one of the cheapest options available for housing at UCI, along with Puerta del Sol apartments. The only difference is that AV is licensed under UCI Student Housing, while PDS falls under American Campus Communities. This means that if you have a problem with your roommates or entire hall in general, you can contact your RA/Program Assistant/UCI Student Housing to help you with your situation. ACC and Irvine Company have different guidelines with regards to issues with roommates. The halls in AV are more of a smaller-scale dorm-style, rather than actual apartments. The two-story halls can fit up to 18 people, while the three-story ones can fit up to 34. Do not move into AV halls if you do not want to share a laundry room, kitchen, living room, and bathroom with up to 32 other people, or you did not enjoy the dorm lifestyle in your freshman (and sometimes sophomore) years. All rooms are doubles, with ample space. You will not get put into a crackerbox-sized room, don't worry. Be prepared to cope with hallmates not cleaning up after themselves. These are common situations that come with living with a lot of people in one house. You will sometimes have to deal with hallmates leaving their personal belongings all over the common area, people stealing your kitchenware and eating your food, dirty dishes piling up in the sink, trash piling up in the bins, laundry being left in the washer/dryer for hours on end, hair in the shower drains, human waste left in the toilet unflushed, pubic hair/period blood/semen on the toilet seat, hair in the sink and on the bathroom floor, etc. There are only one washer and one dryer per hall, and you need to swipe a card to use them. You must also swipe your card a certain way, otherwise, the card reader won't be able to read your card. AV is relatively clean, just like any other housing community here at UCI. There are groundskeepers and maintenance workers constantly cleaning the common rooms in the halls, as well as the foliage on the lawn and around the walkways. AV is also surrounded by the majority of the Anteater Express bus routes (the only exception being the W line, which most students don't use unless they live in Park West Apartments). It's also located next to the Anteater Rec Center, which is a large gym for students to go to if they want to work out. There are also many networking events that the students prepare for the residents to enjoy, as well as events that your RA and PA may plan themselves. If you can, go to these. Also, do not leave your personal belongings in the common area. Even though you live in Irvine, and Irvine is considered a "safe city", crime still occurs, and your stuff can and WILL get stolen. This especially goes for expensive shoes, gaming consoles, phones, phone chargers, clothing, spare change, and even food. When in doubt, keep all of your things in your room. People in your hall can use their room key cards to invite non-residents into the hall. Overall, AV is a solid living community. It's a good place to live for cheap, but you have to know about what you're getting into when you live with multiple people in one hall. Also, every hall has a different vibe based on where you choose to stay. Just know who to go to when you have issues, watch your personal belongings, and keep the common areas clean.

AV is a themed housing community right next to the Anteater Rec Center (a huge campus gym) with very cheap rent. It's perfect if you don't want to deal with ACC or Irvine Company for apartments, but you also don't want to spend much on housing. Contracts are 9 months instead of 12, so you won't have to worry about subleasing over the summer. AV composes of Greek housing and academic-themed housing. The noise level varies. AV is generally quiet, except for the occasional Greek-life events, and the occasional yelling of the people playing basketball at the ARC (if you live near the ARC) and the noise of the electric campus shuttles (the bus depot is behind the parking garage, and multiple shuttles run near AV). If someone has a really loud car, and you're unfortunate enough to live near the parking garage, it will startle you. The noise from the parking structure ECHOES. AV is generally clean. There are custodians working around the clock to clean common rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, and the outside foliage. Every morning I would see them mowing the lawn, cutting down branches, and raking the leaves. However, AV halls are small-scale residence halls, not actual apartments. You will have up to 34 people in one house, which is usually the general amount since half of the houses are three-story. You will be sharing kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms. If you could not stand the dorm life in your freshman year, or the thought of sharing common areas with a lot of people does not sit right with you, do not move into an AV hall, especially a three-story hall. As far as common areas go, please respect them. Do not let your dishes pile up in the sink and sit there for days, attracting gnats and fruit flies. Wipe down countertops and the inside of communal appliances. Always put your dishes up, because they WILL go missing. You will get your own cabinet for your non-perishables and utensils, so if you can buy a lock to use, I would highly suggest purchasing one. If the trash piles up, take it out. There are multiple garbage bins around the community where you dispose of your household trash. If trash is left to pile up, don't be surprised to come home to find trails of ants, and in a worst-case scenario, cockroaches, especially the larger kind. There are only one washer and one dryer for the entire hall, and they require a credit or debit card. There are 18-34 people trying to wash clothes in your hall, please do not let your clothes sit in the machines for hours going uncollected, especially if you do not want people moving your clothing without your permission. Regarding bathrooms, I recommend timing your showers. The lights are motion-activated to save energy, and because of the thick curtains, the lights can unexpectedly turn off on you while you're showering, especially if you're showering alone. Also, read and abide by the signs posted on the walls. Do not throw pads, tampons, condoms, menstrual cups, etc. down the toilet. Do not leave your hair all over the sink or on the floor. Do not let your hair clog up the shower drains. The location is pretty solid. AV has access to all of the main campus shuttle routes of UCI, with an exception of the W line (which is not necessary in this case since it goes to Park West Apartments, an off-campus housing community in Irvine). It's also located right next to the ARC, a large gymnasium/sports recreation center. There are also two Amazon lockers in Arroyo Vista, as well as a small community garden. Overall, my stay here as a first-year was great. I didn't get the true dorm experience that most first-years get when they live on campus, but nonetheless I had a great community that I lived with, I had access to the ARC, and I learned to navigate the UCI campus fairly quickly.