CSUN's campus is in Northridge, a neighborhood that offers many options for students looking to rent apartments, including off-campus housing complexes such as Aspire Apartments at CSUN and Candlewood North Apartments.

Porter Ranch is located about seven minutes north of the CSUN campus. There are several parks and recreation options in this area, including Palisades Park, Aliso Canyon Park, and Moonshine Canyon Park, just to name a few, which makes this a great area for students who enjoy outdoor activities.

North Hills is just a short five-minute drive from the CSUN campus. This area offers an urban feel with many coffee shops and parks, and many of its residents rent their homes. Some apartment complexes in this neighborhood include Summer View Apartment Homes and Southwest Pointe Apartments.

Winnetka, located about 12 minutes away from the CSUN campus, is a highly ethnically diverse area. This neighborhood has a mix of an urban and suburban feel with many restaurants, parks, and coffee shops.

Dining

When CSUN students get tired of on-campus dining hall food, there are many dining options off campus that students can explore.

One popular nearby restaurant is Sushi Katsu-Ya Northridge, located a quick three to four-minute drive or an 11-minute walk from the CSUN campus. Sushi Katsu-Ya offers quite an extensive menu of sushi and sashimi that is sure to satisfy hungry college students.

Bun Me is a well-known Vietnamese restaurant near CSUN. What is most attractive about this eatery is that it is affordable, with most dishes around $10-$12, and CSUN students get discounts if they show their student ID. Bun Me is also a short six-minute walk from campus.

California Chicken Cafe is a casual eatery located just seven to eight minutes away from the CSUN campus. It is a great place to go for students who want something quick, affordable, filling, and healthy as they go about their college lifestyle. What is more, at this location, students get a free drink with their CSUN student ID.

Another popular option for CSUN students is Lum-Ka-Naad Thai Restaurant, about an 11-12 minute walk from campus. This restaurant offers a variety of filling options for hungry college students, including lunch specials, appetizers, food “from the grill,” and more.

Transportation

California State University - Northridge has two shuttle systems that run on campus: The Housing Shuttle and the Metrolink Shuttle.

During the Fall semester and the Spring semester, the Housing Shuttle Bus operates Monday through Friday. The Housing Shuttle's stops are located on the south side of Redwood Hall, at the F8 parking lot on Lindley Avenue, and inside the F10 parking lot on Lindley at Lassen.

The Metrolink Shuttle is free and runs between CSUN's campus and the Northridge Metrolink Station. This shuttle operates year-round on weekdays when campus offices are open for regular business. In the morning, the Metrolink Shuttle brings passengers to the CSUN Transit Station (located on Vincennes just north of University Hall). In the afternoon, the CSUN Metrolink Shuttle returns to the CSUN Transit Station to pick up passengers and take them back to the Northridge Metrolink Station.

The CSUN Transit Station is an option available for students looking to use public transit to commute to campus. The bus lines that use the CSUN Transit Station include the Metrolink Shuttle, Metro Bus Line 167, Metro Bus Line 744, and AVTA Express Line 787.

For students who may want to get to and from campus using a different mode of transportation, the Associated Students of CSUN provides a carpool service exclusively for students who desire a carpool arrangement.

Parking

California State University - Northridge students who wish to park on campus must purchase a parking permit. Parking on campus is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, and is enforced -- which means that parking permits are required at all times in all areas of the campus and must be properly displayed to avoid parking citations. Student parking permits are not valid in faculty and staff parking lots. Students can purchase either a semester permit or a daily permit to park.

Safety

There are several security programs in place to ensure the safety of all CSUN students. The Department of Police Services (DPS) is partnered with Student Housing to provide police services that include crime prevention, problem solving and partnerships with the community.

The university police also patrol residence halls and grounds. When dialing 911, police dispatchers connect residents' landlines directly to the university police.

Matador Patrol is a division of DPS and is a student group that provides personal safety escorts after dark and monitors the Apartments at University Park's drive-in gates at night.

There is also an on-call duty system, for which on-call resident advisers walk the communities, visit residents, look for security and maintenance concerns and address policy violations every night.

Additionally, emergency blue light call boxes are located throughout the campus and instantly link callers to CSUN police dispatchers.

Shopping

There are several great places to shop near California State University – Northridge.

Northridge Fashion Center, located in Northridge, is a large shopping complex with many brand name stores offering clothing, electronics, shoes, and more. Another nearby shopping plaza is Granada Village, located in Granada Hills, which offers a mix of shopping and dining options for students looking to take a break from campus life.

Several grocery stores near CSUN include Albertsons, a four-minute drive from campus; Costco; and Super King Market. Several ethnic supermarket options include Galleria Market (which offers Korean goods) and India Sweets & Spices.