Everyday Needs at Darden and in Charlottesville - Resources - Office of Student Affairs

There are numerous ways to interact with your Darden classmates and within the Darden community. Please note that your class will have the following communication channels/pathways
•    Class of 2025 Instagram
•    Class of 2025 LinkedIn Group
•    Class of 2025 WhatsApp Group** 
Of note – as you know, with the creation of WhatsApp communities, you’ll be able to view more organized communication channels related to Darden.

The Office of Student Affairs permits students to have free printing access. Please use the Darden printing machines for school-related activities. Whenever possible, please opt for two-sided printing. If you ever encounter printing related issues, please visit the Darden Computing Service Desk in the main hallway.

There are different ways to reserve spaces at Darden
Reserve a Darden room for an event

Request a learning team room

Please note that Saunders Hall, Abbott Center, and the Classroom Building will be unlocked during specific time intervals:

Monday-Thursday: 6:30 am to 9:00 pm
Friday: 6:30 am to 6 pm 
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am to 5 pm 

** It’s helpful to bring your ID card with you in case the doors to the Darden exterior are locked.

You will be granted a student ID when you enroll. However, should you lose your ID, you will need to contact the UVA ID Office to identify it is lost and that you will need a new one. Please note the replacement cost is $20.  

Darden will provide you with 1 name tent in your first year and 1 name tent in your second year. If you lose your name tent or if it goes missing, please use the attached template to fill out your name and go to FedEx Office Print & Ship Center to order a new one. They can print one for you immediately to use for class. Please also note that you will be responsible for the cost of this replacement ($2.84 per name tent). If you would like a blank name tent to write your name on while waiting to order your replacement, one can be provided by the OSA office upon request 

The purpose of the Hoos Pantry at North Grounds is to provide students with consistent, reliable access to food items. This is especially important in ensuring that no one in our community experiences food insecurity. In the past, the food pantry has been stocked with non-perishable food items include a mix of the following, depending on availability: mac and cheese, Thai noodles, chickpea beans, black beans, apple sauce, granola bars, cereal, rice, quinoa, couscous, coffee, tea, toilet paper, paper towels, and sanitary items. Please take what you may need. 

Location: Down the hall and around the corner from Classroom 50 (bottom floor of the classroom building). The non-perishable items are in the metal cabinets right next to the fridge. Students can reach out to Sarah Elliott with any needs/questions. All inquiries will be anonymous. 

There is a student fridge adjacent to where the mailboxes are situated. Additionally, there is also a printer located in this room. You can use this fridge to store food that you’ve brought for the day. In the side room next to Café 67, there is a microwave that you can use to warm up any food that you’ve brought with you.

Student lockers are located on the lower level of the classroom wing in Saunders Hall. Students may use the lockers for free but must supply their own padlock. To reserve a locker, please e-mail Daniel Marrs, Darden's mailroom manager: MarrsD@darden.virginia.edu. Please note that the lockers can also be used for club purposes.

Darden students are lucky in that the North Ground Recreation Center is just a few minutes’ walk from Darden. While you are a student at Darden, you have free access to the North Grounds Recreation Center. You can learn more about facility features, the facility hours, and parking information on the recreation center site.

Students can use the Darden Outlook system to reserve these rooms, which will be intended for nursing individuals. This is located right before the restrooms in the Abbot Dining space. If interested, please reach out to Eva Blau at BlauE@darden.virginia.edu.

This room will be intended for students who are looking for a space to engage in personal prayer time and/or mindfulness. This room can be used as a space for students who are feeling anxiety/stress/in need of a private space to cope with overwhelming time intervals during the MBA experience. If interested, please reach out to Eva Blau at BlauE@darden.virginia.edu.

Tylenol, Advil, and Band-Aids are located in the Office of Student Affairs and are available as needed. A First Aid Kit is located in the Student Copy Room for after-hours urgencies.

If you lose a personal possession, the office is located in the Office of Student Affairs.

**Contacting Student Affairs: Please know that the OSA team is here to help educate students in relation to questions about any resources or needs (outside of counseling, medical, legal, etc.). If you have any further questions, please contact OSA.

The most popular housing locations for Darden students are listed below. Incoming students interested in living at Ivy Gardens and Huntington Village should check on availability as soon as they know they plan to attend Darden. Of note, the first three properties are pet friendly! Starred locations are often recommended by our students with families.
Ivy Garden Apartments 
Jefferson Ridge
Huntington Village* 
Copeley Hill Apartments* 

The First Year Student Admissions Committee (FY SAC) has put together a portfolio of housing resources that include student-led video tours of some of the above properties. Please note that these resources have been created by students and do not represent an endorsement from the school.

If you have additional questions about housing and relocation, we encourage you to connect with the FY Student Admission Committee in your respective Class WhatsApp group, a Student Ambassador or the Darden Student Association.

UVA also operates a portal site for Housing & Residence Life with a section dedicated for graduate student housing.

Once you have your new address and know when you are moving in, call Dominion Virginia Power to apply for your service. They generally request at least a 24-hour notice. Keep in mind that they may run a little behind schedule when students start to arrive in town. Utility accounts may also be set up online.

Contact the City of Charlottesville. Requests for service can be made over the phone or through the Internet. Accounts can also be set up online. depending on where you live. Some housing providers such as Ivy Garden include gas and water with your monthly rental payment.

One of the more frequently used services is Comcast Xfinity. You can learn more about setting up your service by visiting the local Xfinity Comcast store. This store is approximately ten minutes away from Darden. 

The Ivy Marketplace GroupMe channel is a resource for those looking to buy/sell items. The Darden Hand-me-downs Facebook Group is another exchange platform. 

There are also local Goodwill and Salvation Army locations. These are especially good options for donating furniture. Please also visit the UVA ReUSE store, which is a university resource that you can use to dispose of or/buy receive surplus furniture.

You can view a number of places to stay under the accommodations tab on the Alumni Events reunion page. 

The Forum Hotel
Of note – there is a discount link available for Darden visitors. Additionally, admitted students will receive an additional discount on dining services. 

There are also numerous Airbnb options available in Charlottesville.

Within a short walk of Darden, you have access to the Kroger and Harris Teeter grocery stores. Additionally, you can also frequent a number of restaurants that are viewable in the shopping center’s directory. You’ll find a mix of apparel stores, banking locations, and other stores that will help you navigate the nuts and bolts of life. 

This plaza is approximately a nine-minute drive from Darden. At this plaza, you can shop at a Trader Joes or Costco. You can also find a number of dine-in options and services locations. To learn more about the different retail locations, you can view the shopping center’s directory.

There are a number of big box store locations that are within 15-20 minutes driving distance 

Sam’s Club: You will need a membership to shop here. Sam's Club is known for offering products in bulk quantities. This might be a good option if you are looking to buy items in bulk that will last you for extended periods of time. 

Costco: You will need a membership to shop here. Similar to Sam’s club, Costco is also known for offering products in bulk. 

Walmart: Walmart offers a wide range of products, including electronics, apparel, home goods, furniture, toys, health, and beauty products. Additionally, Walmart is also an excellent location to shop for groceries. 

Target: Target also offers a wide range of products across different categories including electronics, apparel, home goods, furniture, toys, health, and beauty products. Similar to Walmart, Target can also be an excellent location to shop for groceries. 

Amigo Mercado Latino

Super Amanecer

Medina Market  - this location also serves halal meat and groceries**

Grand Market – this location also serves halal meat and groceries**

Asian Market

Food of All Nations 

C’Ville Oriental

Express Grocery Store – This is an Indian/Nepali/SouthAsian Grocery Store

A number of grocery or retail locations require you to have a membership. Some also offer special discounts to students. 

For example, Harris Teeter offers a discount of 5% when you sign up for a VIC card. You need to present a student ID at the customer service desk to sign up for this. 

There are several ways that you can buy online groceries that are delivered straight to your home. A common service that students use is Walmart+. You can pay for your membership on a monthly basis or an annual basis and then get groceries delivered to you throughout the year. Another popular service for grocery delivery is Amazon Fresh. Students have also been able to use Instacart, which is a good option for grocery delivery as well as comparing grocery prices across different retail locations. 

Darden is located on the North Grounds of the University of Virginia, about a mile from Central Grounds.
Central Grounds begins at the corner of Rt. 29 (Emmet St.) and Ivy Rd./University Ave. You’ll often hear about the Rotunda. The Rotunda is considered to be the central point or heart of the University.  It is located two blocks east of the above intersection on University Ave. Alderman and Clemons libraries are across McCormick St.
 

You can use the UVA's University Transit Service, also known as UTS. The route that services Darden is called the Gold Line, which takes students between Central/Main Grounds and North Grounds with stops just a minute walk from Darden. It makes a stop at the Barracks Road Shopping Center. If you like walking, you can also walk to Main Grounds from North Grounds (about 25-30 minutes). 

You can use the Charlottesville Area Transit System, the city's bus service! As a UVA student, you are able to ride for free by simply showing your student ID. Routes 5, 7, and 8 will be of most interest to Darden students, as they all centralize at the Barracks Road Shopping Center and head off to different areas of Charlottesville.

The majority of Darden students live in walking distance of Grounds and commute by foot between home and school. Many of our students who live in housing developments including Pavilion, Ivy Garden, and Huntington, are able to walk to Darden. Of course, your ability to walk to Darden will greatly depend on where you decide to live. 

For those who live further away from Grounds, or prefer to drive, Darden has two primary parking lots: the D1 Faculty Lot and the D10 Darden Garage. Annual parking permits are available through UVA Parking and Transportation for the D10 Darden Garage. For short-term parking, the ParkMobile App can be used for the Darden Garage. The ParkMobile Zone is 5516.

The Charlottesville Amtrak Train Station is close to UVA’s Central Ground. Many students will book trains for trips to locations such as Washington D.C. (2-3 hours), Philadelphia (5 hours), and New York (6-7 hours). Ticket prices can increase significantly closer to the date of a trip, so it is advisable to book a ticket as early as possible. 

Greyhound operates incoming and outgoing buses to Charlottesville. On the Greyhound website, you can also book buses through a separate company called Flixbus. 

The closest airport is the Charlottesville – Albemarle Airport, which is 15-20 minutes from Darden. It is located at 100 Bowen Loop #200. 

• American Airlines: Offers daily nonstop flights to Chicago, New York-LaGuardia, Charlotte, Philadelphia and points beyond. For information and reservations, call +1-800-433-7300
• Delta: Offers daily nonstop flights to New York-LaGuardia, Atlanta and points beyond. For information and reservations, call +1-800-221-1212.
• United Airlines: Offers daily nonstop flights to Chicago O'Hare, Washington Dulles and points beyond. For information and reservations, call +1-800-864-8331. 

You can learn about these airlines’ flight operations out of Charlottesville’s airport by viewing the airlines info section on the airport’s website.  

Richmond International Airport (RIC) is located 85 miles from Darden.

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) is located 100 miles from Darden.

Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is located 121 miles from Darden.

Please note, that if you are traveling to airports, please be mindful of traffic as this could significantly affect your ability to make your flight.  

There are a number of options for getting to and from the airport:

• Uber: A number of students take Ubers to and from the airport (especially to the Charlottesville airport). However, you may experience some difficulty in getting an Uber later at night.
• Taxi: You can taxis waiting after most flights the airport. However, similar to Ubers, you may experience some trouble late at night. A list of taxis with airport permits is available here.

There are a number of car rental options in Charlottesville. A number of major car-rental companies have operations out of Charlottesville – Albemarle Airport. 

Hertz
Airport Office: 434-297-4288

National Car Rental 
Airport: 844-934-1094

Avis Rent-A-Car 
Airport Office: 434-973-6000

Enterprise Rent-A-Car 
Airport Office: 844-934-1096

You must obtain a Virginia driver's license from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as soon as possible. You can only use your foreign driving license or an international driving permit for up to 30 days, starting from the day you arrive in the U.S. Non-U.S. license holders are required to take a vision test, a driving theory test (multiple choice), and a short practical driving test. Students who hold a valid driver’s license from another US state or territory, Canadian province, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan or South Korea have different eligibility requirements than those who hold a valid driver’s license issues from a country outside of those listed above.  You will also need to provide and complete following

• Two proofs of identification
• Proof of Virginia Residency (e.g., a lease agreement on your house/apartment)
• A drivers test, based on the Virginia River’s Code – a copy of which can be obtained from the DMV. 

It is recommended that you study the Code carefully before taking the theory test, as you may be asked some quite specific questions about braking distances, parking regulations, etc. 

To avoid a long wait, go in the middle of the month and avoid weekends. You can make an appointment or drop by at the nearest DMV location to Darden.

In addition, to completing your driver’s test, at this location you should be able to do the following:

• Purchase Virginia license plates
• Purchase a Virginia driver's license

All drivers in the US must have car insurance before operating a vehicle.

• International students should be aware that unless they have had a US Driver’s License for three years, they will have difficulty finding car insurance at “normal” rates. If you are considering purchasing a car upon arrival in the U.S. or shipping a car to the US, insurance rates may influence your decision as to what type of car you should buy. The older and less expensive a vehicle, the lower the insurance rates on that vehicle will be.
• It is recommended that you purchase car insurance initially for a six-month period, after which time you can attempt to renegotiate a better premium on the basis of your six-month US driving history.

Charlottesville and Albemarle County boast a number of parks and lakes for public use. Here are some parks that are popular destinations for residents and students who are trying to engage with the outdoors:

Beaver Creek Park 

With 104 water acres, this lake is the largest and best fishing lake in Albemarle County. 

Chris Greene Lake Park

Swimming, fishing, boating, canoe rentals, picnic areas, large and small pavilions, playgrounds, boat launch and a fishing pier. 

Darden Towe Park 

This 110-acre park along the Rivanna River includes four tennis courts, running trails, children's play area, picnic shelters, three softball fields and four multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse and football. One picnic pavilion may be reserved for as many as 80 people. There is also a fenced dog park area.

Ivy Creek Natural Area 

A great place for hiking, birdwatching and being in nature, while still in town. Just 10 minutes from the Law School by car. Six miles of trails in the forest, nature programs, bird walks. No biking and no dogs, even on a leash.

McIntire Park

Great wading pool for young children, swings, ball fields, golf course, picnic areas and nature trail. Dogs must be on a leash.

Mint Springs Valley Park 

Swimming, picnic shelters, playgrounds, fishing, and 3.6 miles of hiking trails. Handicapped accessible. Pavilions with fireplaces, grills and tables may be reserved.

Pen Park 

This is the largest city park, with a nature trail along the Rivanna River, handicapped-accessible exercise trail, 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, volleyball, Little League fields, three picnic pavilions and playground. Dogs must be on a leash.

Ragged Mountain Natural Area 

A beautiful, somewhat rugged, natural area for quiet hiking. No dogs, bikes or jogging.

Rivanna Trails 

A series of trails in town linking city parks along the Rivanna River. Trail sometimes gets overgrown in summer, but nice in spring, fall and winter. The section behind Law School follows a gorge behind Darden to University Village. See the website for all access points and new trails.

Walnut Creek Park 

Great place for mountain biking. Swimming in lake, nature trails, bike trails, fishing, picnic shelter and playground. Entrance fees between Memorial Day (last Monday in May) and Labor Day (first Monday in Sept):

Dogs four months or older must be registered with the City of Charlottesville or Albemarle County, depending upon your place of residence. Once your dog is registered, it will receive a tag to wear on its collar.

Albemarle County
Purchase Dog License
434-296-5851
Albemarle County Office Building, Preston & McIntire

City of Charlottesville 
Purchase Dog Tags
434-970-3146
City Hall, East Market & 7th Street, N.E.

Pet Training, Daycare and Kennels

All Things Pawssible
434-972-7297

The Dogg House
434-975-DOGS (3647)

Pet Motel
434-295-3679

Wakefield Kennel
434-973-5171

Darden Towe Park 

Azalea Park 

Chris Greene Lake 

Crozet Dog Park