UNLV is a car campus. It sits on Maryland Pkwy east of the Strip, and most students drive or ride the bus to shop. So in this guide "near" means walking distance plus a 5 to 10 minute drive along Maryland Pkwy, Flamingo Rd and Tropicana Ave, the University District around campus. We list only places we could confirm open this fall, so the list is shorter than the strip malls you'll pass.
On campus. The center of campus life is the Student Union, with eight fast-dining counters, a cashier-less market and the POD Market convenience store. Rebel Copy & Send (Student Union, first floor) handles printing and shipping and holds the UNLV Passport Services Office. The UNLV Bookstore is its own building just south of the Student Union.
University Gateway. Across Maryland Pkwy at Dorothy Ave, University Gateway (4700 S Maryland Pkwy) is UNLV's seven-story mixed-use building, with retail on the ground floor and apartments and university offices above. Pappalecco (4700 S Maryland Pkwy, Suite 115) is the cafe there.
North on Maryland Pkwy. Drive north and Target (4001 S Maryland Pkwy) is at the Flamingo Rd end. Keep going to Desert Inn Rd for The Boulevard (3528 S Maryland Pkwy), the enclosed mall at the top of the corridor and the closest thing UNLV has to a student shopping street. Inside are Marshalls, a Goodwill of Southern Nevada store, Poor Boy Comics, and sneaker and streetwear shops Shoe Palace, Shiekh, Zumiez and Hot Topic. The mall is open daily 11am to 8pm.
East on Flamingo. Drive east on Flamingo Rd and Smith's at Paradise Marketplace (3850 E Flamingo Rd) is the full grocery store closest to campus.
The UNLV Bookstore (4505 S Maryland Pkwy) is the official store, run by Barnes & Noble College with the university. It carries course materials and textbooks, school supplies, and official UNLV gear: apparel and gifts for students, parents and fans. Hours change with the semester and aren't posted on the pages we checked, so look at unlv.bncollege.com or call before a game-day or parents' weekend run. Visitor pay spaces are closest in Lots D and U.
Target (4001 S Maryland Pkwy) is the move-in stop. It's the closest big store to campus, on Maryland Pkwy at Flamingo, and it's open daily 8am to 10pm. Dorm basics, snacks and a wine, beer and spirits section are under one roof. It has a Starbucks inside (8am to 8pm) and a CVS pharmacy for prescriptions. Order Pickup and Drive Up save a parking-lot trip in the August heat.
For a weekly grocery run, Smith's (3850 E Flamingo Rd) at Paradise Marketplace is a straight drive east on Flamingo. Hours aren't on its store list, so check before you go. Marshalls at The Boulevard is the cheap stop for towels, sheets, lamps and kitchen odds and ends.
For a forgotten charger or a snack between classes, the POD Market in the Student Union covers the basics without moving the car. Bigger organizing jobs, like closet systems and bins, go to The Container Store at Town Square, in the last section.
The Boulevard (3528 S Maryland Pkwy) is where students shop without leaving the neighborhood. For thrift, Goodwill of Southern Nevada has a store in the mall, and Marshalls covers off-price clothes and shoes. Sneakers and streetwear are the mall's strength, with Shoe Palace, Shiekh, Zumiez and Hot Topic all inside. Poor Boy Comics is the pick for comics and graphic novels. El Mercado sells handcrafted artisan goods and international food and drink. The mall is open daily 11am to 8pm; individual shops may keep shorter hours.
For records, the closest shop we could confirm is Record City (300 E Sahara Ave), a short drive north up Maryland Pkwy to Sahara. For books beyond the syllabus, Barnes & Noble at Town Square is the nearest big bookstore we cover.
Start at the UNLV Bookstore for official UNLV gear: a sweatshirt or cap for the grad, or a gift for the parent who flew in. Check hours before commencement week.
For something that isn't a logo, El Mercado at The Boulevard has handcrafted artisan pieces and packaged international treats, and Poor Boy Comics works for the grad who collects. Pappalecco across from campus is a good stop for gelato-stuffed croissants or a round of gelato after the ceremony. Target covers the last-minute card and gift bag.
On campus. The Student Union is the food court. Starbucks is the main coffee stop, and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is the other campus coffee counter. For lunch there's Panda Express, SOHO Sushi Burrito, Halal Shack, Chicken Guy, QDOBA and Subway, with Jamba Juice for smoothies. The Dining Commons is the dining hall. Hours shift each semester and several counters close over summer, so check UNLV Eats before you go.
Across the street. Pappalecco (4700 S Maryland Pkwy, Suite 115) at University Gateway is the easy pick for coffee or a parents' lunch: espresso, house-made gelato, gelato-stuffed croissants, panini, salads and açaí bowls. It opens 7am weekdays and 7:30am weekends and stays open until 9:30pm weekdays and 10pm weekends, so it works for a late study break too.
Parents' dinner. Book Lotus of Siam (620 E Flamingo Rd), a short drive west on Flamingo. Chef Saipin Chutima, a James Beard Award winner, cooks Northern Thai food: herb-heavy stews, coconut-less curries, crispy duck panang and garlic prawns, with a wine list of more than 300 bottles. Its site lists daily hours from 11:30am; call (702) 735-3033 well ahead of graduation weekend.
UNLV's main campus is at 4505 S Maryland Pkwy. Every car on campus needs a permit to park in student or staff spaces. Without one, use the hourly or daily pay spaces, paid through the PayByPhone app. Near the bookstore, Lots D and U have visitor pay spaces. UNLV's own parking tips point drivers to the Thomas & Mack Center lots and the Tropicana, Cottage Grove and University Gateway garages when lots fill up at the start of a semester.
Without a car, the RTC UNLV Transit Center on campus links directly to the RTC's main hub, the Bonneville Transit Center downtown. Students, faculty and staff can buy a discounted U-pass that works on all RTC routes.
For clothes, the closest of our districts is Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, west of campus on the Strip. Students go for Tillys (surf-skate clothes and sneakers) and a big H&M (open until 9pm Sunday to Thursday, 10pm Friday and Saturday). The Planet Hollywood garage, off Harmon Ave, gives the first hour free.
Town Square, an open-air center on Las Vegas Blvd S near the airport, is the drive for a full day. Barnes & Noble, The Container Store for dorm and apartment organizing, and a large Whole Foods Market are all there, with three garages around the center.