<p>Where can i find a studio or shared apartment? Is there any websites ?</p>
<p>sfbay.craigslist.org duh</p>
<p>besides that?</p>
<p>ask around…</p>
<p>Word of warning: stay away from Raj and Everest Properties.
Super shady and poor admin, apparently.</p>
<p>I’d recommend you away from North Berkeley Properties, too, but between the three are 75% of the properties in Berkeley available to students. <_<</p>
<p>Craigslist really is the best way to find things short of actually walking around town and seeing “apartment for rent” signs. You could consider branching out to areas near BART stations, too, which would give you access to much of the Bay Area (though many people who go this route stay in Oakland or El Cerrito at the furthest unless they already have a living arrangement somewhere else).</p>
<p>Mmm, I’d recommend staying closer to campus; it’s way more convenient because you wouldn’t have to depend on car (which is annoying to drive around Berkeley) or bus (which CAN be unreliable at times). If you want to go to SF or anywhere else in the Bay Area via BART, just take the bus to the station. You might also want to consider where your classes will be concentrated if you’ve already got an idea of what major you’re going into.</p>
<p>Check out Premium Properties. I just signed a lease with them and from what I’ve heard from friends, they’re friendly, approachable and professional.</p>
<p>The BART is one of the most reliable modes of public transportation I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying. To be fair, it has its moments as well, but FAR less often than the bus. It’s ~$3 r/t from Oakland to Downtown Berkeley (ie, west campus).</p>
<p>That said, I would recommend staying close to campus if you can. It’s better for a lot of reasons. However, staying close to campus can be prohibitively expensive. So.</p>
<p>It’s a good idea to check your major. If you’re science-y, math-y or business-y, the classes tend to cluster in certain buildings near certain parts of town. If you don’t know, it won’t really make a difference, just a bit more walking.</p>
<p>Oh, I meant it isn’t necessary to live next to a BART station because the buses will take you there easily and it might be more convenient to live close to classes. I mean, how often are you going to go exploring the Bay Area vs going to class?</p>
<p>But yeah, it is quite expensive. :/</p>
<p>Speaking from experiences, any travel relying on buses cannot be time sensitive. They are irregular to the point of irrelevance. However, a bike solves a LOT of these distance/convenience problems. The trouble is keeping it from getting stolen. ;)</p>
<p>Just as an apartment expense example: right now I’m in a 1+ bedroom, ~500 sq ft apartment in a 1930s building right in Downtown Berkeley, a block away from west campus and a block from the Downtown Berkeley BART, with a kitchenette and in-building coin-op laundry costing me $1425 ($1460 starting June 1). In May I’m moving to an apartment in Oakland built in 2006 AND recently renovated that adds an extra 250 sq ft, has an in-unit w/d and a dishwasher, individual A/C & heating for all the rooms, is pet-friendly, has a patio, is facing the courtyard, is 5 blocks from a BART station, on property which has a fitness center – for $100/month LESS.</p>
<p>In any case! I reiterate what I said before: there are definite advantages to living close to campus. How much you’re willing to pay for them is up to you, but make no mistake: you WILL pay. :p</p>
<p>OMG that is crazy expensive!</p>
<p>Hi Brayz, it is really expensive, but you’ll find that most studios around here run for around $1200 anyways and is really small and run-down. Most 1 bedrooms run for $1400 when in the vicinity of Berkeley. </p>
<p>If you are interested, I’m subletting my 1 bedroom apartment for $1200 (regular rent is $1400) from May 20th - August 15th and you can use that time to possibly find a cheaper place. Also, June-July-August is peak rental season so that’s when the landlords can usually ask for higher prices. I’m going to try to find a cheaper 1 bedroom in September or October.</p>
<p>Also, my place is 5 minutes away from campus, fully remodeled, and it’s furnished – just in case that helps!</p>