Housing Help

Colleges and Universities A-Z Texas A&M University
1

Hey Guys, I’m a new member here. I will be starting the Mays MBA program this fall. This will be my first time in Texas, I am a transplant from NYC. I’ve been looking for an apartment in the College Station area and I could use some help. I’ve found many properties that are in the 15k/year range. I noticed that TAMU provides students with up to 21k for housing/living expenses. I was just wondering if 15k/year is the norm, because it sure seems like I’m chewing through quite a bit of my budget on rent. That wouldn’t leave me much for living expenses, food, etc. I’ve only been looking into 1B/1B units. At this point in my life I think I would prefer to avoid roommates!

I have looked into the “Rise” complex which is right across the street from campus. In this unit I would be looking at 15k/year for a 1B/1B unit with a whopping ~500 sq ft :(. My fear with this complex and those near Northgate, is the fact that I don’t want to be in the middle of the “party zone” 24/7. I’m not even sure if the area is that rowdy, but from what I’ve seen online, it seems so. On the other end of the spectrum I found a property called “Uptown 403/408” which is a three floor townhouse w/ garage, ~900 sq ft, and the same exact price! However, this property is not as close to campus as the “Rise”. Is proximity that important? Is it that much of a hassle to take a bus/drive in College Station?

Are there any suggestions you guys can offer regarding a property that would be good for a graduate student? I would actually prefer some sort of nightlife in walking distance, I just don’t want to be in the center of the action. Also, please let me know what you guys think about these units running 12k-15k/year. Is this the norm for College Station? I do see some much lower rates for 2-4 bedroom units, but like I said, I would prefer to not have any roommates. All the single units I’ve found have been in this price range, maybe there’s a few i might have missed? Any suggestions would be extremely helpful! Apparently these single units fill up fast so I will have to make a decision and sign a lease soon! Thanks!!

2

@nyc1225 You may have already done so, but try taking this question to the forums on TexAgs.com. There are a lot of active alumni on that site and they would probably be more helpful for your type of question. Good luck!

3

Have you looked at the Stack (located behind the Rise) or the Factory? They might be a little bit more reasonable and they are also located fairly close to the nightlife on Northgate. The Rise has a great location, especially, if you were getting your masters in an engineering field but it is also expensive. Mays is located on West Campus and I might look at options on a bus route. There are also many other complexes located on a bus route and, for my children, the bus ran every 5 minutes so it was a piece of cake. My children have also lived farther off campus and taken their cars and it was also not a big deal. Good luck and welcome to Texas!

4

@NETarrantMom Thanks! I have looked into the Stack and it seems to be the same price. I have also looked at the Factory, which seems great! However, the reviews say management is horrendous and impossible to contact. Also, it didn’t help much when the number listed on their website was out of service :(.

5

@nyc1225 Have you checked through TAMU Housing? I think they have apartment style housing for grad students. Don’t know much about it but worth looking into.