<p>Hi all,
just saw this site. i am applying for Fall 2011 and was wondering if anyone else is going to try off-campus housing if they are accepted?</p>
<p>I started a thread about housing a while back. Unfortunately, it wasn’t stickied but you could find it with a quick search. In it, and I can give you a brief summary here, I spent most of the discussion focused on university housing - both in analyzing the pros/cons as well as advocating for UAH as the best option. A couple caveats:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>There’s no “trying” off-campus housing. If you elect to live in a private residence during your first semester at Columbia, which it sounds like you plan to do, it’s likely that you won’t be able to get UAH (University Apartment Housing) at a later date. There’s two reasons for this: the further away you live, the more likely it is you’ll get housing; new students are more likely to get housing. If you’re moving from within the city and you’re not a new student you’ll probably be moved to the bottom of the lottery list. Which, to invoke Douglas Adams, is probably kept in a file cabinet, in a basement, guarded by a hungry leopard. </p></li>
<li><p>New York City apartment leases are notoriously frustrating for all parties involved. Squatters and some landlords seem to have the law, and the endless appeals process, on their side. Supers, typical tenants, etc., bear the brunt of the difficulties involved in living up to code, safely, and efficiently enough that it doesn’t completely break the bank. This is an uphill battle.</p></li>
<li><p>It’s difficult to find a decent apartment without a broker. You can expect a broker to charge on average of one month’s rent. So, let’s say you get a place for $2000/month. You need to pay first, last, security deposit, and the fee to the brokerage. You can do the math. But, it’s worth mentioning that what it’ll cost you to move into an apartment in New York City is what it’ll cost you to pay for a UAH dorm or apartment-style residence for the better part of a year. </p></li>
<li><p>Not living in UAH? Start apartment hunting in East Harlem, Brooklyn, etc. Odds are that you’re not going to be able to find a place on the Upper West Side. Morningside Heights is pretty well out of the question.</p></li>
<li><p>Apartment shares are difficult to find. I’ve never heard of anyone finding a Columbia roommate through the normal avenues that’d work at other schools. Most stories that start with posts like yours end in terror with awful punchlines like, “When I got home my dog and all the major appliances were gone.” </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Whew, okay. That’s enough doom and gloom for now.</p>
<p>thank you for the information. i live in los angeles and didn’t have the faintest idea renting a house could be so difficult. the main issue is that i have two preschool aged kids and the apartments on campus that allow families seem to be over the $2,100/month (ish) range. right now we pay $1750 a month for a two bedroom, so that would be quite a jump. i need to check into this more obviously…</p>
<p>again thanks for the insight!</p>
<p>Everything hellojan says is true.
University housing from Columbia will, in almost every realistic scenario, be cheaper than market rate housing options. Exceptions to this would be market-rate housing in parts of upper Manhattan (areas that, especially with a family, you might not feel comfortable in, you’d have to check it out on a block-by-block basis really), the far outer boroughs, or parts of New Jersey. But beware that these commutes can be rough.</p>
<p>Allow me to add my experience:
I live off-campus, in a “1-bedroom” that I share with my partner. I use quote marks because, although it is technically a 1-bedroom, it’s a railroad layout with no interior doors, meaning you have to walk through the kitchen and through the bedroom to get to the living room. It’s a 5th floor walk-up (no elevator) and the shower is in the kitchen. It’s a decent size for a 1-bedroom though. And we pay in the neighborhood of $2,100/month.</p>
<p>Yes, we pay a bit of a premium for our location (further downtown than Columbia). This place would probably rent for a little cheaper (maybe $1,850-ish?) in the immediate Columbia area. And we got this unit the 1st day it became available, with people lining up to rent it, FYI. In the summer especially, apartments move QUICKLY.</p>
<p>As for leasing: We had to pay a 12% broker fee—that’s 12% of the 1st year’s rent ($2,880 on a $2,000/month apartment, for example. This is pretty standard practice in Manhattan)—in addition to a security deposit equal to one month’s rent, as well as the 1st month’s rent, obviously. Now, consider that, as of Jan. 2011, the mean rent for 2-bedroom apartments on the Upper West Side is approximately $3,500/month, and you’re looking at a $12-$15,000 cashier’s check just to move-in.</p>
<p>To qualify, we had to prove annual income of at least 40x the monthly rent, provide bank statements showing at least moderate liquidity, 2 years’ tax returns to show income stability, and a letter of reference from a previous landlord. And when going to open houses over the summer, people showed up with these documents IN HAND, ready to go.</p>
<p>With that in mind, I think that part of the beauty of University Housing is that you’re being offered an apartment in Manhattan essentially without having to qualify for it. Renting as a student in Manhattan is difficult. Landlords are extremely wary of students and will most likely demand you provide a parent or guarantor, living in the tri-state area, who can document 80x the monthly rent in annual income.</p>
<p>Renting in the city can be such a hassle, I think that University Housing could be nice respite from that.</p>
<p>Anyone have any info on University Housing for married couples (with no children)? What I’m hearing makes me want all of the help I can get finding a place as close to campus as possible.</p>
<p>here are some options for couples/families.</p>
<p>[Types</a> of Accommodations | CU Facilities - Housing](<a href=“Columbia Residential”>Columbia Residential)</p>
<p>The reviews for couples housing are stellar. If you can get it, seize the opportunity.</p>
<p>Thanks LizfromHollywood and, as always, the super helpful MC and Hellojan!</p>
<p>Awesome! I’m even more excited than before. I’m currently in full anxiety mode until I get accepted/rejected for EA Fall '11. Waiting to sit for the GSAE on 3/27 to have a completed application is killing me! Are u going to be taking the same exam LizfromHollywood?</p>
<p>yes i am going to take it on 3/27 also. i wish it was closer than costa mesa but i will go pretty much anywhere at this point lol</p>
<p>Lol yeah. Good luck! I’ll see you there.</p>
<p>Bumping this for those considering moving to New York the expensive way.</p>
<p>I have a couple of very close friends that I am relying on to help me navigate the move to NYC. I’m hoping one will have a vacancy in her apartment (very far away from Columbia is Prospect Heights, Brooklyn) by the time I move. If not, perhaps some of her friends will be looking for places.</p>
<p>I’m married with no kids and coming from Los Angeles. </p>
<p>What are my chances of getting a 1-bedroom apartment from UAH? I know that they are prioritized for couples and families (w/ kids), but are we more likely going to end up in a studio? We are absolutely willing to pay extra to have that extra room.</p>
<p>That’s impossible to say, James. Though, in my limited experience, the few couples apartments I’ve actually visited have all be one bedrooms and not studios.</p>
<p>james, how bout i lone you one of my kids for the next year so that we both can have priority? just trying to be fair here.</p>
<p>so now after looking into it and finally admitting that hellojan might be right (wink wink), i have decided to shoot for on-campus housing.</p>
<p>anyone know what my chances are of getting family housing? i applied an hour after i got my acceptance package. </p>
<p>also, anyone know what kind of square footage we are talking about? more specifically, what is the square footage for whatever type of accomidations they generally assign to a family of 4?</p>
<p>i just want to know how much stuff i have to give away : 0</p>
<p>Congrats on acceptance, Liz.</p>
<p>This might help:</p>
<p>[Types</a> of Accommodations | CU Facilities - Housing](<a href=“Columbia Residential”>Columbia Residential)</p>
<p>thank you, mr grumpy pants, i appreciate your dropping in to say hello!</p>
<p>unfortunately, that cite you linked has zero info reguarding the actual size of the apartments. i guess i will just have to wing it.</p>
<p>maybe i’ll see you next semester roaming the halls on my way to “How 2 go 2 collegez”?</p>
<p>All of the UAH buildings are so different, you’re may have a hard time estimating the amount of space you’ll have to work with. Not to mention, in most cases, I feel like the apartments are carved out of the rennovated spaces in pre-war buildings. In the end, you get rooms like mine - a crooked V-shaped mess with a beautiful view.</p>
<p>That brings up the most important point about New York living: it’s meant to be experienced outside of the apartment. Your place is going to be tight, sure. But you’ll rarely regret it once you’ve really engaged the city.</p>
<p>When UAH makes you an offer, they’ll send you a floor-plan and all the pertinent details about your building. You can choose to reject their offer for any reason - being short on space is as good as any. But, do so at your own risk. Rejecting an offer doesn’t guarantee a second offer. In fact, it may put you out of the game all together. In terms of contingency, understand that you’re eligible for a room transfer at any time. </p>
<p>My advice? Call UAH tomorrow. Tell them the situation and ask if they can give you a guesstimate of what you’ll be getting. Be very nice, Liz. These people are cranky, underpaid, and hold your future in their hands.</p>