<p>I've decided that I want to live off-campus starting this summer (and for the following years), and I'm now in the process of apartment-hunting. However, a main problem is distance.</p>
<p>Right now, there are some really nice apartments four miles from campus that are 30% cheaper than similar ones that are within half a mile. They're also slightly nicer than anything you could find on-campus.</p>
<p>Question is - despite having good public transportation options, is this feasible or even a good idea on a campus where almost nobody drives? Parking is a true nightmare and I'd avoid it at almost all costs.</p>
<p>Do you think 4mi from campus (in the next city) is too far? Would you recommend that I get a car and get a parking permit? Or, is the 30% more worth it to live closer to campus?</p>
<p>Well where I am, that wouldn’t be a good idea since the weather is pretty harsh during the winter (most of the school year). I wouldn’t want to live 4 miles from campus, personally. I do live off campus, but only am about a mile away, at most.</p>
<p>Theres been many times where I’ve woken up late and had to get to class quickly, and that would be a tad more annoying if I lived 4 miles from campus.</p>
<p>But there are commuter students from further, so its obviously not impossible, I would just imagine inconvenient at times.</p>
<p>Our house is fairly nice. But thats about as nice as I want to go in college. I wouldn’t really want a realll nice apartment in college. :P</p>
<p>If you’re a commuter, the savings are significant. Question is - is this going to work out if I’m not a commuter?</p>
<p>I do have a bike and bus pass - just not too sure how well that’d work out. In terms of price, if you shared a room in the apartments I was looking at, it’d cost much less than the nicest double room in the dorms and still be much nicer than anything you’d be able to find in the dorms. That’s even after adding in the costs of utilities and meal plans.</p>
<p>The commute is 25min purely by bus, but it could be cut down to 15min with a bike and careful timing.</p>
<p>Very much a personal choice. My daughter moved off campus after her freshman year and one of her priorities was that she not have to drive to school or get the bus. Her apartment ended up actually being closed to her classes than her on campus dorm was. She is thrilled with the arrangement as it is and has already signed her lease for next year. She has several friends who do live a few miles off campus and they have to drive or get the bus. Some of them live in apartments with perhaps nicer facilities such as on site laundry and in some cases gym facilities and even pools. Even after seeing their places, for her, close to campus is more important. So really it depends what your preference is.</p>
<p>Also if you don’t already have a car then the expense of getting and maintaining one will probably far exceed the 30% savings on the apartment.</p>
<p>I live off campus and I’ve expieremented. I’ve also lived on campus which sucked in my book I am not a partier by any means so I wasn’t fitting in. Last term I took public transit; a train called the MAX which is a commuter train and a streetcar/ bus. I did like public transit but this term I’m taking my car to see if I like it better even though it costs more and I have to park it in downtown. I also live 13 miles from school and the public transportation to school was not that big of a deal for me; it really wasn’t that long and I would study, listen to music, or read. I would recommend public transit whenever you need to go somewhere. Four miles is really not that far away. Good luck!</p>
<p>I personally like living closer to campus. last year, i lived a little further out because it was cheaper and rode the bus, and it was really annoying after a while. I went to class alot less, due to missing the bus or having it run late. I’ve only missed 1 or 2 of each class this semester.
what I did like about the place I lived further out- we had our own washer/dryer and dishwasher, they didn’t tow, there was a pool, and it was quieter.
what I like about the place I live now- 10 min walk to center of campus, it’s a studio so I don’t have a roommate, it’s furnished. </p>
<p>My current place is a little more expensive (335/month compared to 243/mo last year), but I had to pay all bills at the other place: power, water, gas, and internet, whereas at my current place, I don’t have gas and water is included, so they actually end up being similarly priced when you incl bills.</p>
<p>Do you go to PSU, Vikinggal? I live in the PDX area as well. I didn’t know PSU had dorms (assuming that’s the same school that you lived on campus at).</p>
<p>Just checked out the pricing and figured that it was actually closer to a 40% difference. That comes up to be approximately a $400/mo difference per person. Yeah, a bit more than a car payment for my dream car (before I get rich).</p>
<p>I did try the bike + public transit - ended up taking 20min. :)</p>
<p>Yes I go to Portland State University and yeah they have dorms but I was at a private Christian school in the fall before PSU. PSU dorms are very nice but I don’t have the money.</p>