<p>candyman-
Your loft option sounds quite nice. The house/duplex my s.lives in isnt that classy, but its a lot more reasonable cost-wise. His portion of the rent is about 1/2 of what you are quoting yours will be, and its a pretty nice place.</p>
<p>Wow! I think we should all come over and have parties at Candyman's place, since it sounds like it's going to be pretty sweet.</p>
<p>J/k, and candyman knows how interested I am in parties.</p>
<p>But in all seriousness, it does NOT have to be that expensive. For example, I know a bunch of people who lived at Archstone Medical Center, liked it just fine, and 3 bedrooms there start at 1255/month. And that's considered on the nicer side of things by most people. If you are willing to live in "condoland," south of the medical center, things get significantly cheaper. </p>
<p>Also, when you start calculating how much this is all going to cost, it's not a fair comparison to compare Rice's room and board with just rent off campus. You should factor in rent, food, eating out if you get too lazy to cook, phone bills (local calls won't be free anymore), televion/internet bills, cost of furniture, GAS (and wear and tear on your car), etc. So suddenly, you could be spending 900-1000/ month for your 750/ month apartment. </p>
<p>Just some stuff to think about.</p>
<p>Listening to all this, I am realizing whatr a sweet deal my s. and his roommates have! The only reason they have a phone landline is for the internet access. they don't use it for local calls-- they use their cellphones. He gets cable tv included in his rent (don't ask, its probably not "official" but it was provided byt he landlord). I dont know what the utility bills run, but I give him between 500-650/mo and he does just fine.</p>
<p>"Also, when you start calculating how much this is all going to cost, it's not a fair comparison to compare Rice's room and board with just rent off campus. You should factor in rent, food, eating out if you get too lazy to cook, phone bills (local calls won't be free anymore), televion/internet bills, cost of furniture, GAS (and wear and tear on your car), etc. So suddenly, you could be spending 900-1000/ month for your 750/ month apartment."</p>
<p>phone/tv/cable/stove/fridge all included, for furniture, i have stuff from my house in houston which is just laying around in my room collecting dust (i.e. a desk/bed/armoire/couch/recliner) and dont forget the college auctions, surely you cant pass up a $5 couch. food, i can go to my house to do grocery shopping (ha), my mom works at rice so she makes a trip back and forth everyday, and im sure she wouldnt mind driving an extra 5 mins to drop of some stuff (food and money, haha) for her beloved son, whom she LOVES OH SO MUCH.</p>
<p>and plus <a href="http://houston.craigslist.org/%5B/url%5D">http://houston.craigslist.org/</a> has anything and everything one could want.</p>
<p>Hey we are all neighbors on fifth floor Lovett. That is kinda weird.</p>
<p>DD is not fifth floor this year! :)</p>