<p>Hello!
Can anyone tell me which place would be better for housing ? I am an engineering student and would need to commute to the North Campus daily.
Northwood 5 is closer to my building but all the dining halls are far from it , and on the contrary Martha Cook though far , will provide my dining options.
Please tell which wud be best financially and easier for daily routine?</p>
<p>If you don’t mind an all women’s dorm then Martha Cook will be much better. You’ll have classes on both Central and North and Central is much much better than the remote Northwoods 5. Martha Cook is in a prime location.</p>
<p>Students act like a 10-15 minute bus ride is like a commute to work! LOL. Go for the environment you like best and don’t worry about distances. </p>
<p>To rjkofnovi
Thanks but students with a relatively weaker financial background do have to think about things… since all dining halls etc are located far from Northwood 5… so these aspects cannot be ignored…</p>
<p>^^^^I forgot that there is a premium to be paid for Martha Cook. If the difference in costs make it a struggle, then go to Northwood 5 and make the best of it. :-)</p>
<p>Northwood V is originally for family housing. It is a town house community a couple blocks east of North Campus. It would not give you the dorm life experience at all. However, I enjoyed living there when I was a post-doctoral fellow with a small family. It is less than 5 minutes bus ride to North Campus and you can bike there easily (except for the uphill slope on Hubbard for that last block after Huron Parkway on the way back). Sometimes I actually walked up that slope if I took the Commuter instead of Northwood bus. If you don’t care about social life that you may get in a dorm, it may be a cheaper alternative. Living in a town house however will give you the opportunity to cook yourself as it has a fully equipped kitchen (just without dish washer). It has no laundry room in Northwood 5 though. We bought our washer/dryer from our neighbor when we moved in and sold them to new neighbors when we moved out. So there are some inconvenience in addition to the distance. Nevertheless, it is in a very nice environment.</p>
<p>You do not want to live in Northwood V as a Freshman. Martha Cook, umpteen times better.</p>
<p>To Billchso:
Are restaurants and dining places available near NV 5? and are meal plan rates at the dining halls such as Bursely costly???</p>
<p>There is nothing really near Northwood 5. The closest restaurant would be around 3/4 mile away. I don’t know the cost for the meal plan alone yet. The new meal plan this year has unlimited meals. That means you probably would only eat at the cafeteria if you want to save money as the cost is the same. With meal plan, you can eat at any of the 8 dining halls.</p>
<p>are you graduate student? I can’t imagine placing undergrads in NW5 since that’s forever away from the dining. You’ll seriously need to take a bus to the dining hall every time you’re hungry which can be quite time consuming.
Go for Martha Cook. Also, you’ll be in out-of-luck after 12AM for buses. Buses are a huge hassle to deal with, especially for Northwood 5 since that route is much longer and there are no other buses that go near there. Bursley for example, you can still take the following buses: NW, NW Express, North Commuter, Bursely-Baits.</p>
<p>I know NW3 is on the list for UG housing, but I am not sure if NW5 is on it. NW3 is just short walk from Bursely.
I am not sure if the bus route has been changed, but I used to take commuter and got off on Huron Parkway besides taking NW bus directly.</p>
<p>To foreveralone:
I am a grad student, but shall be arriving Ann arbor for the first time.
I think i shall go for Martha Cook.</p>
<p>Since you are a grad student, are you planning to buy a car there. If you do, you will have a parking spot at NW5 but not likely with a dorm (limited space for Baits or you need to purchase a yellow permit to park at a distance from campus. With a car, you are really not depending on the meal plan and none of the grad students I know actually use a meal plan.</p>
<p>yes, actually forgot that Commuter North actually gets to a walkable distance from NW5.
Also, I forgot about Diag-Diag that goes between North and Central, but not to NW5</p>
<p>Honestly, if you value your time, go with Martha Cook. How much more does it cost? Chances are you’ll probably have to wake up earlier @ NW5 than Martha Cook for your engineering classes due to the bus availability 5 vs 2. Plus, sometimes it’s annoying when you forget something at home and have to go back. Martha Cook also has its own dining hours. Say goodbye to breakfast at NW5, unless you want to wake up ultra early. At Martha Cook, you can just head downstairs for breakfast. </p>
<p>Also, at NW5 you will die of loneliness. Martha Cook is slightly more traditional, but more conservative as far as rules go. Obviously, no boys overnight and mandatory meetings. That said, I’d say still miles ahead of NW5. </p>
<p>To billchso: I won’t be buying a car in my first year… and moreover I will be dependent to a meal plan since I’am new to Ann Arbor.</p>
<p>To ForeverAlone: There is no such significant cost difference between them… I think i’ll go with your suggestions … thanks…</p>