Hi all
I’m going to SLO this fall and I’m looking for a place to live now.
What are some good apartment choices in town?
If it’s impossible to find a place in SLO now, what’s a good neighborhood around SLO?
I haven’t lived in SLO in several years, but can give you some feedback on general neighborhoods. After my first year in the dorms, I lived mostly downtown, in three different apartments/condos centered within a block of Nipomo & Palm Streets. This area is a mix of students and older, working people; it is quiet and peaceful, “woodsy”, and right next to cafes, the creek, entertainment, etc. I usually walked to Cal Poly, which took about 40 minutes (you can also bike or take the bus). I also lived RIGHT next to the campus for a while, in a student complex; this made it easy to get on/off campus for lunch at home, naps, etc. The farthest I live from campus was in Laguna Lake area, in a shared house, from which I took a bus; this neighborhood was mostly families. I was able to walk to grocery stores from all locations which was important as I didn’t have a car most of the time. Hopefully, more people will fill you in on the many other neighborhoods and surrounding cities (Morro Bay and Pismo, etc.) However, most students seemed to live within 2-3 miles of campus.
Thanks! Anywhere below 20 min drive is OK distance for me. I’m looking for a quiet neighborhood with no frat house
Another thing about housing…You probably don’t want to drive to campus; parking is limited and you will spend as much time circling around for a spot as it would take to bike or ride the bus. You can catch a bus from (nearly) anywhere in SLO and it is free for current students (just show ID). The only time I would drive to campus would be to drop off/pick up large, heavy items or maybe if you are on campus late at night.
That’s very helpful heads up thx. Is there no parking structure on campus or near campus?
You can park on campus, but permits are expensive. The bus is free and works well. Lots of students bike to campus.
Rents have recently taken a huge jump (along with home sale prices) on the central coast. My husband’s TA told me that the De Tolosa Ranch one bedroom apartment (Laguna Lake area near Costco) she rents with her boyfriend has the one year lease coming up and they were told the rent was being raised from $1750/mo to $2500/mo!
Cal Poly has been building a huge number of very nice on campus units to deal with the housing situation. They are spending almost $200 million on the student housing south project (unfortunately they won’t be ready until summer 2018). A lot of my son’s friends live in Poly Canyon Village and love it. Why not live on campus?
@betabun It sounds like the laguna lake/ Los Osos Valley Road area might be good for you. Granted, you will have to drive a bit and pay for parking, but the reduced rent from living far away should cover that difference. My roommate usually needs to leave about 30 min early so he can get parking without having to go around in circles, this does give him a bit of time to study every day before class.
@yomama12 I would agree that living on campus is fun freshmen and sophomore years. Poly Canyon Village is primarily for sophomores so being a first, third, or fourth+ year can be slightly odd. Also, you sign a 9-month lease for poly canyon which is much more expensive than off campus. This is because off-campus leases are usually 12 months and hard to find summer subleasers. So if you’re confident you can find a subleaser for summer, then off campus is cheaper.
Hi, is the general parking easy on campus? I’d hate to buy an expensive permit and find not place to park
@r77r77 I agree that few students live on campus after their second year, but I assumed the poster was an entering freshman.
Parking is bad during the most common class hours, starting around 9am until around 4pm.