<p>Hi, I feel the Quarters are probably too much for me to spend per year. You also mentioned the Villa apartments (there are several - Villa San Gabriel, Villa Guadalupe, Villa Nueces). Do you have a phone number/address/website for these apartments? I couldn't find contact info anywhere. Also, are there any other apartments very close to campus that are also relatively new/nice? Is there any cheap place near UT for parking? Quarters charges 110/month for parking and no way can I afford this. Last, how important is having a car for purchasing of food and transportation in general and is there a way to purchase a meal plan without purchasing a dorm at UT? Please let me know asap as things are filling up fast. MUCH THANKS.</p>
<p>Forget about the Quarters, Villa Guadalupe, and all the other high-end housing. They are like 900$ a month for a small 1bdrm and the parking is usually not included. My advice is..go to craigslist and search for apartments in west campus or hyde park, both of which are within walking distance. I live in West Campus and pay 475 a month, including parking, for a nice studio across the street from one of the new quarters apts. The majority of apts in West Campus are small complexes and converted homes that are runned by a single owner or one of several management companies. Because of this, they don't have sophisticated websites like Villas or Quarters, but they are much cheaper. Craigslist.org will have all the smaller apt ads posted. Just browse and you will be sure to find some. Good luck</p>
<p>Villas will prob. be more expensive than quarters...none of the new/nice ones are going to be affordable if you think that quarters is expensive.
<a href="http://www.villasonguadalupe.com%5B/url%5D">www.villasonguadalupe.com</a>
<a href="http://www.texanproperties.com%5B/url%5D">www.texanproperties.com</a>
<a href="http://www.sterlingwestcamp.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.sterlingwestcamp.com/</a></p>
<p>you can try and get a parking permit on-campus for either Brazos, San Jacinto Blvd Garage parking or Trinity Garage, then you are put into the lottery for either of those 3. Having a car is somewhat important if you want to get groceries and eat out a lot, but you can easily walke to Moe's, Baja Fresh, Wendy's Jack in the Box, Dominos, Gatti's, Pizza Hut, TCBY, Taco Cabana, McDonald's and Burger King, Quizno's, Subway, Austin Pizza, Einstein's, Slices and Ices from Campus. Also the Union has wendy's, Quizno's, their own pizza dealer, taco bell, chic-fil-a. At Jester they have wendy's. For making your own meal plan, you can put money onto your student card (either dine-in or bevo); i don't think they offer it seperate from the on-campus housing.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.texanproperties.net%5B/url%5D">www.texanproperties.net</a>
is the site, not .com</p>
<p>they closed slices and ices!!!!!!!!!
i drove down past guadalupe the other day and its something different now, i was sooo upset.
if theyre still open, let me know, they have the best pizza/frozen lemonade ever</p>
<p>There's also a Chipotle and Jamba Juice on the Drag...<em>drool</em></p>
<p>ConfUser:</p>
<p>I'm sorry for the delay in responding to your question. I've been out-of-town and not online very much. It looks like you have some good leads on housing and parking from other commenters. Finding a place to live in West Campus is as much an art as a science. If possible, the best plan is to drive or walk around, find some places you like that are for rent, and start calling. There are also leasing agents that specialize in campus-area apartments and condos that can be helpful. </p>
<p>Have you considered the Castilian? It is convenient, has parking, and is a little less expensive than the other options. Dobie might fit the bill. Or you could look into student co-op housing. UT publishes a Housing Guide with many housing options: <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/international/isss/housing/lt_housing%5B/url%5D">http://www.utexas.edu/international/isss/housing/lt_housing</a>. While it is designed for international students, it has information that would apply to anyone.</p>
<p>Campus parking is almost harder to find than living arrangements unless your apartment/condo includes parking. There simply isn't much parking available near the campus. I suspect that's part of the reason some students live further off-campus and ride the shuttle to campus. Thus, you might want to adjust your search to look at apartments on campus shuttle routes. If you like to bike, riding your bike to campus can be a good option since you will only have to buy a bike permit for campus parking and you can leave your vehicle at your off-campus residence. But there are lots of students who ride bikes and even bike parking can be hard to come by.</p>
<p>Meals: While the campus dining facilities are open to the public, the only references to meal plans are for residents, faculty and staff. (Website here: <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/student/housing/index.php?site=0&scode=5&id=645&is_main=1)%5B/url%5D">http://www.utexas.edu/student/housing/index.php?site=0&scode=5&id=645&is_main=1)</a>. You might want to contact UT's Food Services to ask about non-resident meal plans: <a href="http://www.utexas.edu/student/housing/index.php?site=0&scode=0&id=285&menu=75%5B/url%5D">http://www.utexas.edu/student/housing/index.php?site=0&scode=0&id=285&menu=75</a>.</p>
<p>In the past, University Towers and possibly other off-campus dorms sold non-resident meal plans. Use the Housing Guide I linked to above to check with places like Towers and other dorms near where you might be living. Alternatively, in the past the sorority houses hired students as wait staff in exchange for meals. I don't know if they still do this but it's a great deal if you are responsible and willing to work.</p>
<p>It's hard for me to answer your questions about having a car for shopping and such. Most of the students I know at UT have cars but they seldom use them. As the school year goes on, many students tire of household chores, cooking and shopping, but others don't. I'm not sure what category you fall into. The shuttle can take you almost anywhere you want to go, but sometimes it is nice to have the freedom having your own vehicle offers.</p>
<p>If you are searching for housing for next Fall, it probably will be hard to find. Housing fills up so quickly at UT dorms and in the West Campus area, but some people put down deposits for housing and then decide to attend other schools. Be sure to ask about waitlists and keep trying.</p>