<p>Does anyone know what is the success rate of students subletting their Radian apartments over the summer? Are the 4BR/2Bath units better chance or the 3BR/2 bath units have a better chance to sublet?</p>
<p>D is waiting to hear about campus housing; is there a cheaper option to Radian that is close and safer? I know that Radian is brand new - any other similar building suggestions? </p>
<p>Any tips for subletting other than using Craig's list & relying on friends?</p>
<p>Thank you</p>
<p>if she is a freshman undergrad, she should live in the on-campus houses. Sublets can be marketed over Spike (if she is in Wharton) or daily pennsylvanian adds.</p>
<p>Many, many cheaper options than the Radian – pretty much anything west of the river is cheaper than the Radian, and lots east of it, too – but none as close or safer.</p>
<p>My d has lived in the Radian for 2 years now and is actually sad to be moving out for her senior year - her roommates wanted a change. It’s actually quite easy to sublet - my d’s 3 roommates and the 4 girls across the hall were all abroad for fall semester and all of them had sublets (yeah - fun for my d to lose all her friends and live with strangers - but her grades were excellent). She has already lined up a subletter for the summer when her leases overlap (Radian is Aug-Aug and most other places are June- June). Of course the subletters don’t pay the full rent and you have to pay a fee to the Radian - don’t try to go off record - they will find out and kick out the subletter and change the locks (this happened in my d’s apt which was very inconvenient for her - she was locked out and had done nothing wrong).<br>
As a long distance parent I have felt very good about her living in the Radian - it’s just across the street from campus and seemed like a safer option than some of the other places. I also like that the rental contract is individual for the room and includes all utilities.</p>
<p>Realistically, the near off campus housing is very safe. I live at 42nd and Locust, and neither I nor any of my neighbors have had any problems. You’re pretty safe in the area bordered by Walnut, 43rd, Spruce, 42nd, Baltimore, 38th and back up to Walnut. Also the northern off campus locations are decent, though fewer Penn students live there (it gets into Drexel territory when you go north of campus and east of 38th Street). Additionally, in the near off campus area, streets are patrolled by Penn police, Philadelphia police, Penn security and University City security. You have access to the 511 AND the 911 emergency lines, and there are emergency call boxes at every corner in the area.</p>
<p>For pricing, it depends. Apartments generally range from $650-750 a month plus utilities per person for 2BR. Houses vary from leasing company to leasing company. University Enterprises is on the expensive side (850-950 a month per person plus utilities); Campus Apartments is middle of the road (700-900 a month); University City Housing and most of the unaffiliated houses (i.e. just landlords) will be cheaper (650-750 a month). It is a little late to do the housing hunt since most houses have been leased already. That could work to the lessee’s advantage, though, since companies NEED to lease the houses. The short of it is SHOP AROUND!</p>
<p>^ I have to laugh a little at what chrisw says. He’s right, that area is pretty safe, but as someone who lived in University City for over a decade, not as a student, I can say that the areas beyond it to the southwest were even safer, at least out to around 49th St. The areas he described were packed with undergraduates, which made them feel safe, but which in fact meant that they were very transient, no one watched strangers, etc., and there was more petty crime than in the more stable areas not overrun with undergraduates.</p>
<p>Be that as it may, if you live in the Radian, you are paying a huge premium for its location, brand-newness, status as a luxury private dorm, perceived safety. Lots of people are willing to do that (although I’m sure it’s hard to get full rent for summer sublets).</p>
<p>My d is getting $100 a month less than her actual rent but that’s about the best I’ve heard for subletting.</p>
<p>I don’t have too much to add except that I think the Radian is the best housing option at Penn. My son has been there since it opened. Prior to that he did have problems with off-campus housing. There was a break-in and also the utilities ran a lot higher than represented. Much of the housing around Penn is absolutely horrible with some really sketchy landlords (no matter what corporate names they try to use).<br>
Radia summer sublets are harder, but possible. My son stayed in his single apt for last summer because he had a job downtown. He will stay after graduation for most of the summer since the Radian is paid for (by his parents) and then start his “real” job in another city! We never thought we would agree to pay what we paid for the Radian, but considering what he was paying for the dump he was in PLUS huge utilities and it not being as safe, the Radian wasn’t as much more as we initially thought.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the posts, I was traveling and forgot to review this thread that I started. D signed up for Radian for Fall 10 and seems now pretty confident that she can sublet for summer. When she shopped around, she also unfortunately found the sketchy buildings and/or landlords; lapse of security etc. </p>
<p>Thanks again for all your input</p>