<p>I am leaving to attend Penn (grad student) in the Spring. I am thinking about getting a standard bedroom with a shared bath at Sansom. </p>
<p>Does anyone in here live in Sansom? How is it? Is it worth the price tag or would I be better off looking off campus for something nicer and cheaper? </p>
<p>I cannot seem to find any pics of the place online. Anyone have any links? </p>
<p>Is most of University City a nice area? The prices for apartments seem pretty cheap in comparison to Boston or NYC. </p>
<p>Are there ants at a picnic? Yes. At lots of different price points / amenity levels, too. Down to group homes where you can get your own bedroom for $300-400/month.</p>
<p>Also, there are lots of ways to furnish an unfurnished apartment easily and cheaply.</p>
<p>I would contact the Penn housing office, which probably maintains listings, and at the very least can put you in touch with larger landlords. A lot of activity probably happens on craigslist or bulletin boards, though.</p>
<p>You can also look into the off campus housing guide on Penn’s website. The Spruce Hill neighborhood is very popular among graduate students. It is generally very easy to furnish an apartment if you know what to do.</p>
<p>Some suggestions…</p>
<ol>
<li>Talk to the current tenant(s) of the apartment, and see if they want to sell you their furniture. I did this (both as seller and purchaser) and it really worked out beautifully, since I got a full bedroom set for $200 (including a queen bed!) and didn’t have to move anything except when I rearranged the bedroom.</li>
<li>Look on Craigslist for university city. If you are moving in to start during spring semester, start looking NOW; if you are moving in for next academic year, start looking in late April/early May. Students will be selling their stuff before they leave, and you can get phenomenal deals on good quality furniture.</li>
<li>Ask leasing companies whether you can rent furniture. During senior year, I lived with five guys, and we each paid 25 bucks a month to rent our bedroom and living room furniture. It provided a savings over purchasing the furniture and made the moving process very simple.</li>
</ol>
<p>With regard to finding housing in the first place, Campus Apartments and University City Housing are popular; University Enterprises is also an option, but their apartments/houses are all on the expensive side. I would also consider options in Center City West (just east of the Schuylkill River). You may be able to find something reasonably priced there, and the neighborhoods are filled with more of the mid-twentysomething crowd.</p>
<p>Don’t do Sansom! They’re primarily for graduate students, and the lower floors are for undergraduates. People get placed there if they don’t lottery into the high rises unsuccessfully. The single with shared bathroom is an average sized room, but it’s somewhat removed from campus, you have to share the bathroom with the single on the other side, and you won’t make friends with anyone else in Sansom. If you really want a single, shoot for one of the other houses.</p>
<p>Edit: Ah didn’t read your initial post about being a graduate student. Still though, Sansom is very gloomy and largely international. I would bet the interaction among grads is very similar to the undergrad floors – nonexistant. Try to do off-campus housing.</p>