<p>^theater’s links are great. I was addicted to the “off campus housing search” when looking for a place to live next year. </p>
<p>Parkside and University Club are close to campus and right next door to each other. Definitely walking distance - right across the street. However, the neighborhood is not the safest, though many, many students live there.</p>
<p>Safer neighborhoods are generally off Metzerott (use Google Maps to see the location of an apartment complex or house; if you see a house that is on 42nd ave/st. other number streets etc. it is likely off Metzerott), student dominated housing walking distance on the backside of campus (there’s also two bus lines). It is not as convenient as Parkside but it is safer - and not too bad for an engineering student. Other safer neighborhoods are the houses South of frat row (with “college” street names such as College Ave, Harvard, Yale, etc. If you are a guy frat houses are especially prone to having affordable openings - if you don’t mind living in a frat house, that is!!) on that side of the street. These are expensive and there are no apartment complexes, but you may find an empty room in someone’s house (a lot of students open up spaces in their group houses 'cause a roommate is studying abroad, they didn’t get enough people to meet their financial needs, etc.). When looking into group houses ask if you will be on the lease or protected by the lease - in many cases more than 5 people are living in a house, and some people will not be on the lease (in college park it is illegal to have 5+ unrelated people in a house, however landlords and tenants routinely ignore this…in fact I am living in a house with 8 people next yr haha. This is not true for frats/sororities of course, that’s perfectly legal if it’s university affiliated). </p>
<p>Some other apartment complexes (I would contact the off campus housing office at MD for more info) are Hartwick and Knox Towers, Knox Boxes (the boxes are kind of expensive and gross but again, very student dominated neighborhoods), The View (very expensive but convenient and safe). Hartwick/Knox area apartments are not convenient for comp sci majors, they are on the opposite side of campus, walking distance (Right across the street) of South Campus/Susquehanna Hall/South CAmpus diner/etc. The View is heaven for engineering students.</p>
<p>Finally University Town Center is NOT walking distance but there is a campus shuttle that runs and it is student dominated. For me this would be a last pick since it’s far, but I hear the rooms are more affordable than the View’s and much nicer to boot. </p>
<p>If you are looking into an apartment or house feel free to PM me to ask about the location. I can try to give you specifics on how safe it’s perceived to be, how close to campus is, if there’s a lot of students, etc. I think you’ll be able to find something walking distance and affordable (well, if you consider around the price of a dorm to be affordable) but you really have to be tenacious!</p>
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