Summer housing (+ parking + gym)

I’m considering taking a class or 2 this summer. Any tips on finding a place to stay? It’s for 8 weeks. There’s apparently the option for a single housing unit for $4107 for that time on the university, pending availability anyway. Are university housing options a dump? Quiet, loud?

Am I better off trying to find some sort of sublet on Craigslist or just finding a decent monthly rate somewhere on Airbnb? Looks like there are some rooms on there that run around $1500/month.

A couple of other related questions:

(1) Is parking on campus going to be impossible in the middle of the day? (Can one get a permit for a couple months as a visiting student, or do you have to hope for an available spot and pay each time?)

(2) Is access to the university fitness center included in student fees? And does the gym get crazy busy in the summer? Or would I be better off looking for an off-campus gym?

Campus dorms: http://conferenceservices.berkeley.edu/summersess_index.html
BSC co-op houses: http://www.bsc.coop/housing/summer-housing

There should be lots of spaces in apartments, rooming houses, and private dorms in the summer.

Parking: http://pt.berkeley.edu/ and http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/parking/

Gym: http://recsports.berkeley.edu/about/member-services/

Most of the fraternity/sorority houses will be renting their empty rooms for the summer. These may include parking so you can just walk to campus from the house.

I would look for a sublet. Most leases in the area are year long so students who won’t be there for the summer will be subletting their place and it will likely be less expensive than on campus housing. What you might want to consider is whether or not a place is furnished. The upside to being on campus is that your bed, drawers, etc. are provided. An off campus place is less likely to be furnished. That said, if you hang around during move out days in May you can find a few free choices on the curb.

Yeah, the furniture thing could be an issue. I mean I could bring an inflatable mattress and a couple foldout tables for a desk, etc. and stick it out for a couple months, but that’s one reason why getting a room on Airbnb could be a decent option: it’d come with furniture and a real bed.

I wouldn’t get there until June, and I don’t want to spend much money on furniture just to have to get rid of it after 2 months.

Oh wow, just get a sublet, they will be furnished, lots of students leave for the summer but they have to rent the apartment all year so you should get a below market place with no problem.