To those who live off-campus...

<p>I just got accepted to Wash U's MFA program and I'm wondering where most older students live. Areas, etc, and how you got your place... Thanks!</p>

<p>Check with ResLife. I believe they post apartment rentals for non Wash U owned apartments and I also remember a Student Life article about some students that started an apartment finding service this year. I don't remember the exact details. </p>

<p>DeMun is a great area just south of campus and west of Skinker. There are lots of rentals in older buildings with character and in great shape. There are a few little restaurants and a coffee shop as well right across from a park. It's an eclectic mix of ages too - students, professors and young couples with kids. My son found an apartment there this year and absolutely loves it. It's also quite safe compared to some of the other areas North of campus.</p>

<p>A tangent: if you're someone who wants to live on campus all 4 years, how hard is it for sophomores/juniors/seniors to get on-campus housing?</p>

<p>housing is guaranteed all 4 years of undergrad.</p>

<p>i second the thing about demun. really nice place to live. if you are big on going out at night, living near the loop (delmar) could be a good option too. most students living aroudn there have apartments on kingsland, kingsbury, or washington ave. it's a little louder than demun, but definitely more social and right near the bars.</p>

<p>Yeah, sure, demun is great... if you have loads of $$$$ to spend on rent. I'm assuming money might be a consideration for you since you are a MFA student. Really, Demun is very expensive. In fact, the neighborhood is being invaded by yuppies</p>

<p>I would check out dogtown; it's pretty cheap and has an "older" student population. Dogtown is probably the working-class equivalent to yuppie Demun (it also has its own restaurants/bars). It is, however, a little further away (not a problem with a bike).</p>

<p>If you don't mind living next to 3rd and 4th year undergraduates, Id recommend living on Wash. Ave or Kingsbury. That's really your best bet in terms of both location to the school and nightlife.</p>

<p>Of course you might be spending a lot of time at the lewis center (I don't know what you will be studying) which is on Kingsland. There are lots of apartments there as well.</p>

<p>If you want to be as close as possible to the main art school building(s), you'll want to consider living on Pershing/Waterman. In fact, this is probably where you might find that "older" crowd you mentioned.</p>

<p>Also, to those thinking of living on campus all four years: don't do it!! I love it off campus...the parties are much better and I'm much closer to other off-campus activities</p>

<p>boody
My D is a first year grad student at Wash U. She is living in the Richmond Heights neighborhood (near the Schnucks Spermarket) which is on one of the shuttle lines(next to Clayton).Its a mix of smaller apt buildings and duplexes and private homes.While she has a car she uses the shuttle to commute most of the time.She likes the area, its quieter..not all kids..and her apt is very reasonable.Shes able to live alone in a spacious one bedroom for $550 a month.She parks on the street,never a problem and doesnt feel unsafe coming and going at all hours (shes small and looks pretty young).
She looked into the off campus housing sponsored by the University -the agency is called Quadrangle,but didnt like the North of campus area nor the condition of many of the apts.Some valuable resources to check out are Craig's List for St Louis and riverfronttimes.com classifieds.The Wash U Grad Guide (available online) put out by the Grad School of Arts and Sciences under New Student resources has valuable neighborhood info and the Olin School of Business in the Student Services for MBA students area on their web pages also has good information.
D looked in DeMun,but like someone said before,felt its a little yuppieish..and in her words "there were alot of strollers".She does like that coffee shop though!Dogtown is a nice area too.
She pretty much panicked last year and thought she had to lock in an apt early (being a New Yorker lol).Its a little freer and easier market.When we helped her move last Aug 1 there were still many vacancy signs around.She found her apt b/c someone on the plane heard her and her Dad talking about apts (they went on a apt search trip in May last year) and he called his friend who is a landlord,they made an appointment with him and viola! They also looked through the off campus housing office and other realtor offices.If you want the landlords name and # PM me.</p>

<p>Thanks to everyone. We just visited and I'm overwhelmed by the size of the school and all the little neighborhoods. I hope we can keep this thread going as people search! btw I'm an MFA candidate in poetry, so yeah, not a lotta $$$.</p>

<p>I know the summers are incredibly humid-- do any places sometimes have a/c included? Also, do any reasonably priced complexes have pools or do you have to be rich as midas?</p>

<p>because of the humidity, you'll find that almost all apartments have AC. also, good luck finding a complex with a pool...unless you want to pay like $700 a month to live in a hotel-like high-rise. The university has an outdoor pool by the Milbrook Apts. </p>

<p>$550/mo is on the expesive side. You can find a good deal at around $300 to $350/mo if you look in the right places.</p>

<p>btw I pay $285 and I live ON Delmar</p>

<p>fsb
are you sharing at that price?we didnt see anything remotely in that price range.</p>

<p>yes, I'm living with a few roomates</p>