Touring The Lucky

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Wisconsin
21

<p>Make sure you see actual apartments, with tenants in them at Regent. The model apartments looked great last year, then when I saw an actual apartment, I couldn’t believe it. Very run down, and dated. Really beat up. Maybe they’ve updated/upgraded since then, but my advice…be careful. I don’t have any first-hand knowledge about Lucky.</p>

<p>Do not under estimate the Hall programming and food at the University owned dorms. I do have friends in private housing that have been very happy.</p>

<p>There’s not a wrong answer.</p>

22

<p>Hey wis75–you’re either a ■■■■■ or seriously biased for some reason I’m not really sure…</p>

<p>“Lucky is NOT cheaper. Share with 4 people in two rooms- compare to a basic double. Clean your own kitchen.”</p>

<p>Was your response to: </p>

<p>"University Housing
basic double dorm room for 2012-2013 $6900
single room or new dorm (ogg, lake shore) add $950 to above
learning community add $200-300 and some varying room type upcharges $300-$950</p>

<p>Lucky/Regent
a double arrangement (2 bedrooms, 2 ppl per bedroom) at Lucky/Regent in their freshman program (9mo. lease with RAs on the halls)
Regent $5085
Lucky $7650"</p>

<p>Now, I lived in Sellery. And paid close to this price (although it has gone up). You’re going to tell me 4 people in a 1200sq foot - 2bed/2bath APARTMENT for $7650 should be strictly compared to a “6900” basic double?! I LIVED IN SELLERY, I also lived in Lucky for 2 years–YOU CANNOT COMPARE THE “Basic Double Dorm Room” to ANYTHING in Lucky. LUCKY IS better than even the “new dorm (ogg, lake shore) add $950 to above.” SO YES, in the example given by OP, Lucky101 IS now cheaper than the CLOSEST comparable option in University Housing. I can’t believe that–but it appears to be true. I have no idea why. It should be more expensive (or could be).</p>

<p>(opinion) Lucky101 is an incredible value and I wish I had made that choice my freshmen year (it wasn’t available then). You’re looking at 200-300sq ft (a closet-sized room) for 9 months out of the year vs. insanely-sized and incredibly-finished doubles in Lucky101. UW reshalls are over-priced and better options available today that weren’t available before are making that more apparent. (/opinion)</p>

<p>I didn’t realize this until moving OUT of the dorms after my first year–they’re a rip off. yes, some great experiences, but you break down that monthly rate and it’s jaw-dropping. The point from ANY of these housing posts should be: CONSUMERS (students and their parents) SHOULD NOT just “make decisions” without looking into ALL of the options. Only looking at private halls is just as silly as “signing on the dotted line” for UW Housing before having some idea of the whole market. Would you do it for an apartment off campus? For a home you’re purchasing for your family? NO. Then why should you make hasty decisions with first-year housing. Explore all options. Prices and “norms” from when your parents or your friend 2-years ahead of you have ALL changed on campus. Don’t assume anything.</p>

<p>EDIT: People keep bringing up food/dining. Let’s be honest: if you live in a palace with full kitchens, why would i go eat in the dorm cafeterias? Seriously. I lived at Lucky, above a grocery store, and possibly one of the nicest grocery stores in Madison. I had the world at my fingertips–do you think I have (EVER ONCE) stepped into a UW dining hall during my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th years at UW? NEVER. So why would a freshmen who lives with a kitchen? If I could cook as a sophomore I sure as heck could have (and would have if I’d lived in lucky101) as a freshman. Moral of story: factor food in separately from housing and you’ll be able to better plan for that specific area. This “room & board” style of pricing for first-year students only serves to rip the parents and their students off.</p>

23

<p>Not a ■■■■■. You are comparing different sized accomodations- you should be comparing Lucky to other off campus apartments. You are also living in an apartment after having a year to adjust to college life without needing to also adjust to apartment life. Incoming freshmen get all sorts of help through Res Halls. Most of the other dorms are nicer than a high rise like Sellery in my opinion- advantages over high rise Lucky. Ages and stages. For you- a check with others who spent far less for nice enough accomodations close to campus is in order. You also forget that hundreds of dollars do matter in a college budget- not everyone can afford the luxuries of a Lucky apartment compared to the dorms. Nor does everyone spend that much time in their living space- they explore the campus, especially freshman year. It takes time to shop, cook and clean. The variety of fooods available is far greater than you had- that grocery store has it limitations. And so forth. I wonder what your take on Lucky would be if you had had the fortune to live in the Lakeshore area with green spaces outside your door.</p>

24

<p>My two cents:</p>

<p>The dorms are overpriced. You can’t get around that. I live in an apartment building that is somewhat comparable to Lucky (less fancy, but similar size/quality) and I pay less than I did in the dorms. People who live in Lucky pay less than they did in the dorms as well. If you are willing to live somewhere that isn’t fancy, then you’ll save even more. If you’re looking purely at cost, I might encourage people to look past just the dorms as options and look at places like Lucky or off-campus apartments - they are usually a much better deal when you only look at cost.</p>

<p>That being said, I think the dorms are vital for making friends your first year, and most of the complaints I have heard from people that did not live in the dorms (I don’t know a lot of them, however) regard the fact that they don’t know as many people as they would like to. I think it’s a nice bridge between high school and living on your own (not due to the “extra help” the dorms provide, but due to the fact that it puts you in very close proximity to others with most likely similar goals in meeting people and getting out there). I would recommend the dorms over living off-campus your first year, but after that the dorms are too expensive and full of freshmen (plus after a year there, you really feel constrained by all the rules) so I don’t really see a reason for anyone to live in the dorms after freshman year. And, wis75, I know you constantly champion the dorms, specifically Lakeshore, but lots of people would gladly give away the “good fortune” of Lakeshore in order to live in Lucky or Sellery or somewhere close to the action. Not everyone wants green space, and not everyone wants to be completely surrounded by a college campus and separated from the rest of the city. Different strokes for different folks.</p>

25

<p>In an apartment, you are locked in for a year. In a dorm, if you have roommate/floor incompatibility issues, you can possibly switch rooms/roommates/floors/buildings.</p>

26

<p>Actually, as a freshman at Lucky/Regent, there is a school-year lease set up, but it is a 12 month lease for future years. There are RAs, etc. for the freshman year option as well. We have looked at at least a dozen schools over the past two years, and Lucky is still my son’s by-far favorite housing option. That said, he has a contract for it if he ends up going to UW, but they release kids who go to another school without penalty by June 1. It was just a surprise to see the housing cost – but cooking and cleaning do fall on the kids. The students who allow their units to be used as model apartments get free housekeeping, though.</p>

27

<p>Compare UW’s dorm housing costs to other OOS U’s public and private and you may find them a bargain. One of the nice features in no required meal plan. Dorm living is a stage in life, very useful when new to adulthood living, college and a campus. In this era there are many good apartment options close to campus- eons ago Madison’s slums were converted old houses in the Mifflin St area et al. One of the best things private enterprise did was to build so many good options before the luxury apartments of the past few years. All current students- the minute you leave campus you will be out of date. Change at UW is constant. btw- I still prefer trees and grass in my living space in a city, no high rises ever for me.</p>

28

<p>Madison85, incorrect. </p>

<p>I think that some of these older posters need to actually get to downtown madison and campus once in a while so their information is correct. MANY apartment communities are now offering semester and academic leases in an effort to offer more diverse products and better compete within the market. RoxSox, awesome post.</p>

29

<p>Those who post DO get to Madison. College students need more diverse experiences to make some statements. Dorms at UW are not overpriced, for example. They are self sustaining without making a profit. Money goes for current expenses and upkeep to maintain the quality. Check on comments about some private school dorms, especially out east, to see some horrible accomodations at high prices. Dorm life is a transition from home to independent housing, nice when transitioning and dealing with the radical lifestyle changes of college. Students change a lot the first year of college- don’t forget where you were your first day of your first smester compared to weeks and months later. Easy to diss things when you have only your limited experiences.</p>

30

<p>My child lives in Statesider and it is at least 90% full. It is a great Freshmen experience with an in house meal plan and a great location and place to be. Of course Lucky wants to put down the competition - but Statesider is a fully freshman dorm - so a great option to meet alot of kids starting out when you are - most that “graduate” out of statesider fondly recall the great statesider days - it is a special place.</p>

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<p>MNBadger, please list 10 campus area apartment communities that are offering semester leases and/or academic term leases. I am looking for one offering a Fall semester-only lease for a non-freshman UW student.</p>

<p>BTW, I am on campus weekly (including this morning), and have toured apartments on campus and talked to various management companies and lessors including MPM, Smith, Lucky and PH over the past year.</p>

32

<p>Thank you so much for writing this post!
I was hoping to see more posts about Lucky because I’m going to live their starting this fall so I need to talk to someone who lives there…
Do you know any one ?</p>

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<p>Hey Madison85 and Rawanii,</p>

<p>This list will probably grow as time goes on and more pressure gets applied to landlords who still have vacancies. It’s a balancing act, as far as I can tell–when semesters or academic leases come up. I’ve seen a few properties offer them-- 1) Henry-Gilman Apts 2) Some units owned by Palisade Property over in the Langdon area 2) The Regent (only offers academic/semester actually) 3) I think Highlander on gilman is doing something right now according to craigslist. (this used to be a res hall?) 4) My friends lived in 625 langdon for a semester–although that was probably a fluke, maybe not though. A quick search online showed 5) The Canterbury Inn Apts (no experience with) 6) 414 Highland Ave. (again, no idea) 7) Christianson Ventures has some available for a semester (according to search on CAH) 8) SUBLETS – People looking for short-term leases SO RARELY take advantage of sublets. Both fall and spring, more available in spring. Negotiate! It’s a BUYERS market for sublets. Also, re: MPM, I won’t even look for apartments with them. Not gonna lie–it was hell my soph year when I lived in one of their properties.</p>

<p>Hey rawanii–I dunno where to direct you, I would tweet the company, since people follow them on there (i do–@stevebrownapts) and then you could check and see if they have a facebook page or group. usually classes of freshmen make groups for whatever residence hall they’re living in, private or public.</p>

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<p>For some reason it wouldn’t let me edit my old post. </p>

<p>Rawanii – here’s the facebook links i mentioned. Amazing to me how much in on there these days.</p>

<p><a href=“https://www.facebook.com/SBACampusConnect/photos[/url]”>https://www.facebook.com/SBACampusConnect/photos&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“https://www.facebook.com/liveatlucky[/url]”>https://www.facebook.com/liveatlucky&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>There’s also a private group for students that have been admitted this year, “#UW2016” on twitter and facebook: <a href=“https://www.facebook.com/groups/193307874058350/[/url]”>https://www.facebook.com/groups/193307874058350/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>MNBadger,
Thank you so much!
:)</p>

36

<p>I’m trying to decide whether or not I should get an apartment or sign up for a residence hall! I’m almost 100% sure I’m going to transfer (I’m just waiting on a decision from another school). I’m afraid of getting an apartment because I really want to meet people, but then again I HATED my dorm experience at my current Wisconsin university. Also, I’d like the option to make some of my own food. Are there any apartments on campus that aren’t extremely expensive with roommate matching/great environment? Thanks!</p>

37

<p>Check the off campus housing guide on the UW housing website. There are options for many types of apartments, including with roommates.</p>

38

<p>You can make your own food in the dorms, well I know at least in Chad and Ogg and Merit House (probably more) there are kitchens on each floor.</p>

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<p>This private/public dorm thing is really off-putting.</p>

40

<p>Why? Nova…what’s off-putting about options?</p>