Tag Archives: apartment hunting

Princeton Ly – Apartment Hunting Part II

May 8, 2012 – 8:53 am

I know what a daunting thing it is to start looking for off-campus housing. As I mentioned in a previous post, the earlier you look for apartments, the easier it will be for you.

There are many, many factors to consider. How much can I afford? Who will I live with? How far away is this from class? How far away is this from a grocery store, now that I actually need to cook for myself?

My friend recently introduced me to a really neat tool called PadMapper that could really help in finding an apartment amidst all those questions.

After searching UCLA, Westwood in the address bar, I was transported to a map of Westwood with a variety of rental listings. I could filter listings by price, number of bedrooms, and even see a place’s proximity to grocery stores and nightlife. It was also really helpful to compare the apartment listing’s price to the median price of the neighborhood, just to make sure I wasn’t getting ripped off. I could share saved listings with my future apartment mates, and more importantly, could see how close I was going to be to my friends and to my classes on campus. The user-interface made it easy for me to navigate, and I found myself wishing that I had known about this tool when I was looking for apartments.

While I definitely recommend that new first-years or third-year-transfers live on campus to truly experience UCLA’s community, I also know that there are students out there who might be seeking an alternative. Moving to a foreign place can be daunting, so I would definitely encourage that newbies to the area utilize tools like PadMapper. Scouting out the terrain beforehand to make sure your new home is nicely located will be well worth it in the long run. I was lucky enough to have found a great apartment with the help of older friends; I’ve definitely heard horror stories of other students who have been trapped in leases with rent almost twice as much as mine. Ouch.

In short, when you decide that it is time to move off-campus, take a look at tools like PadMapper that make the whole process easier.

Happy hunting.

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*PadMapper is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the University of California Los Angeles.


By Princeton Ly | Posted in Life off campus | Also tagged , , | Comments Off

Apartment Hunting in Westwood

February 29, 2012 – 8:20 am

As much as I love living in the dorms, I think it is time for a change. That is why my friends and I decided that we are going to move to an apartment next year. I have loved living in the dorms the last two years and I know I will miss it, but I am really excited about taking advantage of the housing that’s offered in Westwood. I am going to miss the close community of the dorms, and the delicious dining hall food, but I am excited to get a space upgrade and be right where all the action is in Westwood.

Starting out trying to find a place was very stressful. For the first time I had to try and find a place to live without my parents help. Luckily UCLA provided many resources that made it easier. They put on an apartment fair that made it easy for students and landlords to get in touch. They also put together a guide to finding an apartment that gives many helpful hints when looking for an apartment. All of that really made it a lot less intimidating to venture out and try to find an apartment to live in. One of the few downsides of living in west L.A. is trying to pay for the housing that is around. The student apartments around UCLA are no exception. Trying to find a place that is both affordable and nice enough for everyone has been a tough and stressful process. It is also hard to get everyone to agree on a place. It is amazingly easy to find little flaws in a place, such as the size of the kitchen, or the type of counter tops.
Hopefully our process seems to be coming to an end. We finally found a place that everyone can agree on and is excited about. It’s been a pretty interesting experience so far but I am glad it is coming to an end. I cannot wait to move in to my new place over the summer!

By Steven Simons | Posted in Life off campus | Also tagged , , | Comments Off

Princeton Ly – Apartment Hunting

December 1, 2011 – 8:18 am

 

Finals aside, one of the things you should be thinking about as a UCLA student is where you’re going to be living next year, and with who.

The dorms are of course a great option, especially if you’re just a first year this year. I’ll tell you right now, having food at the swipe of a card is very underrated. And having people clean your bathrooms? Priceless. One downside is the cost. Hill living is very expensive at times – living in a hall (Sproul Cove!?) or getting a job are some ways to offsetting this. But the convenience of living on the Hill is really unparalleled.

Apartments are of course the other main option. Most people I know seem to live west of campus – along Gayley, Veteran, Kelton, etc. – though some people go south of Wilshire to live. Aside from those poor, bus-riding souls (I kid), it’s usually still walking distance (easier with a bike or longboard), but you have to deal with leases, cooking your own food, cleaning – basically, being an independent, mature adult. It’s harder than you might think, and even if you’re up for it, finding 3-4 other people who are may be difficult.

In any case, I bring up the entire housing issue because if you want to live in an off-campus apartment, the time to start looking is now. Through the advice of friends and your own research, you will want to find (soon!) the potential buildings you’ll spend the next year or two in. My advice? Try to find a newer structure with a kind and understanding manager. Look all your potentials up online, because there are some horror stories out there. And try to live with a bunch of your friends! It’s really the only time you’ll ever to do that – believe me, after graduation, it’s going to be a pain trying to meet up – your friends are going to be working and grad-school-ing across the country.

One additional note – if you’re going to be living in the apartments next year, plan on spending your days on campus – it’s really a pain to walk back and forth from the apartments to school, and a huge waste of time, too, if you do it more than once.

Good luck!

-Princeton

By Princeton Ly | Posted in Life off campus, Life on campus | Also tagged , , | Comments Off
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