Need Housing Advice, Going to Texas A&M

[ArchCenturion]

the area, and would be able to give me ideas of what i should do.

Im going to be going to Texas A&M in the fall, as a graduate Mechanical Engineering student.

I basically want the cheapest option avaliable, I am single, and dont really care too much about the living conditions, I assume they are all fairly comperable, and with respect to housing, I'm not a very picky guy.

There is 1 thing that I would like and that is to be relatively close to the gym, and recreational areas. If i could ride a bike, or skateboard places that would be nice.

Please pm me, or post if you have any information that could help me.

Here is the housing information that was sent to me, and I have been going thru.

http://reslife.tamu.edu/prospective/

So far I have been thinking of Ramp Halls mostly because it seems the most cost effective.

edit: Oh yea, I'm from California, so I really have no clue what the area is like.

Thanks

 

[erub]

you want to live on campus, as a graduate student? kinda nuts if you ask me..having a roomate in those tiny rooms..i think that the ramp halls are kinda dumps.

you do realize that housing costs in College Station are nothing compared to Cali..the NICEST 2 bedroom apts go for $800..many are had for 500-600/month

None of the oncampus housing is really close to the Rec Center..but then again none of it si far..15-20 min walk to either northside or southside

CS has great bike paths all around the city on many of the major roads

Personally I lived at the Arbors on Wolf Pen Creek for 2 years, I really liked it, but it was one of the pricest around

 

[ArchCenturion]

Originally posted by: erub
you want to live on campus, as a graduate student? kinda nuts if you ask me..having a roomate in those tiny rooms..i think that the ramp halls are kinda dumps.

you do realize that housing costs in College Station are nothing compared to Cali..the NICEST 2 bedroom apts go for $800..many are had for 500-600/month

None of the oncampus housing is really close to the Rec Center..but then again none of it si far..15-20 min walk to either northside or southside

CS has great bike paths all around the city on many of the major roads

Personally I lived at the Arbors on Wolf Pen Creek for 2 years, I really liked it, but it was one of the pricest around

Basically, in my offer letter, i have been told that I will be receiving about 1200/month from a teaching assistantship job that i will be doing. I still have car payments though, and would prefer just to live as cheaply as possible. What did you like about this Arbors on Wolf Pen Creek place?

Do you know anything about this Ramp Halls area?

 

[GRIFFIN1]

I graduated in 1995, and I haven't been back. In other words, all my information is 12 years old. The closest apartments (less than one mile) were in the Northgate area. They were also the oldest the apartments around. I lived at the Casa Blanca apartments (possibly the worst apartments in northgate), and it took me maybe 10 minutes to get from my apartment to the my classes riding a bike. Crime wasn't too bad back then, but anything left outside would eventually get stolen.

The nicer apartments are farther from campus, but they are still only about 2-3 miles from campus. Plan on either riding the bus or a bicycle. I rode the bus for my first week at school, but since I was less than a mile from my classes, it was a lot faster for me to just ride my bike. I just had to accept the fact that I would sometimes have to sit through a class soaking wet.

If I were you, I would just call an apartment locator. Back when I when I was living there, the electric bills for College Station apartments were a lot higher than Bryan apartments. I would tell the apartment locator that I wanted a place in the Northgate area in the Bryan city limits.

Don't forget that it's been 12 years since I was there. All this information might be worthless now.

 

[ArchCenturion]

Thanks for the replies. One thing i forgot to add, is that I believe I would prefer to live as close to campus as possible.

As i mentioned before, the "niceness" of the appartment isn't high on my list of priorities. I am moving there, and I will not know a single person. Im thinking that it would probably be best to just be in the middle of everything. I guess I would like to know where that is. I want to live on campus, because I would like to get a meal plan, and not have to make my own food.

 

[jmcoreymv]

Campus food usually sucks.

 

[erub]

Originally posted by: ArchCenturion
Thanks for the replies. One thing i forgot to add, is that I believe I would prefer to live as close to campus as possible.

As i mentioned before, the "niceness" of the appartment isn't high on my list of priorities. I am moving there, and I will not know a single person. Im thinking that it would probably be best to just be in the middle of everything. I guess I would like to know where that is. I want to live on campus, because I would like to get a meal plan, and not have to make my own food.

well, the middle of everything is clearly northgate. and they are also the worst apartments around. northgate is the bar district, and from there you can easily walk to Sbisa (main, humongus cafeteria). A lot of people complain about campus food but I generally liked it, especially at Sbisa, there was always something you could eat. Meals run about $6 each with a mealplan, so if you are really on a budget then you might have a problem.

Are you bringing a car? Parking situation on northgate is mostly atrocious. What about furniture? My ex, who I still talk to, is an employee of one of the better furnished apartments near northgate (re: newer). I'm blanking on the name of it now though. Its in a really good location also, bike would be very quick to class, and you aren't so close that you would have to deal with the noise from the bars (could get very annoying for studying). Parking is better at this place because they have their own parking lot. Rent is about $450 for one bedroom on a four bdrm, including cable and internet; figure another $50-60 for electric and you'd be all set.

 

[ArchCenturion]

Badunka Bump.

If anyone else has any information or suggestions for housing near Texas A&M. Let me know.

 

[Double Trouble]

Your best bet is to move to Austin and go to UT

Sorry, couldn't resist.....

<---- Texas Ex

 

[ArchCenturion]

Originally posted by: tagej
Your best bet is to move to Austin and go to UT

Sorry, couldn't resist.....

<---- Texas Ex

But UT is not paying my way.

 

[texasaggie2010]

Originally posted by: GRIFFIN1
, I would just call an apartment locator.

i agree about the apartment locator.

there are many aparments that are being built currently off of university and some off of harvey mitchell(woodlands or some such like that). these are driving distance.

I know some international students who are paying like $175-200 a month.(really old apartments, maybe bad area)

some of the apartments have their own meal plans. Traditions on Northgate or Callaway House on Southside are both about a block from campus and compared to on campus housing *i think* are better priced.

heres just a list of some popular apartment complexes. callaway villas, callaway house, melrose, reveille ranch, exchange, tree house. many others i cant remember.

Also theres a bunch of townhomes and condos, duplexes that im sure you can find someone to rent from or you might find it better to buy one of these depending on how long your stay is at a&m.

it also depends on whether you plan on staying just during the 2 semesters or year around. Generally for apartments there are 9 month leases and 12 month leases. For the callaway house it is treated as the two semesters just like the on campus housing*sounds like it from talking to friends.*.






unrelated note: atm i plan on going the ME route and most of the engineering buildings and stuff is on north side.