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Housing in Ann Arbor
This entry is rather belated, but here goes:
Housing in Ann Arbor is not too hard to find since it is a college town. There are many housing options and it really all depends on your personal preferences. If you want to live alone, you are going to have to pay more money than if you have roommates. Personally, I moved to Michigan from New York and did not know anyone in the area at all. Living with other students (both SI'ers) was a good way to not feel homesick and to have others to socialize with at the beginning of the year. I was also lucky enough to have roommates who turned into great friends!
Another issue that will affect your price range is how close/far from campus you choose to live. The general rule is the closer to campus you are the higher your rent is. For reference, I currently live in an apartment in a house a block away from Main Street and 3 blocks west of the Farmer's Market. This is about a 20 minute walk to West Hall. My rent is lower than places that are only a 10 minute walk, but I enjoy the walk through downtown. Living by Main Street also exposes me to the rest that Ann Arbor has to offer.
Popular areas for graduate students are Kerrytown and the Old West Side. Kerrytown is North of the general downtown area and contains student apartments/houses. There are some undergrads, but the majority of the area is residential and quiet. The Old West Side has more single family homes and a little farther away from West Hall, but still a very nice area.
A good thing to keep in mind is the buses are free with your student ID (both campus buses as well as Ann Arbor city buses.) If you decide to live farther away or out of town, you can park your car in a number of commuter lots and jump on a bus to central campus. Next year I will be living in an apartment complex farther away from my current location. The rent is cheaper, the apartment much larger, and there is a city bus just steps away that stops a few blocks from West Hall.
Overall, just remember that there are many options to choose from. Also, if you have not found housing yet, no need to freak out. I did not find housing until the beginning of June and I know many other students who easily found suitable housing throughout the summer.
SI will also be setting up a new students online web forum in the next few weeks. Among other things, this will be a good way to get in contact with current and entering SI students to find potential roommates and housing opportunities.
Let me know if you have any housing specific questions!
Posted by cassch at May 3, 2007 06:47 PM
