Housing

[Miss_MBA]

How early (April, May, later in the summer) do apartments get booked up near the campus? In other words, when would I want to plop down a deposit or at least be put on a call list? Is there a list of top five to ten complexes or at least neighborhoods where a majority of SOM students like to live?

[soarer]

Welcome weekend is when people start looking for apartments. Some students sign the lease agreements the same weekend. Most students live either on Mansfield or the Science hill/East rock area. Some students live in downtown, which is a 15 minute walk from school.

[paulip88]

Here's my take on housing options. There is no real order here. So don't read this thinking that downtown is the best just because it comes first in the list. (-;

Option D: Downtown New Haven
It costs a little bit more to live downtown, but overall I think the places are newer, and it's a lot closer to bars and restaurants. East Rock has bars and restaurants too, but less of them and they are a bit further away. In terms of distance, most places downtown are about as far as most places in East Rock. In other words, living on the far side of the green is about as far as living off Humphrey by State St, or off Whitney by Cottage and Linden.

Option E: East Rock (aka Grad Ghetto)
If you want a quiet neighborhood, East Rock is the place. This neighborhood also feels the safest of the three. It's quaint, with lots of older colonials and smaller apartment buildings. There are a few larger apartment buildings on the block between Whitney, Cottage, Livingston, and Linden. All of the places here date from the early 1900's so there is a lot of character. The places are also very well maintained overall. Much better than neighborhoods of comparable ages in Cleveland or Pittsburgh. A lot of people live around the block mentioned above. There are also a lot of people who live by Humphrey and State. There are a number of restaurants and bars on State St. Archie Moore's is a nice bar on Willow by Orange that has good wings. There are also a number of local groceries and laundromats.

Option M: Mansfield
Mansfield is a residential street close to SOM. It's by far the closest place to live. Mansfield is known for its parties, although there are a fair share of people there who are not party animals. (189 Mansfield is the party house) The food options in the area are slim. The bar options in the area are also slim.

Option H: Campus Housing
Campus housing is available, but not many people use if. I can think of only 3 people in our class who use it. I give them a hard time about it, but it has its advantages. Helen Hadley Hall is the place that's closest to SOM. It's cheap, it's close to SOM, and it's close to all the coffee shops (Dunkin' Donuts and Koffee... New Haven's only Starbucks is somewhere else far far away). The downside is that you'll have to share a bathroom (true dorm style).

General comments/advice:
- Try to get a place that pays for heat. Hadley Inc. (203-777-4599) owns a large number of rental properties in New Haven and they pay for heat, and I love them for it. They're also fairly responsive to things.
- A lot of people here have cars, but I don't think you really need one. I have one, and I drive about 10 miles a week. This is to get groceries, which I can get at the local store if I want to pay more. I pay less for groceries, pay more to keep the car.
- Most people start looking for apartments over Welcome Weekend. There should be some time during that weekend to look around. I would recommend that you call ahead if at all possible. I actually got my apartment sight unseen from Hadley and I'm happy with it.[/list]

If you want to see photos of places, see this Web site. You have to register, but it gives you lots of good info.

http://data.visionappraisal.com/newhavenct/

I hope my procrastination is as helpful to you as it was for me. (-;

[Miss_MBA]

If I know that I will need a dog-friendly place (two small dogs, to be exact), would I be best served by contacting a realtor who might be familiar with the rental market? So far, in my own long-distance search, it seems that many places in the New Haven area are cat-friendly but not dog-friendly. Any suggestions for realtors or agencies to contact?

Thanks!

[Yazad]

It all depends on the landlord. My apartment lease forbids us from keeping pets. But I've seen many people on my street (Mansfield) walking their dogs, so obviously some landlords allow dogs. My advice: just ask the realtor upfront.

The SOM Office of Student Affairs and / or the Admissions Office keeps a list of realtors and rental agencies.

[williacr]

Speaking of housing, would you say that most students reside in close proximity to the campus (say, a 5 mile radius)? Is it unheard of for a student to reside in another town--perhaps Durham, CT?

[gloislane]

Most people live within a 15-minute walk from campus. There are people who live in other cities, but very few people live more than a few miles away from SOM. If you live farther away, you may find yourself feeling too lazy to come back for evening academic or social events, and thus miss out on parts of SOM life. Also, finding parking near school during the school day can be quite difficult--just something you might want to consider.