dgsilvervid: I can answer this. Not a current student, but live in the area. Prices for rentals vary a lot on location as is true anywhere. However, in the Wauwatosa area you can expect to find a 2-3 bedroom from $700-1,000 a month. Can get higher, of course, too, but a duplex not too far from campus, for example would likely be $700-1,000 ish. $1,000 is really the upper end. I am sure if you go a bit further from campus you could find a duplex even cheaper than $700, but you have to be careful what area of town you are in. West of campus is generally more expensive and more suburban. East and North of campus less expensive and more urban with pockets of bad areas to avoid. If you want to live in downtown Milwaukee (far east of campus) prices are all over the map. You can pay a heck of a lot more right in the city. There are areas of the east side/Riverwest (both of which are just north of downtown Milwaukee, and east/north of MCW) that can be pretty affordable and if you like nightlife or want to have more of an urban scene to live in then this a decent option. UW-Milwaukee campus is on the east side so there are plenty of affordable rentals aimed toward students. Depending on traffic you can get to MCW from the Riverwest/East side in 20-45 minutes. (Depends on traffic and the route you take). I lived on the east side once and worked in Tosa and took North Ave all the way west and got to work usually in about 30min with stop and go lights. This route takes you through less nice parts of town, but not horrible during the day. Tosa is more "happening" now more than ever. There are lots of great places to eat, close proximity to shopping (from grocery stores to a large and nice mall near campus), nice parks, etc. It's a good place to live. However, because of this you may find rentals on the upper end. Just south of campus near the zoo (Bluemound Rd area) could get you some affordable duplex's or 2 bedroom apartments with a Milwaukee address but still within minutes of Tosa/campus. I personally pay $800/month for a huge 3 bedroom, 11/2 bath townhouse with full basement, separate entrance, central air, full kitchen with dishwasher, and two parking spaces. I live probably too far from campus for anyone from out of town to want to move to, but certainly close enough to commute. So, that is the scoop. Sorry to be so long winded, but if you are not from the area, you need to know what to expect and where and where not to go. Feel free to PM me if you want any additional details. The local paper (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) is not the best for rentals, but it can give you a good idea of what is out there. Check out their website jsonline.com. There is a link on the top for rentals classifieds. Look at West/Wauwatosa listings if you want to stay close to campus. Plus, there are lots of little local papers with listings and numerous postings on campus. MCW should have a student life section online with additional info on finding housing with links, etc. Best of Luck!
