Housing for PCO students

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eyelash4

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I know this has been discussed in some older threads, but I was wondering if anyone who is presently a student there could give us future students some advice on decent, safe and economical(if such a place exists) places to live. I know the Colonade is right across the street but its ratings don't sound too good. I will have a car so I am willing to drive a reasonable distance 10-15 min, but don't want to get too far out. Will probably want to have 1 roommate to help with the expense. By the way, do most first years have roommates or live alone?😳
 
I don't go there (yet) but checked out The Colonnade and Wyncote House which are within walking distance. Supposedly, a LOT of PCO students live in The Collonade (probably for convenience). When we looked at Wyncote House, we didn't see a person younger than 70, but the Manager said that about 30 apartments are rented out to PCO students. Hmm... I guess someone who actually lives there could tell you more, but that's all I know.
 
Hey what's up...I'm a first year at PCO. I live in Wyncote and it's awesome. Absolutely no problems. I really don't mind the old people...your too busy anyways to notice. Seriously the staff at the apartment is really friendly and efficient, and it's quiet which is obviously good for studying. Yeah, Colonnade I heard a lot of bad things about it before I came as well, so that's why I didn't move there. But they weren't really justified. Sure the apartment smells and some of my friends have mice and the maintenance people SUCK, but it isn't THAT bad. As for cost, a one bedroom will run you about the same in both places - about $890-$900/mth. A 2 bedroom is $1375/mth.

Another place you might have heard of is Trilogy apartments - now, that place is damn PIMPED OUT - so nice looking. But really, I know so many of my buddies are moving out - really bad mice problem and lots of noise due to the construction that's taking place across the road. Otherwise, it's really nice...but just keep that in mind. Oh yeah, and rent is going up 20% - I can't believe how much they're paying over there now...I think it's going to cost $2200 for a 2 bedroom and $1100 for a single...that's just ridiculous!!

So if anyone has anymore questions about anything, feel free to message me. BTW, when I was looking on this thing a year ago, it seemed like a few people were just slagging the places that they didn't live in - trust me, I'm really not trying to do that here - just giving my honest opinion and reporting what other people have told me/what I've seen (or smelled 😉

- Ricky
 
🙂 Thanks for the comments so far. Does anyone know anything about Jericho Manor or Greenwood Terrace? They seem to be rated well and are not too pricey. Although I haven't been inside the Colonade, their ratings seem to describe it as run down, dirty, smelly, and run over with mice--not too appealing. I really don't want to regret the final choice I will make, although I realize it is possible to move out and find another place if I'm not happy🙁 with it.
 
I live at Trilogy at I think it is a nice place to live, but expensive. I pay $860 for a small one bedroom.
 
eyelash4 said:
🙂 Thanks for the comments so far. Does anyone know anything about Jericho Manor or Greenwood Terrace? They seem to be rated well and are not too pricey. Although I haven't been inside the Colonade, their ratings seem to describe it as run down, dirty, smelly, and run over with mice--not too appealing. I really don't want to regret the final choice I will make, although I realize it is possible to move out and find another place if I'm not happy🙁 with it.
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I actually looked at living at Jericho Manor. The place is very nice, but the apartments are quite small and old. The parking is also really bad as you are almost always guaranteed to be parking on the street next to a semi busy road. I currently live at a place called Madison Manor and I believe I'm the only pco student here. It is relatively cheap, 785 for a two bedroom and overall not horrible, although it does have some problems. Our neighbors are extremely loud, the place is kind of old and in need of some work, but if you are looking for a relatively cheap/semi-nice place that is only about 5 minutes, probably a little less, from the school...you should look into it. I think we looked at Greenwood terrace and the building is very old and was in need of a lot of work. I didn't really get a great feeling at that place, but that was just my opinion. Hope that helps.
 
Renabeana77 said:
I actually looked at living at Jericho Manor. The place is very nice, but the apartments are quite small and old. The parking is also really bad as you are almost always guaranteed to be parking on the street next to a semi busy road. I currently live at a place called Madison Manor and I believe I'm the only pco student here. It is relatively cheap, 785 for a two bedroom and overall not horrible, although it does have some problems. Our neighbors are extremely loud, the place is kind of old and in need of some work, but if you are looking for a relatively cheap/semi-nice place that is only about 5 minutes, probably a little less, from the school...you should look into it. I think we looked at Greenwood terrace and the building is very old and was in need of a lot of work. I didn't really get a great feeling at that place, but that was just my opinion. Hope that helps.
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Thanks Renabeana! How old are the majority of the people at Madison Manor since you mentioned you think your the only PCO student living there? Is it an extremely noisy place overall? That's one of the things that kinda puts me off the Colonade. What are some of the "problems" you mentioned you experienced there? How is the security and parking there? Does maintenance dept. handle repairs in a timely fashion? Any problem with mice or other "critters"? Are you considering moving out or are you content enough there to stay there while at PCO. Thanks so much for your help!
 
Anyone else have info about Madison Manor? It's suppose to be fairly close to PCO but I am unable to find a site which shows what the place even looks like or any pertinent info. Philly area is certainly a pretty expensive place to rent for what you end up getting. Security, secure parking areas for your car, and cleanliness, and a maintenance staff that handles problems when they come up are my top priorities, Obviously, the price of renting is of prime concern also. The prospective place doesn't have to be a "mansion" but I would like to feel safe there and have enough of a quiet atmosphere to study, So any more feedback will be greatly appreciated by me and other incoming students next year. Thanks!
 
Does anyone know anything about Timber Cove Apartment(about a 9 min drive from PCO, Pine Manor Apartments(about an 8 min drive) or Bradfield Court Apartments(about a 7 min drive from PCO)? They seem to have less expensive rental fees although you will be a bit further away from PCO, but I don't want to end up living in what turns out to be "questionable" conditions. Thanks
 
So, is there any other current PCO students who would like to add to the list of possible places to live? If you could besides stating where you live, maybe say why you happened to chose this place over others in the area would also be very helpful to next year's entering class. Thanks for your help!
 
eyelash4 said:
Thanks Renabeana! How old are the majority of the people at Madison Manor since you mentioned you think your the only PCO student living there? Is it an extremely noisy place overall? That's one of the things that kinda puts me off the Colonade. What are some of the "problems" you mentioned you experienced there? How is the security and parking there? Does maintenance dept. handle repairs in a timely fashion? Any problem with mice or other "critters"? Are you considering moving out or are you content enough there to stay there while at PCO. Thanks so much for your help!
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I would say most of the people here are fairly young, in the range of 20-40 years old. Overall, it is not a noisy place, we just have one pair of noisy neighbors. Fair warning though, there is a train right next to the complex. I got use to it fairly quickly and it barely bothers me. There are just slight problems like our mailbox didn't lock when we moved here, we had a slight bug problem with what are called maple bugs. Just harmless black bugs. NO rodents of any kind. Parking is great. I never have a problem. Never heard of any break-ins of any kind. Maintenance isn't the best, but overall not horrible. Does have central air/heat which I really liked moving from Florida. Closet space isn't the best and I find the apartment to be small at times even though it is about 1000 square feet. You do have to pay for heat, gas, etc which can be expensive. Last month we spent 236 which is insane. They just put in new windows and our apartment got a new kitchen and new carpeting so they are trying to update. I don't think there is a website to look at, but I know there is a rating or two on apartmentratings.com that you might want to look at. I will probably being moving to another apartment just because of my boyfriend and the need for him to live slightly closer to work. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.
 
I am a first year now and am looking for a female roomate for next year. I am getting a 2 bedroom apartment in Germantown, a 15 min drive from school and a 8 min drive from clinic. Rent would be $550. It can be furnished if you'd like so you don't have to bring furniture.


[email protected]
 
ive checked a lot of those places mentioned and a lot of them either have mice or bug problems if not both. at least thats what tenants have posted on ratings. which place is the cleaniest and newest place to live in that area? does anyone currently live in condos or townhouses?
 
eyelash4 said:
So, is there any other current PCO students who would like to add to the list of possible places to live? If you could besides stating where you live, maybe say why you happened to chose this place over others in the area would also be very helpful to next year's entering class. Thanks for your help!
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Hey, I'm at the Colonade. Estate building. There's also the Manor building, which is also owned by Colonade and right next door. I like it here and i'm going to stay here most likely with some roommates I found. It's $875USD for 1 bedroom, no dryer/washer (laundry is $1.50), no dishwasher. You pay for electricity, and mine's about $4.00 - $15.00 It's cheap 🙂 I've been to other peoples places in the Manor and Estate and they have no problem. However, I think the top floor (12th) is a bit messed up. I saw the hallway was leaking once, and one of my friends apartments had rats. Apparently there was a bird flying inside the top floor hallway too.
 
Does anyone have info on the Brookview Apartments in Elkins Park? Their website makes them sound pretty nice, but I would like some honest opinions on them 😉
 
How soon should we be looking to get a place? Like do they fill up closer to the summer time?

I also stayed in Colonade when I was there with friends. Their apartment was nice, clean... the general area seemed okay... although they did mention a mice problem which is just nasty to me.
 
The Colonade fills up pretty fast. When I first sent in my deposit around June, apparently they had a handful of 1-bedrooms left.
 
Heres a question for all of you. How true are the reviews that you read online about these places? Cause alot of them are kinda freaking me out. I mean looking at the actual place seems nice until you read the review, but I dont see how it can be that bad.
 
Yes, I also was wondering about the comments on apartmentratings.com. It makes most of the places generally sound pretty bad. If you find a location with more than a 50% recommended rate you have found a gold mine! :laugh: I haven't checked out any places yet to see for myself. That's why I'm hoping more current PCO students might help us newbies out in sifting through the list of possible housing locations. They "been there , done that" so to speak.
 
Canadian26 said:
Heres a question for all of you. How true are the reviews that you read online about these places? Cause alot of them are kinda freaking me out. I mean looking at the actual place seems nice until you read the review, but I dont see how it can be that bad.
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When I was first looking, I checked out the ratings on several sites, and let's just say Colonade was disgusting from what I read. However, I also knew some upper years which told me, some places have problems.

Well, I've been in the Colonade (Estate building) since August and let's say I have no problems at all. Yes, there's weird people living in here as well but apart from that my place is nice. I have several friends living in different units and they like it, apart from some friends who live in a unit at the top floor. I would recommend to NOT live on the top floor of Colonade. No rats (touch wood), or bugs. Each hallway has a different smell, but whatever. Also the parking garage looks like its falling apart, and theres this nasty crap that drips from the ceiling and stains ur car, which requires some hardwork to get off. Other than that, it's right across the street. Plenty of PCO students live in both buildings.

You pay for electricity, gas/heat is free. Now, when they say "free heat", you see theres constantly "heat" coming out from the radiators, however I think when you turn the fan ON (to blow heat out faster) than you pay for the electricity to use the fan. Thats my guess. And I'd also go with the cheaper 1 bedroom that comes with bare minimum. It's not worth the $30 USD more a month for a microwave/dishwasher. Just buy a $30 microwave and wash your dishes! (Since you have to pay for electricity to use the dishwasher too!)

Oh, and regarding electricity, I've paid from $3 to $15 per month. Some people pay $30 per month. It's really hit and miss as well with that. So far there's been 2 nights without hot water/heat since August. In the end, my place is pretty nice, and I keep it clean, with no rodents and all that nonsense. I'm going to be moving into a 3bedroom next yr in Estate, so as you can see, I don't mind this place at all.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I've also been to places in Wyncote and Manor (the other Colonade building) and Trilogy.
 
ML1983 said:
When I was first looking, I checked out the ratings on several sites, and let's just say Colonade was disgusting from what I read. However, I also knew some upper years which told me, some places have problems.

Well, I've been in the Colonade (Estate building) since August and let's say I have no problems at all. Yes, there's weird people living in here as well but apart from that my place is nice. I have several friends living in different units and they like it, apart from some friends who live in a unit at the top floor. I would recommend to NOT live on the top floor of Colonade. No rats (touch wood), or bugs. Each hallway has a different smell, but whatever. Also the parking garage looks like its falling apart, and theres this nasty crap that drips from the ceiling and stains ur car, which requires some hardwork to get off. Other than that, it's right across the street. Plenty of PCO students live in both buildings.

You pay for electricity, gas/heat is free. Now, when they say "free heat", you see theres constantly "heat" coming out from the radiators, however I think when you turn the fan ON (to blow heat out faster) than you pay for the electricity to use the fan. Thats my guess. And I'd also go with the cheaper 1 bedroom that comes with bare minimum. It's not worth the $30 USD more a month for a microwave/dishwasher. Just buy a $30 microwave and wash your dishes! (Since you have to pay for electricity to use the dishwasher too!)

Oh, and regarding electricity, I've paid from $3 to $15 per month. Some people pay $30 per month. It's really hit and miss as well with that. So far there's been 2 nights without hot water/heat since August. In the end, my place is pretty nice, and I keep it clean, with no rodents and all that nonsense. I'm going to be moving into a 3bedroom next yr in Estate, so as you can see, I don't mind this place at all.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I've also been to places in Wyncote and Manor (the other Colonade building) and Trilogy.
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🙂 Thanks ML1983 --great info on Colonade. How long of a lease do you have to have if moving into Colonade--1 year? Is it really noisy there--for example if I wanted to do studying in my apartment is it a lost cause? I've heard living there resembles living in a dorm which I know can get pretty noisy at times.
In regards to Wyncote House, I think it's a little more expensive than Colonade but it sounds nicer. What did you think about it? What made you pick Colonade rather than Wyncote?
Also what percentage of first years would you say have a 1 bedroom apartment rather than rooming with someone?Unless you have the opportunity to know a little about the other person/s it's pretty iffy if you can end up with someone you can coexist well with. The rooming questionnaire on the PCO site gives a student a rather broad and vague idea of what a possible person as a room mate might be like but obviously there's no guarantees.
Thanks again, and I hope other PCO students might shed some info on the housing situation while attending PCO.
 
Someone mentioned a place called pine manor, anyone have any idea how that is? It seems better from the reviews, but its prolly about a 10min drive from school.

This may be a really dumb question but I was looking on the PCO finincal planning handbook thing, what is the difference bw room and board? So in their estimates they're including both in the total? (Ive never lived away from home so im slightly confused)
 
I was a commuter myself too, but as I understand it room is the cost of your living space--apartment, condo,etc and board is the cost of meals and other costs to related to staying alive! LOL
 
Does the apartments come with any furnishing? I'm coming from california and probably won't bring any furniture with me, but I dont want to spend too much buying them either.
 
You can get furinished apartments if you want. I personally would bring my own as a preference. Im sure you can look into it somewhere.
 
How much more is a furnished apartment? I'm a guy - all I really need is a bed and a desk, but it would be nice to have a couch to relax on.

canadian26, just wanted to say "hey", I interviewed with you at sco last year and will be attending pco too. Small world huh?
 
I have a 1 yr lease. It started on August 15, when I first came down. It is not noisy at all. My neighbour on one side is a 2nd yr whom, coincidentally I knew him from my undergrad, and on the other side is a family with kids, but they are fine, because they sleep early. The room on top of me is a friend of mine in first yr too. Maybe I got lucky, but I don't find there's noise at all. I'm a library type of person so I'm always studying at the library when need be. So, yes it's possible to study in your apartment. Have no fear.

Hmm...it totally does not resemble a dorm. It's a typical apartment building. There's a lot of families and other people...(some of them weird like I mentioned earlier haha).

I chose Colonade (specifically Estate building) because I knew many first years live here as well. I'd say theres a couple of people from each class on each floor (12 floors). Wyncote, there's some first years there, obviously not as many as Colonade. However, it is EXTREMELY quiet. Since it's full of elderly people. It's nice though. No rats or any of that sort.

There is quite a bit of people that have another roommate. Surprisingly I know of maybe 2 matches that don't seem to be working out, other than that everyone seems to get along with their roommate. I wouldn't be surprised if our class had the similar amount of 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom units.

Don't think about Trilogy if you have no car. It's also pretty ghetto around that area.

eyelash4 said:
🙂 Thanks ML1983 --great info on Colonade. How long of a lease do you have to have if moving into Colonade--1 year? Is it really noisy there--for example if I wanted to do studying in my apartment is it a lost cause? I've heard living there resembles living in a dorm which I know can get pretty noisy at times.
In regards to Wyncote House, I think it's a little more expensive than Colonade but it sounds nicer. What did you think about it? What made you pick Colonade rather than Wyncote?
Also what percentage of first years would you say have a 1 bedroom apartment rather than rooming with someone?Unless you have the opportunity to know a little about the other person/s it's pretty iffy if you can end up with someone you can coexist well with. The rooming questionnaire on the PCO site gives a student a rather broad and vague idea of what a possible person as a room mate might be like but obviously there's no guarantees.
Thanks again, and I hope other PCO students might shed some info on the housing situation while attending PCO.
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ICU23 said:
Does the apartments come with any furnishing? I'm coming from california and probably won't bring any furniture with me, but I dont want to spend too much buying them either.
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I don't think Wyncote or Colonade have furnished apartments. Everyone I know bought their furniture new or from upper years.


Btw, there's really no rat problem at Estate or Manor. 12th floor of Estate has some problems. Haven't heard any complaints from other people, and there's a bunch of us in both buildings.
 
Yo "ML1983" - how's toronto buddy? Man, I have to do some serious studying over this break, or else we're gonna be screwed come next week! It's so hard to study though :S Oilers 4 life!!

So yeah, what my buddy here says is true. The service at colonade sometimes sucks as well. I had a friend who's door lock was broken and it was not fixed for 5 days! As well, there was a time this semester where the entire building was out of heat and hot water!! Now, these were isolated incidents, mind you. I would advise anyone who doesn't like weird smells to not pick the Manor building - it realllly stinks. And yes, the 12th floor of colonade is really bad. Watch out for the bucket that's been collecting water from the leaky ceiling in the hall for the past 4 months! As well, I kinda have to cover my nose with my jacket on the 5th floor - maybe you just have to get used to it though. A good thing about the place is that a lot of students live there. For me, it wasn't a big thing, because you see them in school anyways. But it depends on your preferences, obviously.

I would say that wyncote (where I live) and colonade have similar pricing. Yeah, there's quit a few elderly people living here - so if you like to have some hardcore parties at your place, this would not be the best location to live. On the other hand, if you like a quiet residence this is perfect. I mean you can still chill and stuff with buddies, but just don't jack up the tunes on the stereo. The staff here responds very quickly and efficiently to any concerns/problems you have.

So yeah, make sure you do your research in finding a place, keep asking questions and hopefully you end up with a place that you like.

PCO's an awesome school - I hope you enjoy it.

PS. Sorry about responding late to some of your PMs - I wasn't getting an e-mail that I was getting new ones!

- Ricky
 
ICU23 said:
How much more is a furnished apartment? I'm a guy - all I really need is a bed and a desk, but it would be nice to have a couch to relax on.

canadian26, just wanted to say "hey", I interviewed with you at sco last year and will be attending pco too. Small world huh?
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Yah no kidding! Sry I dont think I read your post proparlly before... this aparment stuff is hard work! Ive never moved out so my guess would be atleast 100-200 more depending on what type of furinture your looking for?? (really have no idea)

BTW anyone getting a car?
 
Thanks ML1983 and Hitman99 for your great info on Colonade and Wyncote! It really helps us newbies get a feeling for the places. Do either of you know anything about Brookview Apartments or Bradfield Court apartments. Both are relatively close by to PCO and don't seem to have bad ratings in general. I was just wondering since I haven't heard them mentioned much on this forum. I think Bradfield is an older building and somewhat smaller type of building(only about 45 units I think) and Brookview is much newer. Do you know of anyone from PCO living in either of these places or did you have occasion to check them out before selecting your current places? Again, thanks for your replies so far and maybe we can hear from other current PCO students too who might have additional info.🙂
 
eyelash4 said:
Thanks ML1983 and Hitman99 for your great info on Colonade and Wyncote! It really helps us newbies get a feeling for the places. Do either of you know anything about Brookview Apartments or Bradfield Court apartments. Both are relatively close by to PCO and don't seem to have bad ratings in general. I was just wondering since I haven't heard them mentioned much on this forum. I think Bradfield is an older building and somewhat smaller type of building(only about 45 units I think) and Brookview is much newer. Do you know of anyone from PCO living in either of these places or did you have occasion to check them out before selecting your current places? Again, thanks for your replies so far and maybe we can hear from other current PCO students too who might have additional info.🙂
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I've been to Brookview only once. It's about 8-10 minute drive from the school. I'm aware of only 2 people living there this yr. However, the reason I went there was to buy some furniture from a 3rd yr and the place was pretty nice. I got the impression that upper years live there because its half way between PCO and TEI, and in a nice area. I for one, wouldn't want to live far from school.

I'd definitely recommend getting a car. You can manage getting around, but it'll make life a whole lot easier. Especially in 2nd yr, you definitely need a car else you're gonna run into problems when you have different clinic times etc... from people in your section. Just make sure you don't live anywhere SOUTH of Cheltenham Ave. Make sure you live NORTH of that road, because after you pass that road, it turns ugly.
 
Hello all! I'm a 4th year student at PCO, getting ready to graduate in May! Yippy! Anyway, I never rented while going to PCO; instead I bought a house when I first moved to PA and have been making money instead of losing it! I'm now ready to sell the house and am gonna list it soon. I would like to offer it to PCO students 1st, because it's such a great location for students. It's just half way between the school and the Eye Institute, 5-10 minutes in either direction. I'll be selling the house for $145,000. So for example, if you get a 30 year fixed loan and pay less than $1000 down, your monthly payment would be between $800 and $900 dollars (for a house!) There are 3 bedrooms, so if you lived in 1 yourself, charged $525 for the larger room and $350 for the smaller room (this is just what I did and it worked out great), you would barely pay anything each month and you'd probably make money in the long run! So, if anyone would like more information, you can email me at [email protected]. I can answer any questions you may have. I wasn't able to add my attachment, so if you like pictures, etc just let me know. Hope to hear from you soon! Erin
 
I know how you all feel trying to find a place to live especially if you have no idea what the area is like besides what you saw when you were here for an interview. Last year at this time I was trying to make a decision from 1,300 miles away without having ever been to any of the apartment complexes to visit. Shopping blind isn't much fun and kind of scary. So... as many others are also willing to do I would like to try and make this decision a little easier.
I am a first year student and live in the Trilogy apartments. As a result I will start out by saying that I have nothing bad to say about Trilogy and personally love it here. I am currently in a studio with an alcove (small bedroom) that is about 600 some square feet with small kitchen, walk in closet, full nice bath/shower, and washer and dryer = one of my biggest decision factors b/c I didn't want to go somewhere else to do laundry and wanted to be able to do it while I studied on the weekend. I pay $818 a month and utilities are around 35-60 depending on time of year due to heating and air. As far as the complex in general goes it is very nice (like a resort) and I personally would rate it as the best choice in the area. The fitness center is great to have close to home and the business center in building 3 really helpful when you have a lot to print and don't want to waste your personal ink. The drive to school is an easy 5-10 max depending on traffic.
Trilogy sounds pricy, but when compared to others it really isn’t bad, especially when you take into consideration everything Trilogy has to offer. I do pay quite a bit, but I also live by myself (more roommates = obviously less money). If I wanted to live by myself at colonnade I would be paying around 100+ more a month. Next year I am planning on getting a two bedroom at Trilogy with one of my friends. This will reduce my rent by at least $100 a month. I have not heard of any 20% increase in rent and am personally going to be checking into this. I do know that Trilogy is really interested in trying to get more PCO students to live here. I will be checking into this as well to see what kinds of deals I can talk them into and updating you as soon as I can.
Ok so….. this has turned into much more of a novel than ever intended, but if it helps you make a decision then it is worth it to me. I am out of time for now gotsta get back over to school. I know I have been one sided for Trilogy thus far and fully intend on giving the other complexes lowdown as far as I am concerned and from what I know from friends that live there. Please remember that this is my opinion and just take it for what it is worth. Take it easy and I will be back laters with the rest.
 
The novel continued. Some things I forgot to mention about Trilogy that are also nice added features. First of all, it is very quiet around here at all hours and never have any problems studying or taking a much needed nap. There are friendly door wo/men at the front entrance in every building at least until 11:30 at night and building #1 24 hours. They can help with groceries and/or will get you a cart to haul them up to your apt. in. The parking lot has security that patrols the lot quite a bit and I always feel very safe here. I never have a problem finding a spot to park pretty close to the building. I am not aware of any parking lot security at any other buildings. Trilogy is also only 10 to 15 min. drive to clinic as well. I noticed someone said that Trilogy is in the “ghetto” not really true. This is Philly…. You drive a block and you can go from rags to riches just depends on which way you drive. Speaking of driving, Trilogy does have easy access to the very nice Willow Grove mall just down Easton road, as well as 309 that takes you northerly up towards 276 which runs East and West (towards King of Prussia mall).

I should address the issues of the reported mice of Trilogy’s building #1. I do know a few people in building #1 that have complained of having mice in their apartment. I will check into this to see what Trilogy is doing about this problem. I have not had or heard of any problems in building 2 or 3. This is the only problem I am truly aware of at Trilogy, and keep in mind every place is going to have its problems just have to pick which ones you are willing to deal with.

If you have any further questions about Trilogy feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer them or get them answered. Please take all of this as my opinion and make your decisions based on what is right for you. I personally don’t care where you decide to live, just want to help make things a little easier for you. If you do decide to live in Trilogy let me know.

The colonade in my opinion is all that it is cracked up to be. Although it is true that you can make your apartment yours and as nice as you want you will still have to deal with all the problems that come with the management and building your apartment is in. I haven’t experienced the rodents and bugs, but the smells and overall feel of the place is real. It is nice that its right across the street, but for what you pay to live there I personally think it’s probably the worst rip off of all the apartment options. Take it for what it’s worth.

The Wyncote apartments are nice and I don’t have anything really bad to say about them, but the place reminds me of an old people’s retirement home. The colors aren’t really my style (Pepto-Bismol pink and light blues and greens) it’s like frickin Easter every day of the year. Anyway, I would rate it as the second best place next to Trilogy. Prices are comparable and you can get a washer and dryer in the apartment. Good choice for those with out cars b/c it is within walking distance of school.

Brookview from what I have seen is pretty nice as well, a bit of a drive, but not bad. The apartments I have been in were pretty good. There aren’t any elevators that I am aware of and the stair ways are pretty narrow so if you are going to live on anything but the first floor, bring some help for moving. I know from experience b/c I helped someone move in at the beginning of this year. There are only three floors so once you are moved in it probably isn’t bad unless you buy out the grocery store every time you shop. Not sure of prices for living here.

If you are in need of furniture when you get to Philly, let me know I will try and help point you in the right direction. I spent 3.5 days trying to find decent quality and price furniture around here. Ikea is great, but there are some other local places that are pretty good too.

Hope this helps. Any questions just ask. Best of luck and I will see ya next fall.
 
Heres a really dumb question... how do you fill out an application for Wyncote house?
 
Great comments,LUV2RIDE! We appreciate your info on some of the housing possibilities for PCO students. I plan on checking out some of my choices in April since I live in PA. BTW, how early should we be making a commitment on where to live so we won't be closed out on any of our choices--I've heard that Wyncote has a waiting list for example. Yes, I would appreciate you letting us know the locations of the local places for buying furniture at reasonable cost since I know that will greatly help us out. Thanks again!
 
I don’t really have an exact answer for that one. I didn’t make a decision until the end of June. It all worked out fine. People are constantly coming and going from apartments especially true with big complexes. I have found that every time you call an apartment complex to see what they have available they will tell you they have 1 or 2 apartments left and that they are going fast. Who really knows if this is the case or if they are just trying to get you to jump on it and take what they have. I would just say that if they have what you want the earlier the better that way you know you have it. Otherwise just don’t wait until the last month because students are all in the same process as you are and they will be making commitments every day. The longer you wait the less of an option you will probably have.
 
Hi! Where do you go to make up a profile for the "roommate match" service? Thanks!
 
on ecampus.pco.edu , housing link on the right.
 
I don't have a username and password yet. How would I go about getting this? Does pco assign it?
 
they gave me my user name and password in the mail. if you have been accepted to PCO and didn't receive one, you might want to give them a call.
 
I got mine with my acceptance letter.. it was huge letter. My webmail password didnt work though so they had to fix it. If you havent recieved your letter yet, Id hold out for a couple days then e-mail them.
 
LV2RIDE said:
I don’t really have an exact answer for that one. I didn’t make a decision until the end of June. It all worked out fine. People are constantly coming and going from apartments especially true with big complexes. I have found that every time you call an apartment complex to see what they have available they will tell you they have 1 or 2 apartments left and that they are going fast. Who really knows if this is the case or if they are just trying to get you to jump on it and take what they have. I would just say that if they have what you want the earlier the better that way you know you have it. Otherwise just don’t wait until the last month because students are all in the same process as you are and they will be making commitments every day. The longer you wait the less of an option you will probably have.
Click to expand...


Hey who are you? 🙂 I'm a first yr too. Just curious. I'm from Toronto, if thats a hint.
 
ML1983 said:
Hey who are you? 🙂 I'm a first yr too. Just curious. I'm from Toronto, if thats a hint.
Click to expand...

ML, what's up man. You know LV2Ride. He has the same first name as me and lives in the same apartment complex as me! 😉 See ya at school! G'luck on practicals!
 
ML The CDN Twin is correct

PS. Ride = Snowboard if that helps you out any and I love to RIDE
 
According to Trilogy Leasing agent

Rent is NOT increasing by 20% a year, it may be as much as 2-3% due to inflation and costs of running the complex.

The Mice issue...... Trilogy has pest control come out on Tuesdays and Thursdays to make sure everythings in order. They mentioned that neighbors that don't keep a clean appartment may lead to mice in yours, but they will do all they can to prevent it from occuring. Every apartment complex is going to have it's issues with unwanted pests at some level. I personally have not had any problems here.

Lower level apartments are cheaper

If you decide to live in Trilogy be sure to let me know if you are interested in SAVING SOME BIG MONEY TO USE ANY WAY YOU WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😉
 
LV2RIDE said:
According to Trilogy Leasing agent

Rent is NOT increasing by 20% a year, it may be as much as 2-3% due to inflation and costs of running the complex.

The Mice issue...... Trilogy has pest control come out on Tuesdays and Thursdays to make sure everythings in order. They mentioned that neighbors that don't keep a clean appartment may lead to mice in yours, but they will do all they can to prevent it from occuring. Every apartment complex is going to have it's issues with unwanted pests at some level. I personally have not had any problems here.

Lower level apartments are cheaper

If you decide to live in Trilogy be sure to let me know if you are interested in SAVING SOME BIG MONEY TO USE ANY WAY YOU WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😉
Click to expand...

LV2RIDE, thanks for additional info on Triology. I think it's on my short list of places to stay. What's this about "saving some big money..."🙄 Also I've heard in other posts that construction is taking place across the street? How bad is the noise? Also if one lives on a lower level does that mean more of a mice problem😉 Do the windows already have some type of blinds on them or does the tenant have to supply them? Thanks again!
 
eyelash4 said:
LV2RIDE, thanks for additional info on Triology. I think it's on my short list of places to stay. What's this about "saving some big money..."🙄 Also I've heard in other posts that construction is taking place across the street? How bad is the noise? Also if one lives on a lower level does that mean more of a mice problem😉 Do the windows already have some type of blinds on them or does the tenant have to supply them? Thanks again![/QUOTE

Money: Talk to me individually and I will explain

Noise: There is construction taking place on some of the nearby roads. I live on the second floor of building 3 and have no problems with any type of noise. It is very quiet here. Building 1 is closer to the main construction and if your apartment was on the street side you may have some issues with noise, but none of it is continuous and it looks like they should be finishing up by the beginning of next fall.

Mice: If you were on ground level you might be more likely to get mice in your apartment, but I have heard of one person in building #1 having a mouse on the 10th floor. If you keep a clean apartment and seal up any holes that rodents might be able to use for access to your apartment you should be fine.

Blinds: As far as I know the windows do come with some type of blinds. Mine were fine the way they were when I moved in.
Click to expand...
 
LV2RIDE said:
ML The CDN Twin is correct

PS. Ride = Snowboard if that helps you out any and I love to RIDE
Click to expand...


Ahh...I know who you are now, the person that doesn't come to class anymore haha


Btw, if anyone is going to live in Colonade, LET ME KNOW! We can refer each other and get some money back.
 
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