MCW-bound needs help with housing

[SaucyAZN]

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To all current and incoming MCW folk:

I was hoping I could get some valuable input in regards to finding good housing in Milwaukee. My dad and I are plannin' to fly up to Milwaukee sometime in mid-to-late April and look for an apartment. Here's my criteria and some random questions I would like to ask everyone:

-Fairly new (no more than five years old)one-bedroom apartment

-Rent in the range of $300-425-per-month

-15-20 minutes (by car) from campus and located on a busline that can take me directly to campus

-Which areas (read: safe) around MCW should I focus on (that are, again, within 15-20 minutes by car w/traffic)? Where do most students live?

-If there are no available apartments that fit the above, any suggestions on nice one-bedroom apartments that are within 30 minutes w/traffic?

-Will there still be plenty of good housing available when my dad and I go apartment hunting in mid-late-April (in other words, will it be difficult finding leases that start on August 1st)?

-What is an mLife? And does anyone really give a rats @rse what an mLife is?

-Utilities: What are typical utility costs (i.e. - Phone, energy, cable, DSL)?

-Any publications or websites you recommend (BTW, I'm a Californian)?

I'm sure I'll come up with some more after I post this, but any input would be greatly appreciated.

***The SaucyAZN Sensation***

 

[Gotrob]

MCW is right in the middle of Milwaukee County, and is no more than 15-20 minutes from anywhere you want to go. MCW is close to many safe, residential neighborhoods, which vary in price from affordable to very expensive.

If you want to live somewhere nice for around $400 that is close, check out West Allis, West Milwaukee...and of course Milwaukee.

Milwaukee (and surroundings) is an old city. Finding an apartment that is less than 5 years old will be hard in your price range. There are many, many, duplexes though.

This is not a college town; it is never hard to find a place to live.

I have no idea what mlife is, and I would not sacrifice a rat to find out.

Two competing phone companies...TDS metrocom is new and cheap. $25.00 a month with 3way, call waiting, auto callback, etc. And it includes 60minutes of LD free. Much better deal than Ameritech.

Utilities are high in the winter, and low in the summer. Budget arrangements give you a flat rate you pay all year. I own a duplex, and the smaller unit probably pays around $60/mo.

Cable varies drastically with the city you live in... and cable/DSL is about $39 month.

If you want more info, or if you would like me to send you the classifieds with some areas highlighted, go ahead and drop me an email.

 

[Barton]

I called MCW a few weeks ago requesting help/info about finding a place for next year and they laughed at me. Here in Madison, if you haven't signed a place by january, you're probably screwed. Apparently this isn't the case in Milwaukee. MCW said they send housing info to all incoming students in June. I'll probably be looking for a place sometime in March, but I'm just going to go drive around looking for places (i'm only an hour away). Bottom line: finding housing apparently isn't a major point of stress at MCW.

 

[mcwmark]

Believe me, finding a place isn't hard at all.

I got off the airplane a week before school started with only 3 suitcases and no place to live. Within one day (24 hours) I had an apartment.

 

[Badgerbabe]

I would second just about everything Gotrob said, and add that you can also look in Wauwatosa (suburb pretty much closest to MCW) and on the East side of Milw. Like Downer st, Brady and Farwell, Lake Dr. Lots of college and med students live in those areas apparently. (East side is probably a cooler area and closer to downtown than west allis/west milw, too.)
The student I stayed with was also from Madison (for undergrad) and said the same thing about housing - all of us madtowners are hung up on signing places now, but there are always rentals in Milwaukee. Also, she lives in an icredibly nice, gated condo type place in wauwatosa for about $1000 (she's sharing) per month. I think one bedrooms there are ~750/mo. Bottom line, good luck getting anything that new in your price range. That said, I know friends who live in some of the older places, and the well-kept ones are very classy.
For LOTS of listings, check out <a href="http://www.jsonline.com" target="_blank">www.jsonline.com</a> or grab a copy of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. That's probably your best source of listings.
Good Luck, and feel free to PM me for more info on Milwaukee!
(BTW, see you next year!)
🙂 Shannon

 

[pre-hawkdoc]

my student host lived in a nice, older 3BR house in wauwatosa for $350/mo that was a 7-8 min drive to MCW (with 8AM traffic). oh, and he lived with 2 M4s, so maybe you could just take their spots. :wink:

 

[SaucyAZN]

Thanks guys...all of you have won a share of the Christmas Turkey...just wait ~10months and you'll git yer piece.

-Sensation, SaucyAZN