MCW-bound needs help with housing

[SaucyAZN]

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***

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[mcwmark]

Hi there-

I'm not sure you'll be able to find a "new" 1 bedroom apt for less than $500-600. There are a few 1 bedrooms in the area that are older, say 20-30 years old, that would be in the $300-450 price range.

Don't rely on the bus system to get you to campus. There are, I believe, two lines that run by campus, but I don't know a single student that uses it.

Most of the apartments in the immediate area (10 minutes) of the school are older 4-plex apartments. My landlord from my first year owns a few of those buildings and was great--I can give you his name if you like. Many of the first year students tend to live close to the school, in Wauwatosa, with most living between North St. (to the north), 68th (to the east), 124th (to the west), and Highway 94 (to the south). The further north you go and the further east you go past those points, the "tougher" the neighborhood.

There will be plenty of places to choose from, any time of the year. Energy bills (during the winter) will be your biggest cost. Our gas bill last year was between $100-250/month (two bedroom) during the winter. This year, we have spent almost half as much, due to the milder winter. Phone costs are $30 a month. Cable is $35.

The local paper is good: <a href="http://www.jsonline.com," target="_blank">www.jsonline.com,</a> but the billboards around school are even better. I'll be copying some of those ads onto my website soon: <a href="http://www.mcwmd.com" target="_blank">www.mcwmd.com</a> .

In addition, a Freshman survival guide posted on my site may help:

<a href="http://mcwmd.com/freshman/index.htm" target="_blank">http://mcwmd.com/freshman/index.htm</a>

Any questions, feel free to ask here or email:
[email protected]

 

[GemPrincess]

Hey, my friend is an M1 at MCW and he's actually looking for a roomate for next year, if you're interested. You can email him at [email protected] for more info. Thanks!

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Saucy,

If you still need an answer to these questions, post (since this is an old post) and I can give you a whole bunch of info.

 

[AceUF78]

Hey Whisker,
I'd like some more feedback on these questions, so please post.

 

[MamboKing]

can someone please give me the mcw matching residency website for all the schools?

i need the url thanks

 

[Badgerbabe]

Hey Whisker and MCWmark,
Any of that info that you can provide would be much appreciated!!! I will be looking for a place there in the next 1-2 months.
Thanks!!!

 

[mcwmark]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by MamboKing:
•can someone please give me the mcw matching residency website for all the schools?

i need the url thanks•••••MamboKing: That website is mine! Look at <a href="http://www.mcwmd.com" target="_blank">www.mcwmd.com</a> at the residency match list section.

Badger, Ace, and Saucy: if you have any questions, post here so us three or more MCW SDN people can answer your questions.

 

[hellojed]

Thanks all you MCW SDN people! I will probably be joining you guys this fall too. BTW, does anyone know how much a used car would cost there? I'm moving from CA so I'm thinkin I'll buy a used car when I get there. Oh yeah, and when should I move?

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

My friend bought a 6-7 year old nissan sentra for $6000 after he moved here. He still has it.

 

[moo]

Since I might be attending MCW, I was wondering if I bring my car over, do I need to get a new license, as I am a canadian. Also how much is a decent one-bedroom in Milwaukee?

 

[altaskier]

Dang, that is a freakin high monthly gas bill! I remember when I interviewed I stayed with some guys who had rented out a house and as I walked to campus, I saw a set of apartment complexes nearby. They must've been about 3 blocks from school. How much do apartments that close to school run?

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

You can usually find places with heat included, that really pays off in winter. Places around campus for a one bedroom run 450-700. Most are around 550 or so. If you plan on enjoying some nightlife while in med school, I would recommend living on the eastside near UWM and the Lake. Its about the same price as near campus and a lot cooler neighborhood. Its about a 20 minute drive to campus.

 

[altaskier]

Wiskey Barrel Cortex, where do most med students live? Did a fair share of your classmates live on the eastside near UWM?

 

[mcwmark]

I think its fair to say that those students that are more inclined to excercise their alcohol dehydrogenase tend to live on the east side (about 25% of the class).

Don't worry about the gas--if you live in a place with electric heating, it's cheaper. And in a winter as mild as the one we just had, the monthly energy bill (elect+gas) for us this year was between $70-120 per month.

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

I'd agree with mark that probably about a quarter of the class lives on the east side. The majority closer to campus, in wauwatosa. Some live a little north of the hospital, these areas are a little cheaper than right next to the hospital. A few people live south of I94 in West Allis, which is also cheaper and not too bad an area. A few also choose to live more in the suburbs (Brookfield, Waukesha).

I've lived in 4 different apartments (don't ask why I moved every year, thats a whole other thread) and never paid a heating bill. In 3 of them it was included in the rent, the other one was electric and only cost about $40 a month.

I lived on the eastside for two years and loved it. I was close to the the bars and restaurants on Brady and Water street and could walk to the gorgeous lakefront. It was a fun two years.

 

[SurgeonS4]

hey . . . all incoming MCW folks . . . im looking for a roommate . .. rent will be 400-425 and the apartment is fully furnished . . . thats right . . . the only things you would need is a desk and bed . . . and you get your OWN room! and . . . its only about 8 min from school. email me at [email protected].

 

[Badgerbabe]

Hi Mark, Whisker and other MCW folk,
I am wondering what are the best resources for finding a place in Milwaukee? I have looked through jsonline, and have seen a few interesting things, but not lots, and I wonder how soon they'll be willing to rent to someone looking to move in Aug 1?
Also, I thought that I had a roommate lined up, a friend of mine from undergrad. She, however, is suddenly deferring for a year, and I don't think I can afford a 1 bedroom. Do they have roommate match of any sort? But maybe I don't want to get stuck with a bad roommate - I've had a nasty experience in the past.
Thanks for all your help!!!!
Shannon

 

[mcwmark]

Hey Shannon-

If you call the Student Affairs office, they will have a listing of "roommates wanted" for the upcoming year. Usually the list won't get large until June or so, when people start getting desperate. You can call them and see if you are compatible that way.

The other option is just to move in with an third or fourth year (who isn't likely to be around much of the time). There are always a few people looking to fill an empty room.

Many of the places rented out by individual landlords (i.e. the duplexes and four-plexes) usually want a renter to start right away. However, the apartment complexes will allow you to sign a lease that far in advance.

I keep telling myself to put up the rentals/roommates wanted bulletin board on my website, but just haven't gotten around to doing it...yet. I'll probably talk to the student affairs people next week about setting something up.

As for finding places, a good place to look (if you're around) are the bulletin boards within the school. Many of the landlords have rented to students for years, and are very nice people.

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

Milwaukee has a lot of apartments (usually duplexes) that aren't listed anywhere. If you have a general idea of where you want to live, you could drive around and take some numbers down.

If you are considering living on the Eastside, the UW - Milwaukee student union has a sheet of apartments available in that area with a lot of info on each one. I used this in finding a place for second and third year.

As for roommates, Mark has some good advice. There were actually about 4-5 people who found an apartment and roommate during the first week of orientation (procrastinators).

As long as people are giving advice, can you give any advice on finding a place in Madison, since I'll be going there for residency next year. What are some good sources for apartment hunting? Where are the best places to live if you're single and want to have fun, but still be able to sleep at night? Any other advice will be appreciated. I will be driving to Madison this weekend to take a look around.

 

[Badgerbabe]

Hi Whisker, As far as apartments in Madison, I'd say now is a good time to look and sign something, because if you wait another month or so, you may be out of luck (particularly if you wan t to live in the downtown/campus area.) A lot of the nightlife is centered in the State St. area, so looking neighborhoods around the capitol, you may be able to find some upscale or typical student housing, depending on what you are looking for. There are some great things overlooking the lake and the capitol. That may be your most expensive area, however. I live just south of campus in what's known as the Vilas neighborhood. It's a quieter neighborhood with more student housing close to campus, and as you get south, lots of grad students. I like it here, and it's still close enough to be a 15 minute walk/5 mintue cab ride from downtown. This is also within 5 min. (walking) of two hospitals, Meriter and St. Mary's. The only housing really near UW hosp. is the UW grad housing, called Eagle heights. I'm not sure what it's really like there, but I get the feeling it's lots of kids and families.

Otherwise, if you want nicer cheaper apartments that are a little farther away, check out the farther west side (near westtowne mall) and fitchburg (south side suburb). The landlords there don't jack up the rent as much as they do on campus. I would recommend staying away from the east side, at least for more than a few blocks east of the capitol. For awhile it's a more laidback crunchy granola area, but it changes to some shifty neighborhoods over there.

For resources, check the papers (Capitol Times, WI State Journal, Isthmus, Badger Herald). You can get all these online, too, at <a href="http://www.madisons.com/classifieds." target="_blank">www.madisons.com/classifieds.</a> apartmentrenting.com also has some info, and the <a href="http://www.wisc.edu" target="_blank">www.wisc.edu</a> site has some good housing listings if you look in the housing section ( I believe it's the same area as info about the dorms.) Oterhwise, you may have more luck just driving through negihborhoods, like you said.

Feel free to drop me a line/email this weekend (send me a pm). I should be in town. I can tell you anything else about Madison that you might want to know, too.

Good Luck! Shannon