I'm living in rural Michigan at the moment and I'm a little concerned about housing. If you could elaborate on your impressions, I would really appreciate it.
Here comes a looooong post...
NSU does offer graduate "on-campus" housing, but it did not meet my personal needs so I discarded this option personally. Some people love it, but I did not like that you could not move in till just before school starts, and I thought it was a little pricey for what you get. Plus I have a family, so it wasn't an option for me, but it might be for you.
Apartments - I personally only looked at 2/2 apartments, so I can not give a great impression of some places that only offer 1/1s near campus (like cameron cove). You can find cheaper apartments in Davie, but I personally felt most of the complexes were a little sketchy. Personally I liked the apartment complexes that were located in the city of Plantation. The area seems to be much nicer, and you seemed to get more bang for your buck. The criteria I used for selecting my apartment was location (had to be within 10-15 max drive from campus), overall feel of community (is it sketch or not), amenities, and overall value for the price. My favorite complexes based on those criteria were: Laurels at Jacaranda, Gatehouse on the Green, Harbor Town at Jacaranda, and Grove East in Plantation. Common amenities at almost every complex include pool(s), gym, business center, tennis court(s), basketball court(s), and usually family stuff like kid's playgrounds.
Laurels at Jacaranda (this is where I chose to live)- Nice complex, located about 5-10 minutes from campus. This property is located off of Cleary near Pine Island, it is located directly next to Central Park in Plantation (one of the bigger parks in South Florida, with almost any sport field known to man). Amenities were very nice, and staff was friendly. Apartments were recently upgraded, but the price was still reasonable (especially for NSU students, we get a 3% rent discount and significantly reduced fees, and if you register on rent.com BEFORE going there you will get a $100 rebate card card sent to you if you rent there, just tell the complex you saw their complex on rent.com). One of the best things about this location is that I will not have to drive on University to get to school (traffic on University can be TERRIBLE).
Gatehouse on the Green - Another nice property that is located off of Broward near Pine Island. It is also close to Central Park, but not right next to it. Price was reasonable, but the "move in" fees were higher. They are also currently / recently upgrading their units. Once again, nice amenities, but it is located on a busier road (Broward). My main concern about this complex was the move in fees and the availability when I was looking. This property was my second choice.
Harbor Town at Jacaranda - An older property that was recently bought by a new management company. The new management company has put a ton of money into this complex, but they are still in the process of updating it. The units are all newly/recently upgraded. Downsides were that it is located off of University (big bummer if you HAVE to drive this road every day.) Also they are about to start building its gym and remodeling the clubhouse / pool. Nice price for what you get, and will probably be even better very soon. This was my third choice.
Grove East in Plantation - New complex. Very nice amenities, including personal trainers, sauna, etc. Price is a little high when compared with the rest. I was also concerned with the surrounding community, and you either have to take 595 or Broward/University to get to school. This was my fourth choice.
Now if
money is not an option, our absolute favorite was Midtown 24, but it was not worth the extra 500-600 a month.
An average 2/2 runs about 1200-1300/month, but I do not know what 1/1s are running. I have heard they are 900-1100, but I don't know this for sure. If you have any specific questions about a complex, please feel free to ask. My wife and I looked at approximately 40 different complexes before we made our decision. I wish you the best of luck!
PS Beware of the "move-in" fees. Many complexes will nickel and dime you there. It is not uncommon for some complexes to want $100 for background check, $300 for admin fees, etc. It adds up quickly!
