Western University Roomies

[twosoakers]

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Hi Westerners,

I am looking for a house in Pomona to share with some fellow first-year students, not only to create a space for home-study but to further the whole community approach. We have yet to hear about Ban-Web and the roomate search there. Is anyone interested in pooling together to get a house?

Turix has already expressed interest.

Here's a link to a place of interest, about 3 miles from campus. Not sure if it will be available in July, though:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/apa/298683486.html

Let me know if you're interested in the idea.

 

[4theanimals]

Twosoakers:

Be careful about Cornerstone Property Management. I rented from them when I first moved to the area. I had to do major repair work when I moved in to their property. Just one example, the hinges on the front door were loose. Come to find out from the neighbors that was becuase the police had used the battery ram to take down the door. 🙁 It was incredibally difficult to get them to take care of the property. They ended up selling the property out from under me a few months after I moved in - the week before finals.

I can't picture where this property is but I must drive by it every day. I can tell you that south of Arrow on Towne isn't great. Last year a kid was shot and killed on the corner of Arrow and Towne at 7pm - daylight in other words. I'll try and remember to take a look tomorrow to see where this is. I have to say I lived in Pomona for about six months and had to leave because I got sick of the prostitution and drug dealing, and ultimately the fight that ended in gunfire on the sidewalk in front of my house. You need to be very careful about the area - unless your more able to put up with this stuff than I was. There are plenty of nearby areas that may be farther out but much safer. Consider Claremont, La Verne, Chino Hills, etc.

 

[alisonr]

i highly recommend la verne. you can get to the campus in around 5-10 minutes and dont need to take the freeway. its got tons of small town charm and all the amenities close by that one can need. there are always small 2-3 bedroom houses for rent around the downtown area that are reasonable. you have to be really careful about pomona because there are a LOT of sketchy neighborhoods. i just moved from downtown la verne to get ready to head out to vet school and am missing it like crazy.

 

[QTkitty]

Also look into Glendora, San Dimas and parts of Azusa. They aren't too far away from Western and the drive is against traffic anyway (going east in the morning and west in the afternoon). Chino Hills is probably one of the nicest areas out here but that is definitely reflected in the price. I currently live in Azusa and love my area. There are some less than steller areas but nothing like the city of Pomona (especially crime wise). I'm actually getting ready to sell my condo and want to be out by mid-june so if anyone is interested in checking it out PM me and I'll let you know more. I know if you guys find the right places out here you'll have a great experience but definitely check them out prior to making any decisions.

 

[alisonr]

ps. looking at the google map from the craigslist entry that is a not so hot area. you want to be north of arrow highway if at all possible.

 

[twosoakers]

i love you guys. thanks for all this advice. are there decent rental companies? what about gated communities? are these any 'safer'? at our interviews, we were discouraged from living too far off-campus and encouraged to live in a house with other students? does this really make a difference? should you just spend the entire day on campus? thanks!

what do ya'll think of covina/west covina? it's south of arrow, but...?

and when is the best time to go out and start looking? i want to book my plane flights now.

 

[4theanimals]

Hey Twosoakers:

I drove by the property this morning and went "Oh, those places..." If that gives you any idea. It is gated but I don't think that makes much difference in that area. It's about a half block from subdizied housing. Which in this case is pretty bad. Most of Claremont's crime rate stems from the crime in that complex. Above Arrow is most important in the Pomona area. I'm actually kind of surprised that Western recommended you live close...they didn't used to because they are fully aware of how ugly Pomona can be. I can't really comment on other property management companies.

The complex I live in now has a few of Western students in the various programs living there. And decent rent for the area (Claremont). It's not that much farther than the place on Towne and yet is a world away crime wise. They are REALLY tough when it comes to credit checks, etc. They also only have two bedrooms. The complex is called Bonita Terrace. It might be worth a try. And it may be worth checking Claremont. The local paper is the Claremont Courier and they usually have rental listings. Claremont is somewhat a college town as the Claremont colleges are located there (Harvey Mudd, etc. - private liberal arts colleges). It definitely costs more than Pomona, but I decided it was worth the cost to feel safe.

Somebody else here can probably give you better info about Covina.

None of these areas are true college towns. So you don't have to be here soon to have something in August. Depends on what it will take you to move here. You should easily be able to find something in a 30 day window or maybe 45 to be safe.

I'll try and help the best can if you have more questions.

 

[twosoakers]

that is awesome, 4theanimals. thank you. if i was in driving distance to ca, i wouldn't need to waste so much of my time! i will check out bonita terrace. thanks again for the great advice.

 

[QTkitty]

Covina is ok but kind of dingy, West Covina is nicer but it still has some areas that you would want to stay away from. As far as crime goes though I haven't heard about anything terrible but I don't live there either. West Covina is going to be a little far from campus though so it really depends on how much you want to drive. I don't know what the traffic is like where you live but it's definitely something you will want to consider living out here.

 

[chris03333]

i love you guys. thanks for all this advice. are there decent rental companies? what about gated communities? are these any 'safer'? at our interviews, we were discouraged from living too far off-campus and encouraged to live in a house with other students? does this really make a difference? should you just spend the entire day on campus? thanks!

what do ya'll think of covina/west covina? it's south of arrow, but...?

and when is the best time to go out and start looking? i want to book my plane flights now.

Covina is great, West Covina has good and bad parts. I lived in Covina during undergrad and loved it.

 

[dvm'08]

If i could pass on a suggestion:

do not live with your classmates. living close (on the same block, or in the same building) is great as you've got someone close - but i can pretty much guarantee you'll not be getting along by the end of first year (if you make it through the first semester). Adjusting to vet school i stressful enough - but having someone stress around you can be a real problem. All my classmates that moved in together in first year split up before the year was up - and it created rifts in the class.

i think its a bad idea.

 

[Animallvr5252]

Twosoakers,

Are you planning on having any pets while at Western? I am waiting to see if I get WICHE funding and if I don't I am definitely going to Western. With the cost of living I will most likely have to have a roommate. I have quite a few pets though which will make finding housing more difficult in the first place.

 

[twosoakers]

Yes, I'll be bringing my cats. As I've noticed, this makes finding housing difficult, esp. if you go into an already established house.

 

[4theanimals]

Hey Twosoakers:

I had to pull out my housing files for something and came across the 12 page (yes, really!) letter I had to write Cornerstone Property Management re: repairs that had to be done when I moved in. Whew! BUT I also came across one of my other property managers - Legters Mgmt Company. They are in Pomona. Now he rented me the house where there was a gun battle, but I don't know if he has rentals in other areas. He was a very fair and conscientous landlord. Despite the fact that I had no income he didn't hastle me about renting, nor did it bother him that I had a couple cats (my neighbor also had a dog). It might be worth checking into.

 

[pharmgrl14]

I am actually going to be a first year in the pharmacy program in the fall. I am looking for a roommate for the area. I also have 1 cat I will be bringing with me. Anyone interested?

 

[ckgilabert]

I'm used to living in a quiet, safe neighborhood where I could leave the doors unlocked (even open) at night.

areas to look at that are close:

chino hills, walnut, diamond bar, and phillips ranch (which is considered pomona..but its a nice area).

these areas are pretty close to cal poly pomona which means they're pretty close to western.

good luck!!

i know these areas might be a little more expensive than some of the places next to western....but that extra money helps with getting a safe place. 🙂

check out www.remax.com and they have some rentals listed.

 

[7dollarjack]

Hi,

I'm trying to find a place to live near Western. I'm NOT a city person, so I'm really trying to find somewhere quiet. I don't expect to find Redwoods and rolling hills (I wish!) but just someplace with a yard, and maybe some trees in the vicinity. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[mdnghtdnc]

I am also looking for a roommate that is willing to live with a cat. I am not planning on taking my car so it has to be somewhere pretty close to campus. If anyone is interested please let me know. I have lived with both males and females before I don't have a preference. ( I am enrolled at Western in the Veterinary program class of 2012).

 

[adOggy07]

Hey all,

I wasn't sure if anyone had mentioned Claremont yet. Claremont is a quiet city about 10 minutes drive from Western. I live at Brighton Park Apartments and I currently pay about $1085 for a one bedroom apartment with my bf. I think it's about 200 more for a two bedroom... so in terms of price, it's really not that bad. The city of Claremont is awesome! I'm walking distance to The Claremont Colleges and I always walk my dog through the campus. "The Village" in Claremont is where they have a bunch of restaurants, some bars, Rhino Records, B of A, Wells Fargo... it's a very cute area that I love going to. On Sundays they have a little Farmer's Market.. a lot of people go and it's always lots of fun. =)

 

[Epidemivet]

This thread is awesome! I'll be moving to the area with my husband and our dog, so no roomies for us. We're really hoping to find a house to rent. Thanks for all the input, now I don't feel like we'll just be throwing a dart at a map and hoping for the best.

 

[athenaparthenos]

So with all the talk about how terrible Pomona itself is, I'm wondering how people feel living at the Helix, especially people who've actually lived in cities before? I'm in Portland, OR, which is not exactly teeming with gangs but you should lock your doors, and I lived in downtown Salem during college, and the area had a fair amount of theft/burglary/drug use. Not being able to stroll around outside alone at 2 in the morning isn't really important to me. But, say, being able to walk to a park in daylight hours or leave my car somewhere without it being broken into are good things to have.

Mainly to me the Helix seems attractive because of its proximity to the school and its easy to use website... I'm definitely not going to be able to apartment-hunt in person, so I'd be leery of finding a place purely online that wasn't sort of sanctioned by the school. I've never had an apartment before and it seems like starting my first year there would get me in the swing of things and give me a place to hunt from for the next year. Thoughts?

 

[mdnghtdnc]

So with all the talk about how terrible Pomona itself is, I'm wondering how people feel living at the Helix, especially people who've actually lived in cities before? I'm in Portland, OR, which is not exactly teeming with gangs but you should lock your doors, and I lived in downtown Salem during college, and the area had a fair amount of theft/burglary/drug use. Not being able to stroll around outside alone at 2 in the morning isn't really important to me. But, say, being able to walk to a park in daylight hours or leave my car somewhere without it being broken into are good things to have.

Mainly to me the Helix seems attractive because of its proximity to the school and its easy to use website... I'm definitely not going to be able to apartment-hunt in person, so I'd be leery of finding a place purely online that wasn't sort of sanctioned by the school. I've never had an apartment before and it seems like starting my first year there would get me in the swing of things and give me a place to hunt from for the next year. Thoughts?

I was also thinking this very same thing...but the cost of living at the helix is much greater than some houses for rent that I have seen. I have a friend in CA which is going to be my eyes, before I decide on a place. I do need something close to the school, because it is just too expensive to drive my car from PA to CA. So I will be leaving it at home.

 

[Lab Man]

So with all the talk about how terrible Pomona itself is, I'm wondering how people feel living at the Helix, especially people who've actually lived in cities before? I'm in Portland, OR, which is not exactly teeming with gangs but you should lock your doors, and I lived in downtown Salem during college, and the area had a fair amount of theft/burglary/drug use. Not being able to stroll around outside alone at 2 in the morning isn't really important to me. But, say, being able to walk to a park in daylight hours or leave my car somewhere without it being broken into are good things to have.

Mainly to me the Helix seems attractive because of its proximity to the school and its easy to use website... I'm definitely not going to be able to apartment-hunt in person, so I'd be leery of finding a place purely online that wasn't sort of sanctioned by the school. I've never had an apartment before and it seems like starting my first year there would get me in the swing of things and give me a place to hunt from for the next year. Thoughts?

During the interview day, I heard a bunch of the students there complaining about the Helix. I don't remember exactly what they were compalining about besides the "thin walls." They were sayig the nice part about the Helix is that it's within walking distance from campus (especially nice if you have pets).

 

[mdnghtdnc]

I just thought I would give this thread a bump....

 

[VETleigh]

I'm looking for a place, and a roomie, as well 🙂

I have a cat (default pic) and am looking to find somewhere in the Claremont or Chino Hills area. PM me if you're interested/also looking for a roommate.

We're going to vet school! Yay!

 

[mdnghtdnc]

I'm looking for a place, and a roomie, as well 🙂

I have a cat (default pic) and am looking to find somewhere in the Claremont or Chino Hills area. PM me if you're interested/also looking for a roommate.

We're going to vet school! Yay!

I am looking for a roomie too!!!! I am so excited to be going to vet school. I also have a cat. He is older 12 or 13 give or take a few years. I am not going to have my car for at least the first semester, so I am hoping to find someone that knows the public transportation system or has a car that we could ride to classes together. I am open to any area around the school. I was looking at places in Claremont and it seems to be a nice area. Chino Hills doesn't look like they offer much in transportation. If you are interested just let me know and we can talk more.

 

[mdnghtdnc]

I thought this would be a perfect place to put a housing question. Does anyone have any info on the Helix...such as if you have to find your own roomate for a two bedroom, if the price online is for one person or if it is per room, the cost of the electric bill (it doesn't look like it is included in the rent)..... Any pros or cons would be great too!

 

[adOggy07]

I thought this would be a perfect place to put a housing question. Does anyone have any info on the Helix...such as if you have to find your own roomate for a two bedroom, if the price online is for one person or if it is per room, the cost of the electric bill (it doesn't look like it is included in the rent)..... Any pros or cons would be great too!

I don't know that much info about the Helix.. but I did go there once with my bf when we were in search of housing around the Pomona area... I remember there were a couple of homeless people lingering around the complex. I'm not saying that homeless people are to be feared, but the lady who was babbling to herself and staring at us did kind of scare me a little!

When I went to the Western orientation, I talked to some students there and many of them specifically said that they would not consider living at the Helix, or anywhere directly in Pomona.

I'm not trying to give Pomona a bad rap.. you just have to realize it's not particularly a "nice" city and whether or not you are okay with that. I had a friend who lived in Pomona, but she was totally okay with living in Pomona because her apartment was so cheap. Actually, her apartment on the inside was super nice!

My bf and I decided we wanted to live in a city where we felt like we could walk our dog at night and not be bothered. For us, Claremont was perfect. I live 10 minutes away from Western (street driving too) and if I were going to attend Western in the fall, I would totally stay at the apartment complex that I'm at. I think Brighton Park is renting for the fall too, so if anyone wants any additional info, feel free to PM me. I don't think my apartment complex has an official website, so if you want pictures (it's actually a nice looking complex) I'd be happy to send them to you when I'm out on my next walk with my dog!

GOOD LUCK!

 

[mdnghtdnc]

I have herd good and bad things about the Helix.... I am looking into places outside of the Helix but I would like to be in walking distance to the campus because I am not taking my car. I decided it would just be to exensive to take it from Pa to Ca..... If you don't mind me asking how much is the rent at your apartment complex, what does it include...and is there public transportation from the complex or just near to the campus? Pictures would also be great, and thanks for the post....

Anyone else with info on the Helix...

 

[Sweetcaroline14]

I don't know that much info about the Helix.. but I did go there once with my bf when we were in search of housing around the Pomona area... I remember there were a couple of homeless people lingering around the complex. I'm not saying that homeless people are to be feared, but the lady who was babbling to herself and staring at us did kind of scare me a little!

When I went to the Western orientation, I talked to some students there and many of them specifically said that they would not consider living at the Helix, or anywhere directly in Pomona.

I'm not trying to give Pomona a bad rap.. you just have to realize it's not particularly a "nice" city and whether or not you are okay with that. I had a friend who lived in Pomona, but she was totally okay with living in Pomona because her apartment was so cheap. Actually, her apartment on the inside was super nice!

My bf and I decided we wanted to live in a city where we felt like we could walk our dog at night and not be bothered. For us, Claremont was perfect. I live 10 minutes away from Western (street driving too) and if I were going to attend Western in the fall, I would totally stay at the apartment complex that I'm at. I think Brighton Park is renting for the fall too, so if anyone wants any additional info, feel free to PM me. I don't think my apartment complex has an official website, so if you want pictures (it's actually a nice looking complex) I'd be happy to send them to you when I'm out on my next walk with my dog!

GOOD LUCK!

Thanks for the great info! I just rented a sweet little house in Claremont near the village and I am so happy with the neighborhood. I come from Thousand Oaks, so its just like it! Thousand Oaks is really,really safe, so I really needed to be near something like that to feel that I was "at home". ( I love our house in Thousand Oaks, so leaving it is quite a sad little day)So, for those of you looking for places, from my limited knowledge, Claremont really seems ideal, as adoggy said... Anyone feel free to email me at [email protected] and I'll help you out of towners as much as I can! 🙂 Good Luck! Also, public transportation is really good in Cali...It can be trusted and is for the most part really safe. Living farther from school is an option with appropriate public transport nearby!

 

[Pomona2006]

If any of you have questions or need advice about living in / around Claremont, feel free to ask or PM me. My sister and I both did our undergrad at the Claremont Colleges - so I've spent a great deal of time there!

Hopefully I'll be joining you all at Western in 2009!

 

[mdnghtdnc]

which area in claremont has the transportation to Western? Is the transportation system easy to navigate?

 

[Pomona2006]

Claremont and Pomona both have Metrolink train stops. http://www.metrolinktrains.com/ The Metrolink is a double-decker train that runs from San Bernardino all the way into Union Station in L.A. Pomona and Claremont are only 1 stop away from each other. Metrolink can be expensive, but I know that they offer student discounts (which end up being something like 20% off). The stop in Pomona is just blocks away from Western and the stop in Claremont is in the village at like College and 1st street (i.e. the southwest corner of the Claremont Colleges) There is parking available for the train, but if you have a car, I'd say you're better off driving to Western than taking metrolink. If you don't have a car, then Metrolink or Foothill Transit may be a good option. I am not sure where Foothill transit stops in relation to Western, but I am sure you can do some searching here for an answer: http://www.foothilltransit.org/

Hope that helps!

 

[mdnghtdnc]

Claremont and Pomona both have Metrolink train stops. http://www.metrolinktrains.com/ The Metrolink is a double-decker train that runs from San Bernardino all the way into Union Station in L.A. Pomona and Claremont are only 1 stop away from each other. Metrolink can be expensive, but I know that they offer student discounts (which end up being something like 20% off). The stop in Pomona is just blocks away from Western and the stop in Claremont is in the village at like College and 1st street (i.e. the southwest corner of the Claremont Colleges) There is parking available for the train, but if you have a car, I'd say you're better off driving to Western than taking metrolink. If you don't have a car, then Metrolink or Foothill Transit may be a good option. I am not sure where Foothill transit stops in relation to Western, but I am sure you can do some searching here for an answer: http://www.foothilltransit.org/

Hope that helps!

That helps a lot! Thanks for the info!

 

[Pomona2006]

No problem - glad to help!

I'll be the first to admit that SoCal doesn't have the greatest public transport available, but if it is a priority for you, you can make it work. I personally chose where I live because of the access to public transport - allowed me to not drive my car for pretty much a year while I was working in downtown L.A. And we all know that gas prices are not exactly going down...

 

[mdnghtdnc]

The gas prices are exactly why I am not going to drive my car across to the west coast. It would be cheaper for me to sell my car here in Pa and buy one out there. Public transport is important or even a place that is walking distance from the campus would also be good.

 

[mdnghtdnc]

I have found a place that is only a half mile away from Western... it is in one of the safest areas of Pomona so I have been told by a couple of people. I do however need to have two additional roomates if anyone is interested let me know. The rent would cost 565.00 a month per person, pets are allowed, there is even a loft as an extra room. I do have a cat that would be coming with me.

 

[mdnghtdnc]

Ok...so I was all set with housing and roomates,and now one of the roomates has backed out of the place. She was accepted to two schools in the past week. I guess she was on the waitlist and is now not sure if she is going to attend Western. She is unable to commit to the housing deposit which is due asap in order for the two of us to keep the place. If anyone is still looking for a roomate please let me know.

The condo is a three bedroom, three bathroom, with patio, pool, spa, fireplace, water and trash included, if I can remember from the first add does have washer and dryer in the unit, pets are allowed.

Pet restrictions however.... there will be two cats in the house. A small well behaved dog is acceptable preferably not a puppy... as we would like to get our housing deposits back at the end of the lease... Another cat is more than welcome.

The deposit which will be due immediately is 500.00 and the monthly rent for each student per month is 650.00

The place seems very nice and I do have pictures. It is only about 10 minutes away from the school. I am planning on biking back and forth to class to save the cost of a car...plus get some excercise.

 

[DrPDub2B]

Hi all!
I'm trying to find a place this year too, but for Western medical school. But, since I'm looking for housing with my husband, two dogs, and a cat, I realize looking with you vets are my best bet! Yes, Claremont is where I want to live, and with preferably some trees outside the window and a small to large patch of grass for the doglets. Any suggestions for apt or houses?

 

[subydude]

Hey everyone,
I'm will be a first year pharm student at western and i'm starting to look for housing. From reading all this, it seems it is best to avoid living in Pomona. I'm just wondering how far from western (driving-wise) are some of these places you all have mentioned above? (la verne, chino hills, diamond bar, etc). I am from san francisco so i am not familiar with this area at all. Any help would be appreciated..thanks!

 

[Dr B2b]

Hi guys!
Ok, so I was put on the alternate list at western, however, one of my friends who got into western told me that I might be able to find out if I got in by going to Mail.westernu.edu and type in the first letter of my first name and my full last name as my user name and the last 2digits of my birth year, followed by the last 4 digets of my ss number. I wasn't able to access this site until last week when i tried it again. I also went to ban web and was able to enter the secure student area. Does this mean that I've been accepted???!??!? I haven't received my letter yet, although the mail here is a bit iffy at times.

 

[chris03333]

Hi guys!
Ok, so I was put on the alternate list at western, however, one of my friends who got into western told me that I might be able to find out if I got in by going to Mail.westernu.edu and type in the first letter of my first name and my full last name as my user name and the last 2digits of my birth year, followed by the last 4 digets of my ss number. I wasn't able to access this site until last week when i tried it again. I also went to ban web and was able to enter the secure student area. Does this mean that I've been accepted???!??!? I haven't received my letter yet, although the mail here is a bit iffy at times.

call and ask 🙂

 

[kaffeeine]

Need a place to live? Currently, we have one room available in a nice townhouse located at a safe area in Claremont. The place is about 4 miles away from Western University. We are looking for a male or female student. So far there are 2 guys and 1 girl who will be living in the house. It is a one-year contract and we need someone to fulfill this spot ASAP. Rent will cost $490 + utilities. If interested, please email me at [email protected] for more info.