Moving to Pittsburgh: grad student - university of pittsburgh (Blawnox: apartment complex, lease)

[Jasim]

Hello.
I need an apartment close to the university of Pittsburgh. I'm going to start grad school this august. I have a car but i hear there is a problem with parking there. I need it to be in a safe area and quiet. I only need one bedroom and if possible under $800. can you guys help me with that. thanks.

[Moby Hick]

Sounds like you should try Squirrel Hill. You can get a one bedroom on a quiet street for that and the whole area is safe. Most of it is a bus line, but it would be a very quick drive if you wanted to do so.

Parking at Pitt isn't great, but I think everybody still gets a spot after a reasonable wait. However, you may find that the only university parking you can get at the start is far enough removed from your building that the bus is quicker.

[ferraris]

Definitely don't fall to the temptation of renting near campus in South Oakland, defined as anything south of Fifth Ave for this purpose. It's not that it's dangerous, but it's essentially an undergraduate student ghetto. It's fully of expensive yet dilapidated apartments, not to mention undergraduate parties. Typical neighborhoods for graduate students are Squirrel Hill, North Oakland, Shadyside, Friendship, and Bloomfield. Regent Square, Highland Park, and Lawrenceville as well, though to a lesser degree. Squirrel Hill is probably a perfectly fine fit for you, but you could save a few bucks by including the other neighborhoods in your search. It's kind of hard to narrow down with "safe and quiet" as the only criteria. Maybe you could answer a few questions about what you're looking for in a neighborhood.

It sounds like you're fine not being able to walk to campus, but do you want to be able to walk to anything else? Parks, restaurants, bars, grocery stores, barber shop, bank, etc.? All of that stuff is available on campus in Oakland, by the way.

Do you prefer to rent in apartment complexes, or homes that have been converted to apartments? For example, in Friendship and Bloomfield, you'll almost exclusively find apartments that are inside buildings that were formerly single family homes. Personally I prefer those because the landlords are more flexible and easy to deal with, but that's just my own experience.

Do you need a dedicated parking spot, or is on street parking okay for you?

[Jasim]

I definitely need a place with parking. as for the restaurants, stores, etc, I think I can manage if I can't get to them by foot. I prefer apartment complex but i dont mind other places. also can you help me by choosing a specific building or complex. I have a problem with choosing if it's more than three choices

thanks..

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by Jasim

I definitely need a place with parking. as for the restaurants, stores, etc, I think I can manage if I can't get to them by foot. I prefer apartment complex but i dont mind other places. also can you help me by choosing a specific building or complex. I have a problem with choosing if it's more than three choices

thanks..

A fair number of apartment houses over in Blawnox, which is a quiet community and also on the bus route if you don't want to drive.

It's a single bus trip on the Highland Park to Pitt from out that way.

[UKyank]

South Oakland back towards Schenely Park is fine, just make sure to see the place in person to make sure it's not run by one of the many absentee landlords that abound in the area. It's much quieter there & being able to walk to campus trumps needing parking or taking the bus.

[BarqCider]

heh welcome to the club of searching for a place, op. i too will be moving to pgh to attend pitt, however at the undergrad (jr level).

i hope i can land this roommate who seems decent and attended a local place where i am from but moved up to work. I plan on going to pgh by this coming weekend to sign a lease either my own place or with said potential roommate.