forsports wrote:
Gryphon wrote:
Walker Square is a place that attracts some Darden students although it's farther away and they are technically condos. People bought them as investments and rent them out because they don't live in the area. You would be wise to inquire about a 2 year lease if you go that route.
Is it common for students to drive and park at school? I wasn't able to look at the garage but I know schools like Berkeley and Fuqua are pretty bad with parking.
Also, is August too late to look for apartments? Would hate to do a cross-country trip for housing.
Thanks for the help!
Here's the deal: I'm not a Darden student or even applicant. I plan to apply this fall. That said, I am stationed in Charlottesville for the military. When I got orders to come here I arrived in March 09 and found it hard to find a place. It's a college town. Leases follow the college school year. YES, AUGUST IS WAY TOO LATE. If you wait till August you will be towing a U-Haul around town looking for a place to live instead of getting situated in order to hit the ground running whenever school starts. When I got back from Afghanistan in Fall 10 I needed to look for a new place (I let go of my place at Jefferson Ridge while deployed) and it was tough. When I inquired about leases people thought I was inquiring about Fall 2011. That's how far out a lot of places are booking people. Ivy Gardens and UHeights are different because their average resident is Darden or Law School so they fill up later this spring. Here's my unscientific breakdown of places I know about in Cville.
1. Ivy Gardens. Best place to be because that's where a plurality, if not majority, of Darden students live. This is where you're learning group will usually meet. Martha Stewart would be appalled at the 70's interiors, but whatever. You can walk two minutes to class and the gym facilities.
2. UHeights. On the opposite side of Ivy so you might have to jump in the car to get to class, but it's still just about 3 minutes. These are a little shabbier IMO. I looked at them when I got back and was not impressed.
3. Jefferson Ridge. Pricier and about a 7 minute drive to Darden, but rather nice. A lot is included in the base price (cable, internet, water). These are rather new. There isn't much around Jeff Ridge though.
4. The Woodlands. By far the nicest place in Charlottesville. Basically it's a gated community and is probably ideal for families because they only have 2 bedroom and up. I think they start around $1500/month and go from there. So if money is no object and you have a wife, child, this would be ideal. It's right next to Jeff Ridge on Sunset Ave.
5. Walker Square. I live here now for one simple reason: proximity to restaurants. Cville isn't exactly Soho, but Walker Square is about half a mile to the Corner and half a mile to the Downtown Mall. Most people here are in residency at the UVA hospital. That said, a modest number of Darden folks live here. The condos are rather nice, but you need to inquire about a 2 year lease so that the owner of the condo doesn't sell it out from underneath you. We have a little network called "Meet The Neighbors" and about half a dozen times since I've lived here people have posted urgent messages saying that they need a place to live because their landlord sold the place and is basically kicking them out. Most landlords will fulfill the terms of the lease and let them stay until the end of the school year, but it's kind of a hassle to be moving all your stuff in advance of going to complete a summer intership. WS is within walking distance of most TNDC locations so that's a nice feature I guess.
There are other places around Cville, but generally speaking you want to stay away from The Corner area on University Ave because that's where the undergrads are. Jefferson Park Ave can be hit or miss, but there's a lot of housing out there too.
I can't find anything under 1200 @ walker square.
31 Mar 2011, 13:45
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