Judging the Location of a College Apartment

Just as you wouldn’t buy a house in a bad neighborhood, when browsing college apartments you should thoroughly explore the surrounding area and make sure it’s in a good location. While you’ll have to make some compromises (this is college after all, not everyone can live in a penthouse), you should never let outside factors, like money or proximity to your campus, interfere with your sense of well-being. Your apartment is not just a place to store your things, it will be your home for the next several months, and as such should be a place where you can seek comfort.

If you’re still in the process of looking at various locations, here are some strategies you can use to find the best student housing. Once you’ve used those strategies to narrow down your search, use the following tips to investigate each of the properties you’re considering.

To help you find an apartment that’s worth holding on to, here are some tips on judging the location of a college apartment.

Visit the apartment at different times of the week.

Obviously, you’ll want to explore the area around your prospective apartment before signing the lease. However, instead of visiting at similar times each trip, make an effort to go to the neighborhood at different times of the day, particularly once in the afternoon and once again at night. Try to visit both on a weekday and on the weekend. This way you can be sure the area is consistently a safe place to live in.

Evaluate the outdoor maintenance.

You don’t have to live in a neighborhood full of perfectly manicured lawns or flashy sports cars parked in every driveway. However, how one cares for their space can say a lot about them. If you can, avoid residing in littered areas or on a street with heavily damaged properties. Lawns with a lot of dog dropping, for example, may indicate that one of the residents is inconsiderate, especially if the yard is shared.

Take note of shops and businesses in the surrounding neighborhood.

If your apartment shares the street with a bunch of liquor stores and pawn shops, you might want to reconsider taking up residence in that neighborhood. Instead, opt for an area with nearby amenities, preferably in walking distance. These include grocery stores, coffee shops, libraries and other areas that you’ll likely wish to frequent.

Check ratings for schools close to your prospective apartment.

While not perfectly indicative of a great neighborhood, school ratings will definitely shed some light on what type of residents live in a certain neighborhood. This isn’t to imply that one perceived demographic of people is better than the other, but it’s likely that a location full of private schools won’t be terribly crime-ridden.

Search for statistics online.

While reviews can come in handy, they are sometimes one-sided and don’t objectively analyze the pros and cons of an apartment. Often, one or two bad reviews will display extreme opinions that resulted from a particularly unpleasant experience. That said, if over a dozen reviewers criticize the apartment you’re looking into, it’s probably time to check elsewhere. Nonetheless, one of the best online tools for apartment hunting are walking scores and crime statistics. Both will give you an idea of how accessible and secure a neighborhood is. However, not all crimes are reported, so it’s still a good idea to practice tip number one. Just to be safe.

Did you pick a good or poor location for your college living experience? Did we miss a way to evaluate whether an apartment is in a good location? Let us know about your experiences in the comment section below.