runnersmom

In my S's group share the kitchen is fully stocked, though by whom I'm not sure. His landlord is a relatively young guy who invested in and renovated some DC houses and rents them out. The only kitchen items my S brought were his favorite knives and his bamboo steamer. They all share whatever dishes, glassware and cooking utensils are in the kitchen, but have their own shelves in the refrigerator. It's not communal (though some are), but they seem to share a lot.

aibarr

Worrywart- If your son is lucky enough to live in one of the Not For Tourists Guide cities (just do a google search for Not For Tourists or NFT) then he can get a good idea of what neighborhoods are like, and where the local megamarts and coffee places and video rental places are. These guides are collaborative projects, updated every year. The full guides are available online.

NFT Cities are:
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Los Angeles
New York
Philadelphia
San Francisco
Seattle
Washington DC

I'm really hoping that they come out with a Houston one soon. I loved my Los Angeles edition.

worrywart

Wow, I've never heard of these. Thanks for the suggestion.

curiouser

My D is moving to Chicago for grad school next month. She and new roommate (met via facebook) used an apt agent with good results.
I was completely surprised to learn that Chicago rentals (at least the ones we saw) didn't require a month's rent in advance. The total deposit for a two bedroom apt in a highrise was $300. I was shocked and pleased.

Once D had settled on her new school and city, the first book I bought her was one of those nifty NFT guides for Chicago. She's already used it multiple times and doesn't even live there yet. Great little guidebook that's perfect for newly arriving residents.

worrywart

$300? I'm envious.