SheerReflection

What are the pros and cons of housing in VDC, Arroyo and Campus village?

PoorCookie

You forgot about VDC norte

Not very much but little things about each:
VDC: all singles, large rooms
VDC norte: 2 singles, 1 double. double is huge, singles are tiny
Arroyo: near frat/sorority houses
CV: a bit ghetto looking, but very convenient since it is like right on campus. 2 doubles.

SheerReflection

is vdc more expensive then cv?

how are the apartments laid out and stuff?

Ultex91

Any more opinions about this? I'm considering CV because of how close it is to campus. Because right now I live in middle earth and it's great I can just come back to my room and sleep after 8am classes without walking too far.

jennifer7

vdc is definitely more expensive than CV. i'm not sure what CV pays but for this school year i am paying $661/month for my single room (4-bedroom apt). utilities are included in that (but it's capped), and it is already furnished. there are two bathrooms that we share (1 toilet, 1 shower/tub, 2 sinks per bathroom), kitchen (no dining table, it's like a bar. you get a big fridge, dishwasher, oven, and plenty of cabinet space), living room (2 armchairs, sofa, tv stand and a regular coffee table). one con to vdc/norte is that if you don't have a car or know someone with a car, you're basically stuck in your apt on weekends because shuttles to main campus aren't running.

i've heard singles in norte are more expensive and smaller (they get twin beds instead of full beds like vdc) but i haven't seen a bedroom in norte yet.

i sometimes wish i had picked CV just for its location, but i didn't think i would enjoy sharing a room with someone again since that didn't work well for my freshman year. i've only been to a room in CV once and i didn't really have the chance to look around, so i can't give more feedback on that but let me know if you have q's about vdc!

PoorCookie

If you're interested in VDC or norte, take a look at their site; it has floor plans and everything: vistadelcampo_norte_interimB

This year the site says norte was around $533.00- $679.00. For VDC 3 rooms in one apartment is $725.00- $782.00 and 4 rooms is $661.00.

You might consider the singles in Norte being "more expensive" than VDC only because they are smaller. Norte is generally cheaper but depending on whether you get a single or double, it depends. I've been in the singles for Norte and they are pretty small. It fits a bed, a desk, a minifridge, and a TV stand, but there's not much room for anything else. Their double is gigantic and the space in the middle of the room between the two beds could fit an extra bed (in fact my friend brings puts her blow up bed there for guests).

Here is the page for the CV floor plans: UC Irvine Student Housing - Campus Village - Typical Floorplan

If you don't mind sharing a room and the slight ghettoness of the place, I think CV might be for you in terms of price and distance to campus. For one year CV is $5,923 unfurnished and $6,624 furnished. Per quarter it's roughly $400 to $500. CV has two shared rooms, one living room, and a large kitchen. There is also one dining table.

class

Thanks for the good info.

When is the application available/ application due for these housing communities?

jennifer7

i went through old emails. last year on halloween i received an email stating:

This is an email reminder that you are eligible to apply for continuing student guaranteed housing for 2009-10.

The guaranteed housing application window will be open from November 3 – 17, 2008, closing at 11:59 p.m. on Monday the 17th.

You can access the online housing application beginning at 6 a.m. on Monday, November 3rd.

so i would assume it's roughly the same time this year

Ultex91

are the apartments coed?

jennifer7

no, but the buildings are co-ed

BrandoIsCool

Norte Quad with the shared double room is the best bang for the buck if you wanna live a near resort status looking apt!

VDC is by far the most expensive and CV is the cheapest.

junshik

Do you know how much it would be for a double in norte? (monthly or yearly)
How much of a hassle is it to only be able to take shuttles?


Anyone have experience with AV? How far is it? (someone mentioned near the frat houses) but I don't know how far that is.

jennifer7

here's the website for vdc norte: Vista del Campo Norte - Mobile Version

you can see floor plans and current rates

i felt confused because i thought norte was 4-bedroom doubles..? but i don't live there and haven't been in many norte apt's so i guess i just remembered incorrectly. (if anyone here lives or lived in norte, feel free to correct me.)

shuttle experience:
taking the shuttle isn't too bad. basically the closest community to campus is AV (which is next to the gym), then norte, then vdc (all along one street). i am in the middle of vdc at shuttle stop #2 and it takes maybe 12 minutes to get back to the flag poles. the time would be a bit more or less for the other communities. taking the shuttle only sucks when you ride at really busy times, because then the whole shuttle is full, people are standing, and it is really squishy. take earlier shuttles and/or walk to an earlier stop if you feel like you won't be able to get on.

shuttles arrive about every 7-8 minutes during the daytime, less frequently at night (every 25 min and when it gets even later, there are more people).

shuttles don't run on friday nights and weekends, so it sucks if you dont have a car or know someone with a car. you can always walk to campus but it's a pretty far walk..

PoorCookie

I'm visiting a friend and I'm currently in her Norte apartment right now I can definitely confirm it is only three rooms (two are singles, one is a double).

junshik

Poorcookie, Have you been to VDC's apartments, and if so, how do you compare that and norte?

The rates say between 500-600 roughly for norte, so does that mean doubles are that expensive too?