<p>My daughter would like to rent an apartment with 3 other friends near Rice University. We are not at all sure how to proceed with this. Is the area safe around the campus? What apartment complexes are nice for young undergraduates? We are more concerned with safety than price. But, we also don’t want to spend more than we have to! One of the other students recommended a realtor. Is that a good idea and normally done in Texas? We need all the help you all can give us as we live in the Northeast.</p>
<p>There are lots of housing options near and around Rice and most of them are safe. You do NOT want to be in the direction of the medical center or beyond it. That is not safe. I think Rice has housing boards/help available, since many students do not get dorm housing for one or more years. My daughter had an apartment a little over a mile from campus. It was safe- a little run-down but not expensive. I would look at craigslist and contact Rice.</p>
<p>DD is in the Maroneal near the Medical Center and Reliant Stadium and has no problems whatsoever. It is nice, gated with garage access control that controls pedestrian access along with cars. It is not particularly student housing. A lot of professionals live there. But agree. Recommend using Rice’s housing web site. [Rice</a> Student Center](<a href=“Rice University | Off-Campus Housing Search”>http://offcampus.rice.edu/)</p>
<p>Our student had an internship with a major company in Houston after junior year. We knew no one in Houston, but found the website above to be most helpful. As it turned out, ended up renting something short term from Craigslist that was furnished. We wanted our student to stay closer to campus because we felt it was indeed safer. Hope the site helps and I would also keep a check on Craigslist.</p>
<p>Thank you! The rice student center link appears to have a lot of spam on it. It is difficult to determine what is a true listing from what is not. Well, I am certain that most of them are not true listings! She has looked at the Maroneal. We were also interested in the Brompton apartments and the Amalfi. Anyone know anything about those?<br>
Thanks!</p>
<p>This housing guide is from 2008 but has some good information that’s still relevant. I don’t know if there’s a newer version but I had bookmarked this one some time ago.</p>
<p>DD and DS lived within a few blocks of campus in various housing… DS shared a 4 bedroom duplex on Sheridan, about 6 blocks from campus. Lots of student housing that side, and it’s a nice area. DD lived in many places - on Wroxton, and 2 other places on that side of campus; funky, cheap and walkable. Rice also OWNS apartments really near campus - these are available for students to rent. (I am not talking about grad student apartment; these are regular apartments.) Your daughter should talk to the housing office about these, and also talk with lots of students currently living off-campus for leads, tips, or to take over housing from students who are graduating or moving back on campus.</p>
<p>Several neighborhoods right next to Rice have apts/duplexes for rent. These rentals would be in very easy walking distance to the campus. </p>
<p>I would not completely discount everything in the direction or past the medical center, as there are many apt/townhouse complexes to the east and south of the med center that cater to students and are perfectly safe.</p>
<p>If you are a freshman undergrad, you should definitely live on campus to get connected… if not, the best thing to do is network with other Rice students who are off-campus this year. This is really a better issue for the kids to deal with themselves. DS and his group of friends got a realtor to help them find a place, but ended finding their own place by talking to other Rice students. That’s the most efficient way! Find a Rice student who is graduating, or a group of students moving back onto campus, and ask their landlord if you can lease it for the following year.<br>
My kids did not live in the large apartment complexes, but in the smaller, funkier, houses and small apartments right by campus.
This is the online listings for the small units/individual garage apts, etc.
<a href=“http://listings.rice.edu/[/url]”>http://listings.rice.edu/</a> I see a lot of great places walkable distance to campus…
here are the listings for big apartment complexes:<br>
<a href=“Rice University | Off-Campus Housing Search”>Rice University | Off-Campus Housing Search;
<p>DD has lived in the Maroneal for 3 years. The garages there are behind the security gate and she has not had any problems with the car or apartment security in the 3 years. She did have a light stolen off her bike once when she left it out front. We figured a kid since it was not secured to the bike. . You can Google the apartments and see where they are relative to the light rail.</p>
<p>Amalfi housed my two for two years. Good landlords with coffee and dry cleaning services among the amenities.
They met great neighbors and were safe. Hermann Park was a great bonus.
No break ins in garage parking.
Light rail is on the block.</p>