<p>MT577, I’ll try to answer your questions. Putting aside the limitations on available housing and the lottery system, most upper classmen prefer to live in private housing to a) have the independence of their “own” place, b) the privacy of their own bedroom, c) the freedom to live without the constraints of dorm rules and regulations, d) the ability to have more spacious accommodations or any combination of the above. Or at least so sayeth my D and her friends.</p>
<p>UArts students live in a broad range of locales in relation to the campus, from 6 blocks north of the Terra Building to quite some distance down in South Philly going north to south and from 8th Street over to 20th going east to west. Most UArts students who live in private housing are probably concentrated from 10th St over to 18th and from Walnut down to South St. In a nutshell, what usually drives location is budget, with prices going up compared to the size of the housing as you move in towards the center of campus near Broad and Locust Streets. (There are exceptions for certain neighborhoods which while a bit more distant than others command a premium because they are in great demand for reasons that have no relevance to college students.)</p>
<p>In considering off campus housing, proximity to campus and cost are probably the 2 most important criteria. Proximity to campus is of particular importance for College of Performing Arts students because of the late night schedules for show rehearsals and performances. This relates directly to ease and safety of commuting to and from campus. Most UArts students and particularly performing arts students want to live as close to campus as their budget will permit so that they can commute by walking. The school does have a shuttle van escort service that operates at night that covers about an 8 - 10 block radius from Broad and Walnut Sts. The exact geographic coverage of the service is available on UArts website. Students I know who have used the service state that the waits for pick up can be long at times and the travel time can be long depending on the utilization at a particular time, but it is available and does provide a safe and free option to walking or taking a cab at night.</p>
<p>Based on proximity to campus and safety considerations for walking at night, I would focus a search for housing to the area covered from 10th St over to 18th and Walnut down to Pine. There is an abundance of housing available in this area consisting of high rises and Brownstones (converted row house built from, yes, brown stones). Most of the housing consists of efficiencies/studios, 1 and 2 bedrooms although there are some 3 bedrooms available. Prices range from $600 - $1000 for efficiencies/studios, $800 - $1500 for 1 bedrooms, $1400 - $2500 for 2 bedrooms and $1800 and up for 3 bedrooms in this area, depending on whether it is a Brownstone or a high rise and whether it is east or west of Broad St. As a general rule, Brownstones are located on both sides of Broad, there are more high rises west of Broad than east, and prices west of Broad will be higher and the properties in better condition unless it is a newly renovated property east of Broad (and there are many of them).</p>
<p>In terms of safety, the area I have recommended is generally safe. Walking during hours of light is never an issue. At night, particularly as you approach 11 pm and later, as you move outward towards the periphery of the area I have recommended, while these are not inherently dangerous “high crime areas” of particular risk, foot traffic tapers off and there can be crimes of opportunity. Common sense should prevail and students should not walk alone late at night. It’s more of a question of which streets have ongoing commercial activity (theatre, restaurants, bars, clubs etc) as the night hours wear on thereby keeping people out and about and which streets become quieter and emptier residential streets where a lone person walking is more isolated. Basic city smarts should dictate which streets are traversed at night if walking to the outer peripheries of the area I have described.</p>
<p>In terms of building security, many Brownstones require an access code to gain entrance, some only a key. Many have intercom systems to buzz visitors in, some don’t. Virtually all high rises have access codes at a minimum. The best have doormen, front desk personnel or night desk security to control access. It really can vary from building to building.</p>
<p>In terms of timing for finding a place, virtually all housing is based on leases that require 90 notice of termination. What this means is that most management companies and landlords can not tell you with certainty what will be available more than 90 days prior to your move in date. Most housing requires a 12 month lease and while some is available based on a school year term, you will pay a real premium for that. To start the process, I would have your student take a weekend afternoon and literally walk every block in the area I have recommended. All of the rental buildings have conspicuous signs. I would make a list of all the management companies, get a feel for the location of the buildings and then make calls to get general info on the type of units available, pricing, whether utilities are included and if not what they average. I would then go an google search for reviews of the management companies and buildings that have specific names. There is a lot of consumer info available online. This process should help you narrow potential locations and then 90 days from your intended move in date, the serious looking can begin.</p>
<p>Hope this is helpful.</p>
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