So, you got into UNC, sent in your $$$ to hold your place, and figured out what your elevator pitch will be come orientation in August, but where or where should you live? Luckily for you, rhet comp grad student Sarah Singer has put together a lil’ list to help y’all out:
What are the best sources to use to look for housing?[1]
- Craig’s List
- UNC Off-Campus Student Housing website (http://housing.unc.edu/off-campus-housing.html)
- Relator[2]
- Drive around and look for “for rent” signs
- http://www.heelshousing.com/
- www.chapelhillrent.com
- www.apartmentfinder.com
- Word of mouth
- http://www.coolbluerentals.com/
- http://www.trulia.com/
- Department list-serve emails
- www.zillow.com
- http://www.reddoorcompany.com/listing/listings-chapelhill.php
- Daily Tar Heel
Where do ECL graduate students currently live?[3]
Geographic Areas:
- Baity Hill Dr., Chapel Hill (apartment at $930 incl. expenses/month)
- Bert St., Carrboro (single-family home for 4 @ $550 + $100 expenses per person/month)
- Culbreth Park Dr., Chapel Hill (purchased property)
- Davie Rd., Carrboro, NC
- Single-family home for 4 @ $455 + $60 expenses per person/month
- Single-family home for 4 @ $500 + $62 expenses per person/month
- Multi-family home for 4 @ $550 + $110 expenses per person/month
- Davis Rd., Saxapahaw (~27 miles from campus) (single-family home @ $525 + expenses/month)
- Glenmere, Chapel Hill (townhouse @ $400/month)
- S. Greensboro St., Carrboro (apartment @ $765 + $150 expenses/month)
- Sue Anne Ct., Carrboro (apartment @ $750 + $70 expenses/month)
- Todd St., Carrboro (apartment @ $600 + $200 expenses/month)
- Weaver Dairy Rd., Chapel Hill (condominium for 2+ @ $750 + 200 expenses/month)
Apartment Complexes:
- Ashbrook Apartments, Carrboro (http://www.ashbrookcarrboro.com/) (apartment @ $750 + $100 expenses/month)
- Berkshire Manor West, Carrboro (http://www.berkshiremanorwest.com/) (apartment @ $900 + $100 expenses/month)
- Brighton Square, Carrboro (http://www.chapelhillrentals.org/chapel-hill-rentals-brighton-square.html) (condominium @ $750 + $100-150 expenses/month)
- Brookside Condominiums, Carrboro (http://www.chapelhillrentals.org/chapel-hill-rentals-brookside.html)
- Brookwood Condominiums (S. Estes Dr.), Carrboro (http://www.chapelhillrentals.org/chapel-hill-rentals-brookside.html) (condominium @ $710 + $250 expenses/month)
- Chase Apartments, Carrboro (no website – near J bus stop at NC 54 West at Laurel Ridge Apartments)
- Chateau Apartments, Carrboro (http://chapelhillgroup.net/) (apartment @ $700/month)
- Glen Lenox Community, Chapel Hill (http://www.glenlennoxapartments.com/glen-lennox-apts) (“cottage” @ $772 + $150 expenses/month)
- Hawthorne at the View, Chapel Hill (http://www.hawthorneattheviewapts.com/) (apartment @ $700 + $150 expenses/month)
- Laurel Ridge Apartments,Carrboro (http://www.heelshousing.com/property/laurel-ridge) (apartment @ $715 + $200 expenses/month)
- Southern Village, Chapel Hill (http://www.southernvillageapts.com/) (apartment @ $1200 + $125 expenses/month)
- The Villages of Chapel Hill (http://www.villagesofchapelhill.com/) (apartment for 2 @ $450 + $70 expenses per person/month)
- Town House Apartments, Chapel Hill (https://www.townhouseunc.com/) (apartment for 2 @ $475 + $50 per month/person)
- The Wilson, Carrboro (http://www.the-wilson.com/) (apartment for 3 @ $1350 + $200 expenses /month)
- Village Green Condominiums, Chapel Hill (http://www.villagegreenchapelhill.com/Home.aspx) (condominium @ $700 + $150+ expenses per month)
Where should incoming students go to buy things they will need?
Furniture:
- Furniture Follies (http://www.furniturefollies.com/)
- Craig’s List
- Habitat for Humanity ReStore (http://www.restoredurhamorange.org/)
- The furniture liquidation sale at the Raleigh fairgrounds in August
- Ikea in Charlotte, NC (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/store/charlotte)
- Recommend getting a reading desk
- Oddities and Such (http://www.yelp.com/biz/oddities-and-such-carrboro)
- Surplus Sid’s (http://www.yelp.com/biz/surplus-sids-carrboro)
- Bed Bath and Beyond (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/selfservice/FindStore)
- Marshalls (http://www1.marshallsonline.com/tjx/search_results.aspx)
- PTA Thrift Stop (Carrboro and Chapel Hill locations) (http://ptathriftshop.org/home.shtml)
- Havertys Furniture (http://www.havertys.com/MarketDisplayCmd?langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&marketName=Raleigh)
Mattresses:
- Furniture Follies (http://www.furniturefollies.com/)
- The Original Mattress Factory (http://www.originalmattress.com/)
- Sears in the Southpoint Mall (http://www.streetsatsouthpoint.com/directory)
What advice would you give incoming students about living in Chapel Hill/Carrboro or attending UNC?
- Unanticipated expenses:
- Student fees, which cost nearly $1,000.00 per semester. You can pay these fees up front, or you can ask the Department to deduct ~$300.00/month for three months each semester, so you do not have to front the lump sum. Although these fees seem outrageous, they offer all UNC students (including graduate students who may or may not have university health insurance) unlimited visits Campus Health Services (http://campushealth.unc.edu/charges-and-insurance/charges/health-fee-and-chargespayments.html), including unlimited women’s health visits, dermatology visits, nurse consultations on a variety of issues, and some counseling and psychological services visits (http://campushealth.unc.edu/caps). These fees also support the Carolina Union and other campus entities that support graduate students; a detailed description can be found here (http://www.unc.edu/finance/fd/c/sa/stu_fees/fee_descriptions.pdf).
- The initial cost of stocking the kitchen and living room, especially if you have previously lived in pre-furnished apartments.
- Conferences. The Department typically provides students with up to $300.00 to attend their first conference and up to $200.00 to attend their second conference each academic year (http://englishcomplit.unc.edu/sites/default/files/Graduate_Student_Travel_Grant_Application_Form.pdf). However, in many cases, $300.00 barely covers the airfare for conferences, which forces students to pay for the conference registration fees, organizational fees (if students must join the host organization), food, other travel, hotel, printing/technology, etc. fees on their own.
- Major Health Issues and/or Emergency Healthcare.[4] Student Health Services charges additional fees for after-hours care and you may be charged additional fees for emergency health services (http://campushealth.unc.edu/urgentneeds). Some non-emergency health services are also not covered by the student health fee nor university insurance, including dental care, specialty clinic visits, allergy injections, laboratory tests, and immunizations (http://campushealth.unc.edu/charges-and-insurance/charges/charges-not-covered-campus-health-fee.html).
- Car maintenance.
- Pet fees (which vary greatly, but in some cases are as high as $500.00 plus fees for damages).
- Electric Bills in the Winter, which can be as high as $180.00 for a 3-bedroom apartment.
- Note: One way to mitigate these expenses is to work a part-time job on campus (http://careers.unc.edu/earn-as-you-learn) and/or to plan to work during the summer. University Career Services maintains a list of part-time jobs that is updated at the beginning of each semester (http://www.zeemaps.com/view?group=537334&x=-79.050835&y=35.909124&z=3). Many graduate students choose to leave North Carolina to secure summer employment, since there are a limited number of jobs in the Triangle area and an overabundance of qualified graduate students looking to earn extra money. These students tend to work for temp agencies or summer camps, such as the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (http://cty.jhu.edu/jobs/summer/).
- Housing:
- If you do not have a car, be sure to be in close walking distance to one or more bus stops.
- You do not need a lot of furniture to start out; you will be fine with just a bed, small desk, and small bookshelves at the beginning.
- Consider buying inexpensive and portable furniture, since many students move a few times their time at UNC.
- You should not feel obligated to bring all of your books, since you will accumulate so many down here that you will quickly run out of space.
- Consider renting your own U-Haul and hiring movers on uhaul.com for local moves, since it is faster and easier to move with trained helpers.
- If you buy from Craigslist, you need to pay in cash.
- Consider finding roommates, not only to save money, but also because graduate work can be isolating and having roommates will help you get to know people from the beginning.
- Consider driving around neighborhoods to see local for-rent signs, since a number of complexes do not advertise online and cannot be found on Google Maps.
- Consider looking at potential apartments at night if at all possible.
- Make sure to be within walking distance of a bus stop.
- If you move to the UNC area a few months before school starts, consider getting temporary housing at first, forgoing any more permanent housing decisions until you have familiarized yourself with the area.
- If you are looking for furniture, consider searching wholesale/demo show rooms which will be nice pieces and sets for less money.
- Consider only getting wireless internet, since cable tv can be very expensive.
- Weather:
- Consider buying a dehumidifier, especially if you going to move into an older building or house. The summers here are intensely humid and it is best to take precautions to prevent mold.
- Consider buying a shovel and ice scraper; this past winter was fierce, and these tools were necessary for getting through it.
- Gas and electricity can get very expensive during the winter (i.e. $180 for electric heating in a 3-bedroom apartment in February).
- Bus Schedule:
- The bus system is extensive, but buses tend not to run late at night. Be sure to consider your transportation options if you are taking an evening class.
- Most students find that living in walking distance to one or more bus lines make life easier and less expensive.
- Duke University is accessbile by the Robertson Bus, which costs $2.50 each way (exact change only) and runs approximately once and hour during business hours.
- Cars:
- Get NC drivers license right away to allow you to apply for residency, but be aware that if you have no car insurance (i.e. if you have no car of your own), they will restrict your license so you can only drive rental cars which come with their own insurance.
- Registering your car in the state of North Carolina can be very expensive if your car is less than 10 years old. Be prepared to be taxed more heavily and to pay semi-annual fees for your vehicle.
- Parking is very limited on the UNC campus and if you wish to park on campus, you must purchase a permit. Parking is assigned via a lottery system – see the website for more information (http://www.dps.unc.edu/permit%20information/ParkingInfo.cfm).
- Daily parking is available on Rosemary Street, but the garages quickly fill up in the mornings. The cheapest all-day parking is $6.00/day at the garage next to PNC Bank on Rosemary Street.
Should you have a car?
It is entirely possible to survive without a car if you live within close walking distance to one or more bus lines that run regularly. (You can check the bus routes and schedules here: http://www.townofchapelhill.org/index.aspx?page=1175).
If you do not have a car, current students recommend:
- You should try to live within a ten-minute walk to downtown Carrboro or Chapel Hill, where multiple bus lines converge and run frequently.
- You should try to live within walking distance to a laundromat if your home does not come with a washer/dryer.
- You should be prepared to walk heavy groceries back to your home and to depend on friends with cars for assistance, which can be challenging.
- You should be prepared to plan your schedule around the bus schedule, which is more challenging if you have an evening class and/or need evening transportation around town.
- You might want to sign up for a ZipCar account if you need to make a longer trip somewhere.
- You might want to purchase a bike, since many areas around UNC are bike-friendly and biking can be faster than walking. The Chapel Hill Transit buses have attachments on the front to accommodate bikes, so you can also bike into down and take the bus home, etc.
Current students note that having a car is useful in the following situations:
- When you first move down: purchasing/transporting furniture and other large items; buying “staple” foods and larger quantities of toiletries and kitchen supplies; taking last-minute trips to purchase forgotten items from Bed Bath and Beyond, Marshalls, and other stores located on 15/501 in Durham; etc.
- Food shopping.
- Late-night adventures around town (i.e. after the bus stops running regularly).
- Travel to Durham, Raleigh, and other local cities.
- Going to doctor’s offices. Many offices are on bus lines, but you might need to switch buses/take multiple buses in order to reach them, which takes time, planning, and energy.
- Transporting clothing and other items to/from the laundromat.
- Setting a schedule that it most convenient for you (i.e. not determining your schedule based on bus times).
