Crossing the Budget Border

With gas prices constantly going up and down, and back up again college students need a place to reside without the worry of gas. College students should be able to live with the worry of convenience and spending their "college fund" on gas each week, but that's not the case.

Camden Crossing offers a beautiful complex, nice amenities and very spacious rooms but even with all these great things it still is located to far away from campus and has no bus service for N.C. State residents.

Camden Crossing, located off Tryon, isn't in walking distance to any grocery stores, malls or restaurants therefore more money spent on gas and more time spent traveling for their residents.

Camden Crossing offers a great living environment but who wants to live in a place that offers so little transportation options? No buses dare go there and the taxi fee from the bars on Glenwood Avenue will run about $20, what college student can afford that?

All-in-all Camden Crossing is a great complex in a horrible location. College students have to save money somehow and choosing a place to live that's close and convenient, not Camden Crossing.

SNW

Where Not to Live

Incoming freshman after acceptation into NC State are then required to decide on where they may want to live. They are asked to pick their top 3 picks and then the school decides for them, based on the students top picks. So how should an incoming student decide on what their top 3 should be; well there are a lot of things that influence them. Common influences are: a lot of friends may want to live together, they have heard good things about a certain dorm, or location on campus. But the whole point of this blog is to tell you where you should not live if you are an incoming freshman.

First freshman are at a disadvantage because sophomores or upperclassman have first choice on where they want to live. And this is the main reason why Bragaw should be the last choice for incoming freshman. Why is this the main reason? Bragaw only has one alcohol free floor, so students that are 21 and still wish to live on campus can have alcohol or alcohol paraphernalia in their room. Bragaw is also the most requested place to live on campus because of its location right in the middle of everything.

Another dorm that freshman should stay away from is Avent Ferry. Avent Ferry houses many of the athletes that compete for NC State. This is because the rooms in Avent Ferry are a lot bigger and a little nicer than most, so they give a majority of the rooms to the athletes. Most freshman would also not enjoy living here because its located so far from the campus. So its hard to be involved in all the fun stuff located on campus for freshman when you live at Avent Ferry.

So if you are an incoming freshman and you are not sure what to put as your three choices I hope this helps you a little in knowing what not to pick. So what ever your reasons for where you want to live do not waste one of your top three picks on Bragaw or Avent Ferry.

JWS

convenience

Convenience is an important consideration for students who are apartment-hunting. College students want to be close to campus but also want access to the nearby restaurants and stores. Folks in the midst of their youth want to be where the action is, and Apartment complexes on Gorman St. such as Rhynes Gate, and University Commons are all within a mile of campus and just minutes away from Interstate 40 and the beltline. They are also around the corner from Western Blvd., which is home to many restaurants and a Food Lion. All three are on the Wolfline, NCSU's bus transportation system that brings many students to campus.

Students who frequent Centennial Campus may want to consider Champion Court or Ivy Commons. Both are less than a mile away from NCSU's new, modern jewel off of Avent Ferry. Both are also down the road from Mission Valley Shopping Center and close to Pullen Park. Both complexes are also on the Wolfline.

There are also lots of townhouses on the other side Hillsborough St., just north of campus. These may be a little more expensive, but their location is central to the price. Cameron Village shopping center is close by and downtown Raleigh is just a few blocks away.

RB

Better Safe than Sorry

Of when college students look for somewhere to live they want the fun, cool place but still know it has to be safe enough for the parents to buy in. University Village located off Lineberry Road is just what students want and our parents need.

It is a well lit, gated community that offers 24 hour security guards at the gates entrance. When you first set eyes on this community you will like the gates and glamour are a bit much but once you're there you know you're safe.

The Wake County Police Station is a 10 minute drive away and there are panic buttons throughout the apartment complex that are linked straight to the University Village security station.

Finding somewhere to live is the easy part of college, the hard part is finding somewhere safe enough to ease your parents nerves, that's exactly what University Village offers.

SNW

Most Dangerous Places to Live

This post could just as easily be titled "Where not to live."

Even though FBI reports show that Raleigh's crime rate has steadily decreased in recent years, There are certain areas around campus that students need to consider before deciding to move. NC State University is a stone's throw away from downtown, where the majority of crime in Raleigh occurs. All cities and complexes have their share of mishappenings, but there are a couple you should stay away from.



Lake Park Condominiums have earned a bad rep among several local students at State. "I never felt safe walking from my car to my apartment," said Cheri Lewis, an NC State student who lived at Lake Park for three years. "There were always sketchy people standing around after dark." Lewis says there were police cars there multiple nights a week on some instances and drug use was common among some residents.

With rent at $1000 a month ($250 per person in a four bedroom unit), Lake Park has one of the cheaper places around campus. Although this a good thing for students looking for a thrifty rate, students also have to consider the crime that low prices will attract. The complex is located off Avent Ferry Rd. close to Lake Johnson. Former residents gave Lake Park a paltry 45% satisfaction rating on apartmentratings.com.

RB

Somewhere Far, Far Away

There are several places that students at NC State University choose to live that are a good distance away from campus. The Distance Education courses (online classes) that NCSU offers allow students to live as far away from campus as humanly possible if they have access to the Internet.

Some enjoy distancing themselves from campus. Being 10-15 minutes from NCSU may allow the student a higher degree of freedom, proximity to shopping centers, or a quieter study environment. Apartments that meet this criteria include Village Green Apartments, The Links, and Camden Crossing townhomes.

Village Green Apartments are practically filled with students from NCSU, Meredith College, and Peace College. They are situated on Lake Wheeler Rd. right next to the 440 Beltline which makes traffic unbearable most mornings. It is a so-so place for students to live - not the nicest in any means. However, the complex is far enough away from campus to have some privacy and get all studying done.

The Links is a much more up-scale place for students to live than Village Green. Offering condominiums to buy, and apartments to rent, the complex is situated on a golf course on Tryon Rd. The golf course location gives The Links a "country club" feel that many students enjoy over a downtown location. It is also considered by many who live there to be one of the safest places for students to live around NCSU. Wolfpack swimmer, Marty Marino states, "Living at The Links reminds me of my neighborhood in Florida - it's just relaxed and comfortable. I would never give that feeling up to just live closer to campus."

Lastly, Camden Crossings townhomes also have distinct characteristics that a student could not get from living close to campus. The neighborhood is located near the corner of Tryon Rd. and Lake Wheeler. Many who live there conveniently enjoy that it backs up to a shopping center. The shopping center includes a gas station, grocery store, restaurants, and even a nail salon. In addition, the townhomes are bigger than the usual college residence and the layout gives Camden Crossings a nice neighborhood atmosphere. The majority of students that reside at Camden Crossings are upperclassmen.

The desire to live far from campus is fairly common. Students that live in Village Green, The Links and Camden Crossings may have a short commute to make daily, but have a greater degree of freedom than they would living on or near campus.

To explore each location more thoroughly, please visit:

http://www.vgapartments.com/

http://www.keystonecorporation.com/residential/thelinks.html

http://www.pcshomes.com/maps/raleigh.html

MCP

Off Campus Living or Not

For many students after freshman year they have had their fair share of living in the dorms and are ready to move on. When looking for places to live off campus a big issue is the proximity of it to the school. While there are apartment complexes on campus, such as Wolf Village and Western Manor, these are specifically for upperclassman and transfer students. So the first place i would recommend if you want something off campus but still close to campus is College Inn.

College Inn is located on the corner of Western Blvd and Avent Ferry Rd, so its with in walking distance to campus. The best thing College Inn has going for it, is the fact that it is affiliated with the university. This means that students are able to use financial aid to pay for their rent. With the base rent, which is $435 for a 4 bedroom, all utilities are included. This is a very affordable rate for college students because most rooms include: their own bathroom, high speed internet and cable, and basic utilities. Despite it being affordable many students still wonder how it compares to living on campus. Overall it ends up costing more, but College Inn has many more features that living on campus does not provide as freely. Theres is an on-site pool, tanning beds, fitness center, and a 24 hour clubhouse. All of these are features are at the disposal of you as long as you live at College Inn.

College Inn is also attractive to students because it has a parking deck located on the premises. Not only is it cheaper than paying for a parking spot on campus you wont have to drive on campus because you are in walking distance. So a student can have a car at school and not have to pay for a parking spot or all the gas to drive to campus.

Students also have the freedom to decide what they want to eat. Since College Inn is affiliated with the school you are able to get an on campus meal plan if thats what you so desire. Also, students are able to get a meal plan at University Towers since College Inn is owned by the same people. But since no meal plan is required most students fend for themselves in what they eat.

If your are looking to live off campus but you still want to be close to campus i recommend you staying at College Inn. It has everything a college student could want. If you would want to check it out yourself you can go to there website at www.aoinc.com/proppages .

JWS