You found a decent-looking apartment. It's cheap. It's cute. But it’s also 3.2 miles from campus, up a hill, and the bus only comes every 40 minutes. Not ideal.
The right apartment in the wrong location is a slow burnout waiting to happen. Here’s how to avoid that and figure out which neighborhoods actually make sense for student life-based on your priorities.
1. Map Everything That Matters to You
Start with campus. But also map:
● Your classes (clustered in one area or all over?)
● Closest dining halls, libraries, labs
● Your job or internship site (if any)
● Grocery stores and late-night food spots
● Friend groups you want to live near
If you know you’ll be walking or biking, don’t just use mileage-use actual commute time. A 1-mile walk in the snow is not the same as in August.
2. Know Your Transit Realities
A lot of places look fine on Google Maps-until you realize:
● The bus doesn’t run on weekends
● Uber is $15 each way after 6pm
● The only bike route has no lights and no sidewalks
Check:
● Bus schedules and reliability (use Reddit or local Facebook groups to sanity check them)
● WalkScore, BikeScore, and TransitScore for the address
● If your school offers student bus passes
3. Talk to People Who’ve Lived There
The best way to get a real sense of a neighborhood? Talk to:
● Students a year or two ahead of you
● People in your campus subreddit or Discord
● Anyone currently living in that area
Ask them:
● Is it noisy?
● Do people actually live there, or is it mostly businesses?
● Is it sketchy at night?
● How’s the pest situation?
Sometimes the listings are super clean because the neighborhood isn’t.
4. Consider "Student Density"
Some areas are 90% students. Others are families, professionals, or retirees. Neither is bad-but it changes the vibe.
Higher student density =
● More affordable rent (usually)
● Easier to find roommates
● More late-night food & social life
Lower student density =
● Quieter
● Safer at times
● Stricter landlords
Pick what matches your lifestyle, not what sounds better on paper.
5. Think Beyond the First Month
In week one, everything feels new and exciting. But month six is when stuff starts wearing on you. That 25-minute walk gets annoying. That weird smell near the dumpster? Worse in summer.
Visit the neighborhood at different times: morning, night, weekend. That gives you the real picture.
Bonus Tip: Know What You’ll Be Paying For
Some “cheaper” neighborhoods sneak in costs:
● Utilities not included
● Coin laundry = $15/week
● You need a car = gas, insurance, parking
Sometimes a slightly higher rent in a better-located place ends up cheaper overall.
A Smarter Way to Handle Bills:
Once you pick your neighborhood and move in, you’ll start juggling rent, utilities, groceries, and all the random shared expenses. That’s where Fizz can save you major stress. You’ll build credit automatically just by paying your everyday bills-no fees, no interest, no cosigner required.
It also keeps your balances in check daily, so you never forget a payment or lose track of what you owe.
Set yourself up in the right spot-and the right system
Fizz helps you stay on top of shared expenses and build credit without needing to think about it every day.
