For students staying in Buffalo during the summer to work or take classes, finding a place to stay can be a difficult and lengthy ordeal. But as many who go through the process say, it isn't long before you discover some tricks of the trade to make searching for an apartment or house a little less frustrating.
Belle Liu, a sophomore psychology major, lives in a house near South Campus but is looking for a different place for the summer. Unhappy with her living situation, Liu said she would advise house hunters to stay away from South Campus.
"If you want a quiet neighborhood, avoid South Campus," Liu said. "There are benefits living close to campus but I feel the problems outweigh the good. I think it is worth paying more money to live in a nice apartment rather than on South Campus."
Liu said searching for a house has been anything but fun.
"I have looked at so many houses and there has been something wrong with all of them," Liu said.
Adria Henderson, a junior environmental design major, is another UB student who's been apartment hunting for quite some time. A current dorm resident, Henderson has to coordinate moving off campus for the summer. And she can't stay with her parents, who are moving to Nevada.
"Searching for an apartment took a lot of time. Google searches helped a lot but I found that most apartments are listed over and over in the same places," Henderson said.
"The Web sites helped to get a feel for the apartment but it is best to look at them because sometimes pictures lie," Henderson said.
According to Liu, even when you get a good look, many of the apartments and houses in Buffalo aren't in the best conditions. The landlords know college students can't afford expensive houses so they lease the houses at cheap rates but don't maintain them very well.
"House and apartment hunting is a very competitive process," Liu said. "I found that the Apartment Spotlight magazine was very helpful."
Henderson said anyone searching for a place to live needs to keep in mind the key factors.
"I try to consider how much I would pay for utilities and how I plan on getting Internet and cable. Transportation is also a factor," Henderson said. "There are cheaper apartments downtown, but traveling to campus three to four times a day will cost a lot of money in gas because it is about a 30-minute drive with lights and traffic."
"If the apartment is furnished then that is one thing, but if it is not, then you have to consider how and when you'll be able to move in," Henderson added. "When they go to view the apartments you should turn on lights, look in closets, open drawers, ask questions, and turn on the sink."
Many experienced house hunters also said it's important to find a place that matches your lifestyle.
"Really think about what type of lifestyle you have and then try to find a place that works to accommodate that," Henderson said. "I don't like stop and go traffic so I don't want to live far from campus, but others might want to be more downtown near the bars and clubs."
Liu also put an emphasis on knowing who your neighbors are.
"If you like to live in a quiet atmosphere I would make sure that the people I am living next to don't throw parties every night," she said.
Henderson's search came to an end when she ultimately chose Kensington Village.
"It had all utilities, it was close to campus, and it was close to the 33 to get downtown quick," she said. "There are places to run and walk, and it was unfurnished, which is what I needed."
Photo: Courtesy of SUNY
