OT: Non-Student Housing Options in Ann Arbor
I have a coworker who's almost certainly going to be moving to Ann Arbor about six months from now, due to his girlfriend's post doctorate job offer. They don't have any living arrangements lined up, and he was asking me today. I'm from the west side of the state, but I figured that I know some people who might have some input on that.
So, anyone have any suggestions for non-student living in the Ann Arbor area?
IF I ever get enough money I am buying 909 dewey and moving in with all of my college buddies (since I will be super rich at that point I will buy all the wives and kids nice places on the west side)
jdon
I can't speak to the lofts, but the rest of those are 100% intended for undergrads with their parents' money to blow and are no place for normalcy or adult behavior.
I've lived all around AA since I graduated, now we own a house by Meijer on Saline Rd. We like it over here a lot, although it's hell for a few months with the construction on the Saline Rd. I feel like we're cut off from rest of AA.
lots of places on main st. a bit away from the students, but still some fun.
lots of decent houses in town as well. just look on zillow, trulia or another real estate site.
I've only found out of date listings from shady, shady realtors in the past. My understanding is that it's not very hard to keep your listings up to date, and the realtors who tell you otherwise are just trying to bait and switch you.
Just to give you an example, we drove by one Downriver house with people sitting on the porch, so we stopped and asked them if the house was still for sale. They said it hadn't been for a long time, so I showed them the listing. Then they got super pissed because it was listed by the guy who'd sold it to them and mentioned all of the upgrades they'd made after they bought it.
My first and only tip would be don't live on or near campus. That's fun if you're in college, or just out of it, but not cool for adults. AA is a big city. Lots of good housing options nearby and in surrounding cities if they don't mind a short commute.
If your friend's budget is tight perhaps he might want to consider living outside of Ann Arbor proper to save a few dollars. Cities such as San Fransisco and New York might offer housing that is more affordable if he doesnt mind the short commute.
If your budget is essentially unlimited, so are the options. If they don't want to spend, say, more than $500/month, that pares things down. So knowing (approximately) what they want to spend is key.
Also important -- do they have a car or will they be relying on bus/walk?
Where the hell can you rent anything these days for $500/mo? Unless you're living in the 'hood, I don't see that happening.
You likely wouldn't have a lot of luck at that level in Ann Arbor, but there are a few houses around me that rent out for about that and I live in a reasonable part of the downriver suburbs of Detroit (southern end of Romulus), so they do exist, although they mainly exist in areas with persistently depressed values, it seems.
you don't drive anything bigger than a child's tricycle.
-5527-p.jpg)
beat ya to it.
Where the hell can you rent anything these days for $500/mo?
That's what I love about this board. Someone makes a pertinent comment with an offhand example, and the anal-retentive types immediately focus on the number used in the offhand example, ignoring the main point. Asshattery at its best!
Calling us asshats, or accusing us of asshattery, is a bit harsh. Its cynicism. Big difference.
I just graduated this year and for my junior and senior years, I lived in a 4 bedroom house for ~$475 and I had the biggest room (so I paid the most) in the house (roughly 13'x14'). It wasn't the closest to campus by where South Forest and Wells meet, but it's possible if you look enough and get a little lucky.
If it's two people splitting a one bedroom, then $500 is doable in most places. You might not get the swankiest place ever but you could make that work. Assuming, of course, that we're talking $500/person.
Ypsi, surburban Ann Arbor.
Obviously $500 is on the lower end, but if you're willing to a) share an apt with someone else (students still do that, don't they?) or b) live outside the actual city Ann Arbor (which many grad students do, e.g., in one of the adjoining townships or in Ypsi), you can find lots of stuff for rent of $1000/mth total, which equals out to $500 a month. And this stuff is not in the 'hood.
If you want to live in the city itself, by yourself, it's easily double (or triple) that, but as a grad student, maybe you don't care as much about being close to the night life and restaurants.
The guy I was replying to didn't say $500/month each, for two people. That's $1,000/mo, very different. He said $500, even though he was only laying down a hypothetical. You are way overboard on your reaction to my very simple question and comment. I'm not sure how you even got where you did.
I always wanted to live in one of those brownstone townhouses on Main Street. I think they go for like $2300/mo these days.
If they move out to an apartment complex on the fringe of town they will be telling you in 6 months how much they hate AA. I knew people who moved from Madison and did that and would say how AA sucked. No shit. Every town sucks if choose to live out in the sprawl.
Yep. Tell them to look on the northern end of the old west side. Places like Spring and Fountain Streets north of Miller. Close enough to walk to campus (20 minute or so walk), Main Street and Kerrytown, out of the student area so you feel like adults, but still affordable enough that you can live there on a post-doc + additional working adult salary.
This scenario reminds me of the "Five Year Engagement."
How old are they? Living in the University's family housing in Northwood is great if they're real live adults. You're surrounded, for the most part, by people with at least some graduate education, and all of your neighbors will have a good idea of what your life is like.
I used to live in Northwood (Stone Dr.) as a kid. It was really great for my family and for my dad who was going to school at the time. Quiet but kid friendly at the same time.
Legit 1-BR apartments in Ann Arbor-proper are going to be a grand a month. By proper I mean anything within about 3 miles of the heart of downtown.
When I was looking 18 months ago I found a 1-BR in Manchester West for 850. That's about 1.5 miles east of Main and William. Great location. When I signed, they bumped me up to 900. Then this year they are bumping it up to 940 and my friends that just moved back said they wanted 1100 (!!!) for a 1BR now. That's an increase of $250 in less than a two year span. Welcome to Ann Arbor and McKinley's near-monopoly.
I literally just went through this process. If you tell me the price range and amenity requirements, I might be able to help you out. You can also call RentFast through reinhart realtors; they can provide you with apartment complexes that fit your friends needs.
You can actually find surprisingly reasonable housing in the surrounding Ann Arbor area and around Ypsi.
It seems like if you're "in range" of campus, you're going to pay more. But living west or south of A2 or south of Ypsi seems to be cheaper from what I've heard from friends.
albeit a bit cramped
They're still almost giving away houses just South of AA. Very little crime(unlike Ypsi) and you can get most places quicker than rural AA just by jumping on '23.
I've lived here with students, and it has been so fun. They are very good people who study well and know how to enjoy this life. They have advised me to use the educational resource to [SPAM LINK DELETED] without any effort. That has allowed me o spend more time with friends and have a good academic performance.
You're back and spamming again with a new account, "FredBurke"?
Banned (again) for spamming.