Moving to Baton Rouge for Vet School (apartments, rent)

[jadestrada]

Hello!

I will be relocating to Baton Rouge to attend LSU School of Veterinary Medicine this fall. As a single female, it is very important for me to find a nice, safe apartment. I have been considering Southgate Towers and the various University House properties (especially The Venue). Feedback on these?

Recommendations for other apartments? Upscale preferred. I am willing to spend around $1000 rent plus utilities...at least for the first year until I learn more about the area myself, and hopefully find another student to live with to keep costs down. I want to be as close to the vet school as possible.

Quite frankly, I am having a hard time searching areas near the vet school because Skip Bertman Drive isn't on the maps I find online. I am still very early in this search as I just found out I was accepted yesterday. However, I am trying to very careful because I'll be living by myself. Please, any recommendations would be greatly appreciated, especially those on specific complexes (rather than general areas). I have read some nasty feedback about Southgate Towers on ApartmentRatings.com, but I am hoping they are overexaggerated. I have heard good things about The Venue, although I would rather not live in a student party zone...yet, I'd rather live there than the "ghetto."

Thanks so much!

[brouger]

I am not a student but live close to LSU. I would say the area near south gate is generally better than the north gate side (considering Highland road). The vet school is generally closer to the north gate though, if you are considering walking.

Having said that, there are nice new apt complexes just outside north gate (sterling?) which seem to be good (haven't read bad things in newspapers).

On the south side, the condos right outside the gate should be safe (look high end). The complex where LSU Av enters right after Highlad is gated.

[tigersbh]

If you want to live close to LSU I would choose a place on Nicholson anywhere south of LSU. That's where I would feel the safest. However, that's in a party zone as is just about anywhere near LSU.

If you want a safe area that is away from the party zone, there are nice apartments on Perkins Road near Staring Lane, as well as a lot of new apartments on Corporate Blvd.

I think you'll like it here!

[jadestrada]

Thanks for all of the great comments so far!

I think location is most important for me right now. How do I find these complexes you mention? I only see about 30 apartments listed online in all of Baton Rouge. Do I need a realtor?

[BRMan]

Originally Posted by jadestrada

Thanks for all of the great comments so far!

I think location is most important for me right now. How do I find these complexes you mention? I only see about 30 apartments listed online in all of Baton Rouge. Do I need a realtor?

If you can visit town, I've seen apartment guides available in grocery stores like Albertsons. In general, the south side of LSU is pretty safe. Though they are developing the area just to the north of LSU, you still have a lot of ghetto nearby, so I wouldn't yet feel comfortable there.

Back to the main point: places to live fairly close to the vet school are in the area along Brightside, W. Lee, or Sharlo.

[scubastog]

I just finished up my 2nd year at LSU law and went to undergrad at LSU. The North Gates do back up to some sketchy neighborhoods, as a single female without a roommate I wouldn't suggest going past those apartments; however, the new complexes right at the northgates off of Highland are very nice, gated, and extremely safe. That's also an older student area; whereas the south side has more undergrads and "tigerland"- where all the college bars are. I would recommend looking at some houses or duplexes in Capital Heights (about 4 miles from campus, a 10 minute drive)... that's where I live and love it. These homes are older, but they have a lot of charm, nice quiet neighborhood, and they're centrally located. I wouldn't go to any of the complexes that are near Coursey, Sherwood, O'Neal, Siegen, or Millerville- these are only about 10-15 miles from campus, but it will take you 45 minutes to get home during rush hour. Hope this helps.

[scubastog]

I know how stressful it is trying to find a place to live. just a thought as well- contact the vet school, they may have recommendations on how to contact your future classmates to see if you could find a roommate (if you dare getting a roommate without meeting them first), or giving you some suggestions...

[BatonRougeToday]

Its very tough to find a place close to campus, but thats not located in the bad parts of town which are north of campus on Highland Rd. Look to the south side of campus and on campus for a place. Also, there is a good website called apartmentsbatonrouge.com you may want to try.

Good luck!

Moderator cut: advertising

[holloway1010]

Have you looked at the Brightside Lane area. There's tons of nice apartments and townhouses all along there, mostly students, and its just a few minutes to campus.