[bluecountry]

I recently accepted an offer as a graduate student at UCONN.
I'm pretty uneasy to tell you the truth because I am not a CT resident and know nobody in the area.

I'm in my mid 20s...went to school in Boston..but live in the mid Atlantic.

I'm really worried about finding a nice place to live, that is affordable, in the right area.
I was really wanting to go back to Boston because the city is great for a single guy in his mid 20s...it's really a good place to have fun and meet others.

I wanted to know if there are any places within reasonable commuting to Storrs that were affordable and would be a good fit for a mid 20s guy wanting to socialize but who knows nobody.

I'm really concerned because being all alone in the sticks really can wreak havoc on my sanity and I'm pretty shy until I get integrated.
Thanks.

[uctalum01]

if you go to some of the rent sites and look up storrs and/or mansfield you'll find places. although I just looked on apartment guide (which I swear had some listed) and none came up within 5 miles. I extended to 10miles and got 10 results. in Vernon, Tolland, Windham, and Willimantic. I lived in Cedar Ridge when I was off campus my last 2 years there. it was more than reasonable at the time (less than $700/mo for a 2 bed/1 bath townhouse), but now it's gone up significantly. What are you looking to spend per month? at apartments.com I did a search in that area and found a 950sqft unit in coventry in a 2 family home for $950/mo. that might be a decent option if that's in your price range. I'd say just do some searching. unfortunately, I'm quite out of touch as far as rental prices up there, now. I don't even know what my old complex is charging now. I thought last I saw it was pushing, if not over, $1000/mo, and that was over 2-3yrs ago. my suggestion, if you don't want to live in "the sticks" is to get a place in Vernon. I think Santini Villa (off exit 67 of I 84. UConn is exit 68) would only be about 15min which isn't a bad commute. a friend of mine lived 5-10min further out in Vernon in another complex and seemed to enjoy it, and I don't remember her complaining about the commute. Vernon is much less rural than UConn and minutes from a huge commercial area in Manchester where the Buckland Hills Mall and lots of shopping and restaurants are. Rt 83 in Vernon has quite a bit going on, too (main road). keep in mind that there are multiple bars on campus that students frequent, so even though UConn is fairly isolated, there are things to do on campus. especially with the recently renovated student union. good luck.

[JayCT]

You might also check craigslist.com for listings or even a share. Jay

[bluecountry]

Any areas that are good places for younger people in search of nightlife?
Rocky Hill?
Worcester?

[uctalum01]

do you mean just to go to, or to commute to UConn from? I can't speak much to Worcester, but I don't think Rocky Hill is really good for nightlife. I had a friend who went to school at Central CT that used to go into Hartford all the time to hit the clubs, so that'd be my best suggestion. if you were to live in Vernon it'd only be about 15min into Hartford for nightlife and 15min to UConn for school (depending on where in Vernon you live it could adjust those times about 5min either way).

[adamz]

Bluecountry:
My impression is that many UConn grad students end up living in Vernon or Manchester. There are a lot of apartment complexes in those towns. Check
University of Connecticut Off Campus Housing Service
for listings. The commute won't be bad at all.
Adam

[uconn99]

Don't rule out Willimantic. You are a short ride into campus and you can find some really nice houses to rent in the hill section. Also there are a few bars you could walk and or stumble home from. Not far from UConn and not far from Hartford or Providence for better nightlife options.

[bluecountry]

Is Manchester a nice place?
Do they have good, affordable places and is it a community that is easy to get accustomed?

I'm very nervous about moving to an all new circumstance.
How accessible is it to Hartford...and what is the Hartford night life like?
Let me ask...how much worse is Hartford's nightlife than Boston?
I'm a pretty shy grad student going to be at UCONN...where should I live so I can meet others my age and replicate what I got out of Boston?

[AmyBergquist]

Posted this response on the Hartford Nightlife thread too...

Boston's nightlife and Hartford's nightlife aren't really comparable, simply because the cities are much different sizes. I lived in Boston during my early-to-mid-twenties. The nightlife in Hartford can't compare to the different sections and options of Boston. That being said, what Hartford offers supports the population and demographics of the area.

Downtown Hartford will offer you good access to meeting other young professionals and students, but the commute to Storrs might not be fun...

[UncaDaybid]

Hi Bluecountry,

Manchester may have a lot to offer. There is a lot of diversity and I think the population is younger than in towns like Vernon. If you love shopping, there is a very high concentration of retail and eating establishments. There are some decent apartments there as well.

Vernon is nice too. In fact, one of my neighbors is a professor at UConn (her husband is a professor at Worcester State College, FWIW). So the commute from Vernon to UConn is certainly feasible.

Mansfield/Storrs is looking to add a walkable Main Street adjacent to the UConn main campus, so if you want to live closer to campus, the future there is looking bright. I lived in Ashford, less than 3 miles to the university, and there really isn't a whole lot there right now to keep a vibrant young person interested, unless you like wild college parties.