Good Apartment Suggestions for Iowa City (Davenport, University Heights: hardwood floors, sublets, apartments)

[kmh82]

I will be heading to the University of Iowa for graduate school and wanted some advice on where to look for great apartments.

I am interested in older buildings, hardwood floors, and walking distance to campus or in the downtown area. My price range is 500-1000.

Any suggestions on places to look would be great, as a graduate student I am not interested in anything filled with too many undergraduates, my weekends of partying are totally behind me!

Thanks!

[SharpHawkeye]

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

The good news is that your price range puts you right in the sweet spot for apartments in Iowa City. You should be able to find what you're looking for in that price range.

The bad news is that the apartment market in Iowa City is TIGHT. It's going to be hard to find an apartment like that in the middle of the school year. You might have to compromise.

As far as neighborhoods, anything directly downtown is going to be older, likely hardwood floors, convenient and cool--but lots of crazy undergrads on the weekends. The Northside is going to be a good fit for you, anything on or around Church St, Fairchild St, Davenport St, North Johnson St.

You might also find what you're looking for on the West Side near UIHC or University Heights. Quieter, older, more med students and grad students. A little farther from campus, but much much quieter*. (*except for Football Saturdays)

Avoid S. Johnson St, S. Van Buren, S. Dodge, Bowery area. It's party central.

Here are some resources you might want to check out. If you're coming at semester, you might want to wait a while for some sublets to open up.

UI Off-Campus Housing
Service

Press-Citizen Classifieds

Daily Iowan Classifieds

Craigslist Iowa City

[kmh82]

Originally Posted by SharpHawkeye

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

The good news is that your price range puts you right in the sweet spot for apartments in Iowa City. You should be able to find what you're looking for in that price range.

The bad news is that the apartment market in Iowa City is TIGHT. It's going to be hard to find an apartment like that in the middle of the school year. You might have to compromise.

As far as neighborhoods, anything directly downtown is going to be older, likely hardwood floors, convenient and cool--but lots of crazy undergrads on the weekends. The Northside is going to be a good fit for you, anything on or around Church St, Fairchild St, Davenport St, North Johnson St.

You might also find what you're looking for on the West Side near UIHC or University Heights. Quieter, older, more med students and grad students. A little farther from campus, but much much quieter*. (*except for Football Saturdays)

Avoid S. Johnson St, S. Van Buren, S. Dodge, Bowery area. It's party central.

Here are some resources you might want to check out. If you're coming at semester, you might want to wait a while for some sublets to open up.

UI Off-Campus Housing
Service

Press-Citizen Classifieds

Daily Iowan Classifieds

Craigslist Iowa City

thanks very much, those links and neighborhoods are a great resource. I won't be heading to Iowa City till next May to look for apartments, so I will make sure to take all of this into account when I start seriously looking.

Thank you!

[SharpHawkeye]

Next May? Whew!

You'll have a much easier search then. I would say that March-April is probably the peak time for the August rentals, but you should still have a good pick in May.

[Loramore]

Beware of ApartmentsDowntown (http://www.aptsdowntown.com)

I currently live in one of their locations, and they are not helpful at all. I've heard several complaints about the owners from other students.

It sounds like an apartment on the Ped-mall / downtown would be your best fit. Unfortunately, you will have to deal with the noise during the school year on Thursday-Saturday nights.