Safe affordable student living in KC (Kansas City, St. Louis: best neighborhood, apartment complex, for rent)

[adamsp]

Hi everyone,

I was recently accepted to medical school in Kansas City and will be moving there from Michigan next summer. Can anyone tell me where I should be looking for apartments? I've been told to avoid Troost and Paseo in terms of staying safe. I'm really looking for a safe place for under $700 a month, preferably in an area with some interesting nightlife if ever I get a chance to take a break from studying.

Any recommendations? Thanks!

[aragx6]

Congrats on being accepted to med school! Where will you be going?

The neighborhoods I would look at are:

Westport -- there's a very nice complex of little one-bedroom units for $645/month called Westport Manor, but other than one other large complex that would be out of your price range, it's tough to find housing in the heart of the neighborhood.

Volker/Valentine -- These are the two neighborhoods that surround 39th St West, a strip of restaurants, shops and a couple bars right near KU Med. (This is where I live and I have a huge, vintage 2 br in a 4-plex that I pay $600/month for)

The Plaza -- This is a gorgeous area with lots of shops, restaurants and bars (many of them chains). There are a lot of older apartment buildings in the area and you shouldn't have a problem finding a little apartment in your price range.

There's also the River Market, Crossroads and Power & Light, but most of the apartments in that area are newer and of the loft variety and will probably be tough on your budget.

You can search this forum for more specifics on any of those neighborhoods, and don't hesitate to ask follow-up questions. I am happy to help!

[adamsp]

Thanks for the fast response!

I'll be attending Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. It's a great school and there is an apartment complex across the street from it, but it's not in the best neighborhood (off of Independence Ave near The Paseo) and I'd prefer to live somewhere closer to nightlife and get a break from school if I need to.

I've heard good things about the Plaza and Westport. But I've also heard that the Plaza is a bit pricey and there is a tendency in the area for cars to be broken in to - is that a common occurrence?

[aragx6]

Most studemts who go to KCUMB don't live near the school unless they're a prticular brand of urban pioneer. The Old Northeast area nearby is full of gorgeous historic houses and there's been some neat progress made, but the area is still very sketchy.

There are a lot of smaller apartments on and near the plaza in your price range in some very cool older buildings, so I wouldn't worry about that aspect too much. There are lots and lots of smaller buildings in an area called West Plaza, which not surprising is west of the Plaza, and there are lots of good prices around there as well.

Car break-ins are a rare occurence, but they certainly do happen in every city neighborhood (though the only person I know in KC who has had their car broken into in the last two years is a girl who lived in Roeland Park, a suburb), so you'll have to weight that risk yourself. Never leave valuables in your car, and you'll immediately mitigate much of the risk. For me, having amenities nearby is worth the small additional risks I take on as a city dweller.

The place I mentioned in Westport is where I used to live and they have gated parking, so that should certainly be on your list of places to consider. Unless you hate dogs. Everybody in the complex owns one it seems (I love dogs so this was never an issue for me!)

[adamsp]

I love dogs! My parents have 5 (my mom has three smaller dogs and my dad trains police dogs so he has two german shepherds - the house is a zoo).

Thanks for your help, I'll be pointing some of my future classmates to this thread so they may have more questions!

[aragx6]

I'm happy to help. My dearest friend will graduate from KCUMB in the spring and is interviewing for pediatric residency programs right now!

[brewcrew1000]

I would consider union hill,lots of umkc Med students live over in this area and your drive will be pretty easy from there.

[adamsp]

Originally Posted by aragx6

I'm happy to help. My dearest friend will graduate from KCUMB in the spring and is interviewing for pediatric residency programs right now!

Good luck to your friend! Did he/she stay in KC for all 4 years of med school? I know they have lots of rotation spots all around the country where one can choose to spend the third and fourth years.

[adamsp]

Originally Posted by aragx6

Volker/Valentine -- These are the two neighborhoods that surround 39th St West, a strip of restaurants, shops and a couple bars right near KU Med. (This is where I live and I have a huge, vintage 2 br in a 4-plex that I pay $600/month for)

What is the name of the complex you live in now?

[aragx6]

She was only in KC for her first two years. She wanted to be in St. Louis for her third year of rotations, but had to go to Jefferson City instead (which while the town was not ideal, still provided a good hospital and she learned a great deal).

Her fourth year has been a mixed bag as she looks more closely at pedriatric residency programs across the country. UTSW, UT-Houston, Baylor, UT-Austin, Cardinal Glennon and Children's Mercy are some of the ones she has done.

We just live in a 4-flat now owned by this old hippie guy and his wife. Most of the stuff in the area is smaller and privately owned, so your best bet is to find something through Craigslist or just drive around looking for "For Rent" signs.