Moving to Tempe, AZ to study at ASU (Phoenix, Mesa: apartment, to rent)

[moughie]

Originally Posted by surfprincess

Also stay far far away from Bali Lanai - also called Campus Walk on Orange Street in Tempe. New Owners haven't improved anything. Backed up pipes, AC works SOMETIMES or leaks and stains walls, no staff on weekends for emergencies like power going out - which happens a lot, roaches and other weird weird insects, not for students since no one here speaks English, they'll rent to ANYONE, mold everywhere, apartment always feels DAMP, pool is disgusting, staff is less than adequate. Gross laundry facilities. They keep saying they're under renovation. They got a new sign and a new name - Bali Lania is now Campus Walk, but I say RUN AWAY FROM HERE. Take the Light Rail and find somewhere else to live. I lived here for the worst year of my life. No exaggeration. Owner also owns complex across the street - and they have the same horrid management.

Thanks for the advice. Appreciate everyone's honesty.

I am still searching for off campus housing for my daughter, incoming freshman. Am considering the Broadmor 2 complex on Mill- anyone know anything about this?
In the meantime, I think she will rent a room in a friend's home ( around E Verlea Drive and Elm) for the first few months to get her feel for the area. She will bike and use Orbit.

How reliable is Orbit bus?

[Jeremy228]

oops.

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by Arizona_Bound

Hi!

I'm moving out to tempe in order to study at ASU. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on the following issues:

1.) How's the public transportation. I don't have a car, so I'll be using it. Does anyone have good info on the bus routes. I went to the website, but it offered little information. I did, however, request a mailed map of the route (Why isn't it on internet?).

2.) Any info on the bike paths would be great too. For instance, is it easy, and common, to bike to the university?

3.) And what about housing and safety. I'm looking for an apartment, but without the extreme nightly noise of college students (I'm older, going to study a PhD).

Thanks to anyone who offers advice!

Later!

I think most people have answered the first two questions quite well. In regards to your third question, I would recommend looking for apartments in northwest Chandler/Ahwautukee area (I-10 and Elliot/Warner/Ray/Chandler. It borders South Tempe and is safe. It also has a fairly large young adult population (25-40). I live in this area and it takes me 20 minutes to get to St. Lukes Hospital on Mill Avenue and this is with morning traffic. Yes, if you are a PhD student, you definitely don't want to live in Tempe as it can be loud and young. South Scottsdale isn't bad but a lot of the apartments are occupied by wealthy ASU students who wanted to outdo their Tempe colleagues and they party.

I also disagree with Maroon197. Tempe is not dangerous at all. In fact, it often gets criticized for not feeling enough like a typical college town because it has high end corporate builings and upscale restaurants and housing. Tucson feels much more like a typical college town than Tempe. Tempe is really nice and yes there are police everywhere. I make it a rule not to drive through Tempe on Friday or Saturday night even if I don't have wine with my meals because the police are known to be aggressive on those evenings and pull drivers over the slightest suspicion. When evaluating it's safety, I think some common sense needs to be applied. Tempe is a large college town located in a dense part of a large metropolitan city so of course there is some crime but when people have the audacity to say it's unsafe, I have to laugh because they obviously haven't been to a real college town that poses true danger such as visiting USC, Columbia in NY for example. I felt area surrounding the U of A in Tucscon was more dangerous. Of course there will be some violent crime but the Greek system is not big at ASU so unlike the Univesity of Colorado at Boulder, you are not going to witness a lot of large scale fraternity fights at bars or large groups wearing their frat shirts to clubs. Tempe is pretty "domesticated" in terms of college campuses.

[vegaspilgrim]

azriverfan, the post you are responding you is almost a year old. I actually met that poster in person last year when he came to visit ASU. Nice guy. As far as I know he's there right now. And not that it matters now, but you also missed the part in his post about not having a car-- living in Ahwatukee and relying on busses to get to ASU is not the greatest plan...

[radagast]

This is a great thread so I thought I'd bump it. I will be a PhD student starting this fall at ASU. I plan on getting a car at some point (I live in San Francisco now and don't need one), but would like to live near enough to walk to campus. Also, near other types of public transportation would be a plus. Any advice? I am thinking about renting a small house or guest house near the Maple Ash/ Mitchell Park.

[LocoAZnative]

Originally Posted by radagast

This is a great thread so I thought I'd bump it. I will be a PhD student starting this fall at ASU. I plan on getting a car at some point (I live in San Francisco now and don't need one), but would like to live near enough to walk to campus. Also, near other types of public transportation would be a plus. Any advice? I am thinking about renting a small house or guest house near the Maple Ash/ Mitchell Park.

It is a nice area were go to the dog park @ Mitchell Park all the time. Its about a half mile from ASU so you might want to get a bike. For Bus transportation. you could caught the 30 on University Dr and take it into ASU. I light rail would be about a mile into the heart of Mill Ave so not a fast walk in the summer. No grocery stores in the area the closest one is the Fry's @ Mill/Southern.

[fullofskittlez]

Does anyone know anything about University Apartments? It is south of Apache down College Ave.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by fullofskittlez

Does anyone know anything about University Apartments? It is south of Apache down College Ave.

That's a small, old complex, I haven't been in there in YEARS, but the location is hard to beat, blocks from campus, across from Daley Park. I'd check it out, I think it is pretty well maintained.

[fcorrales80]

Originally Posted by moughie

Thanks for the advice. Appreciate everyone's honesty.

I am still searching for off campus housing for my daughter, incoming freshman. Am considering the Broadmor 2 complex on Mill- anyone know anything about this?
In the meantime, I think she will rent a room in a friend's home ( around E Verlea Drive and Elm) for the first few months to get her feel for the area. She will bike and use Orbit.

How reliable is Orbit bus?

Orbit is EXTREMELY reliable and FREE! It will take you to "the" places in Tempe. The neighborhoods, Mill Ave, the Transportation/Bike Center a few blocks from Mill Ave, Tempe Marketplace, Town Lake, multiple stops on campus, etc etc...

[observer53]

You can see info on the Orbit bus routes on this page:

Valley Metro Transit Schedules (http://www.valleymetro.org/bus_schedules/transit_routes_0727/TransitSchedules.html - broken link)

Scroll down toward the bottom on the left side, you will see the links to the five Orbit routes.