Duquesne U housing (Pittsburgh, Washington, Monongahela: apartment complex, rent, lofts)

[Pitts506]

I will be starting grad school at Duquesne University and I'm looking for a place to live (1 year rent) near campus. I don't have a car, so somewhere within walking/biking distance or an easy and short commute is essential. Where should I look? How's the public transportation (the bus and the T)?

I was looking online at the Allegheny Center and it seems like a decent place to live. alleghenycenter.com Any opnions? Is public transportation available to get to campus from that area?

How are Brottier Halls apts? Are they available for grad students? I really don't want to move back in the dorms, but I know these are apt style on campus living options...

[guylocke]

Hm, that's a very good question. I'm not sure if Brottier Hall is available to grad students. I kind of think they are..... they would be fine for you, they are on campus. They aren't all that spectacular, but they'll do.

There is also Washington Plaza which is a large apartment complex just a few blocks from Duquesne, there are a lot of student's there.

A lot of the homes around the lower hill and the surrounding blocks near campus and Mercy are rented to student's. It looks a little shady, but I've had several friends who lived in such places cheap and never had problems. I'm not sure where you would find those renters, but Duquesne posts a lot of flyers if you can get on campus and look.

Also, Duquesne has steps that stretch down to the 10th St Bridge. Duquesne student's literally fill every nook and cranny in the southside where you can find anything from crappy apartments, to chic residences, to old homes, to new townhouses, to lofts, to shacks and everything in between!! The walk would probably be between 20 and 40 minutes depending on where you were located in the Southside. I walked from the Southside Works many times to class (although had rides a lot, too) and it took me about 35 minutes. The Southside Works is pretty far down E. Carson, though, if you aren't familiar with the Southside.

I hope that helps!

[Chuckles1821]

Have fun at Duquesne... I am probably failing out of my grad program this semester

I went there for undergrad and I lived in Brottier my senior year. It's decent enough - you don't have to pay any bills except cable, which is nice. I doubt that you will be able to get in at this point though. Undergrads turn their housing stuff in in like March, and it is probably already full. You might find people looking for a roommate, but I don't think you'll be able to get your own place there. If you have any specific questions about Brottier, let me know and I can answer them.

I don't know of anyone that has lived in Allegheny Center... but I have walked from Duquesne to PNC park for baseball games a number of times, and Allegheny Center is closer, so it's definitely at least walkable.

Pretty much everyone I knew that lived on the South Side had a car, but it's also walkable (on a nice weather day at least).

Don't live in the Hill District, even though it is right next door.

Also, just from where I live, I know that there are some apartments on Greentree Road, and the public transportation is pretty good around here. The road is mostly flat and there are a good number of bus stops.

I don't know if that is much help, but if you have any more specific questions, I might be able to help more. Good luck!

[guylocke]

Have fun at Duquesne... I am probably failing out of my grad program this semester

Should that be something to smile about? lol.

[Chuckles1821]

Hahah umm probably not, but I really hate it. Like it's making me miserable. I don't want to fail out, but if I do, it's not the worst thing that will happen to me

[fleetiebelle]

I moved to Pittsburgh to do grad school at Duquesne, and I lived in Mt. Washington. You can either take one of the Mt. Washington buses downtown and walk or pick up another bus to Duquesne, or take the Incline down to Station Square and do the same.

[Drover]

I tried to go to grad school at Duquesne. They told me to get lost.

[DuquesneU1984]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to post a message similar to this, so I'm including my question in a reply.

I'm also a grad at Duquesne and this will be my first time in Pittsburgh .. well, in the States. I've been told to look at apartments in the South Side. I have found some apartments which look decent, but which will take a 25-30 min walk to Duquesne. Since my classes will mostly be in the evening (finishing at 8:30 or so), my main concern is whether it is safe to walk up and down the street between East Carson (crossing S 10th St Bridge?) and Duquesne at such times. This is assuming I'll be out of the university by 9 pm.

TIA

[ExPit]

Originally Posted by DuquesneU1984

Hello everyone,

I wanted to post a message similar to this, so I'm including my question in a reply.

I'm also a grad at Duquesne and this will be my first time in Pittsburgh .. well, in the States. I've been told to look at apartments in the South Side. I have found some apartments which look decent, but which will take a 25-30 min walk to Duquesne. Since my classes will mostly be in the evening (finishing at 8:30 or so), my main concern is whether it is safe to walk up and down the street between East Carson (crossing S 10th St Bridge?) and Duquesne at such times. This is assuming I'll be out of the university by 9 pm.

TIA

If you are female, then I say no. But if you're a guy, I'd say don't sweat it. And if so, you might consider Mt. Washington, the hill towering over South Side, It's safer, affordable if you stay off of Grandview, and you can take the Monongahela Incline down the side of the hill and walk across the Smithfield St. Bridge.

That said, if you are a girl and will be attending classes at night, then I'd say live as close to campus as possible. There are alot of new residential units going in around there, but most aren't that affordable as yet, but I think I did hear that some developments are either in progress or already have been completed to satisfy that glut in the market. Good luck and check back. Pittsburghers are helpful.

[DuquesneU1984]

Thanks for the reply, ExPit. I'm a guy. I would've looked closer to campus anyway if the rent wasn't generally higher than I can afford. It's good to hear that I shouldn't be concerned with the walking at nighttime issue. I researched Mt. Washington area based on your recommendation, and it seems a bit further from Duquesne U. than South Side. However, if it is indeed a safer place to be in, I will be considering it more seriously. South Side is not an unsafe place, though, is it?