Housing for 6 months (Tallahassee: apartments, rentals, home)

[Tetik]

Hi, I am coming from Europe to Tallahassee in December-January and have no idea about the housing there. I have checked several options but the reviews are quite contradictory. Since I have never been to the town I even do not know which area is better to live.
I am going to work at the FSU for half a year, so I would prefer not to stay in the middle of student parties. But another problem is that I do not drive, so I would need something either on a walking distance from the FSU (up to 45 min is fine) or a place with reliable transport connection.

Would be very grateful for your advice!

[TD*]

Hello, there are several places to stay out of the way of students, but that are close enough to ride the bus.

[WellShoneMoon]

If you do not drive, you should pay very close attention to the bus system routes and find a place to live that is close to a bus stop. There are large parts of town that are not well served by the buses, so please consult the website (www.talgov.com/starmetro) and let the route map guide your search for housing. If you want to avoid the student noise and chaos you probably don't want to live within walking distance of campus.

[JAS]

Originally Posted by WellShoneMoon

If you want to avoid the student noise and chaos you probably don't want to live within walking distance of campus.

That's the problem -- anything within walking distance will either be student-oriented or will be an unsafe neighborhood. If you will not have a car and don't wish to live among the general student population, you should pay close attention to the bus routes.

I guess you could also live east of downtown (Park Ave., for example), which generally doesn't have the younger party-oriented students. This wouldn't be a bad commute via bicycle, except on rainy days.

[Tetik]

Thanks to all of you for your advice!!!! So obviously I will have to choose something close to the bus route, so that I can either bike or use a bus.

I have checked the Londontown apartments - does anyone know whether it would be a good option?

[TD*]

LondonTown is an older complex, but it is still pretty nice, It has an excellent location... in a nice area. I would say that would be a good choice, and the bus stops there.

[TD*]

Definately out of the college neighborhoods

[sware2cod]

fyi. FL has 2 types of apartment and home rentals. Seasonal (aka monthly) and Annual. Annual is much cheaper and you can get 7 month to 1 year leases. You supply your own furniture and you get utilities in your name. There is NO tax on the rent.

Seasonal you can rent for weeks or months.. Price is usually much higher but it is furnished and utilities are paid by the landlord. You pay a 10% TAX on top of the monthly rent. Sometimes you pay an extra cleaning fee.

The reason for the above is a state law that says any rental that is rented for 6 months must pay a 10% state tax.

You see a lot of rentals that are a7 month lease due to the tax. Technically, you can lease for 6 month and one day and be legal regarding the tax.

[Tetik]

SThanks a lot for your comments!!! It is indeed very different form Europe and very interesting - now I am even more excited about coming.
The reason why I have checked Londontown apartments is that I have read some good reviews in comparison to many other housing options )))).
Has anyone had an experience of living in the Park Ave. district and can recommend a definite housing complex?

BTW, what do you think - is it worth renting some furniture, or is it better to buy used one, e.g. via craiglist.