Are apartment complexes frat houses or decent places to live? (Boulder: apartment complex, rentals)

[Alex-Teacher]

Hello,

I'm a single 29 year old moving to Boulder looking for housing. I like the idea of being in the downtown area but since most of the housing seems marketed to students, I worry about how loud and annoying an apartment complex might be. Do they all tend to be loud or are they reasonably respectful?

[docwatson]

I have not lived in a student-oriented complex for obvious reasons, so I can't say what they are like. (Acutally, I did as a grad student live in "Spanish Towers" and it was not bad.) However, when we moved to Boulder we searched for a complex that would have few students. I think the best thing is to check them out. There is also a service called "Housing Helpers" which may be able to give you advice ... students are not a "protected class" so anyone should be willing to discuss which complexes have a lot of students, although I've encountered some people who think this is not allowed.

As a rule of thumb, I would say the pricier complexes have fewer students, although it's partly a question of location as mom and dad or stressed students sometimes pay for a 2-bedroom $1,400 apartment. I would say if you are paying min. $1,100 for a 2-bedroom and are away from "the Hill" and the student ghetto just east of 28th street between Baseline and Colorado, you'll probably see fewer students. There also seems to be a student area around Table Mesa Dr. and Foothills Parkway.

I've also had luck in other college towns with buildings that are mainly 1 BR/studios/lofts as students can't share these.

For a single person Boulder also seems to have a stock of 500-sq-ft apartments and condos that may be for rent. I like a few areas that would contain these as well as regular apts/condos, and be near downtown (15-min walk): north 9th Street near the intersections of Portland Place and a few blocks either direction (probably mix of working people and students); North Boulder generally (Ideal Market area); North Broadway kind of south of Iris, I think; east Pearl Street (Whittier Square condos has some of those 500-sq-ft condos that may be for rent by owner) or west Pearl if you can find anything. Further afield are the Table Mesa area (more townhome-style condos than actual apartments, although there are a couple) and North Boulder (new, pricier faux-downtown feel, great bus service to downtown). There are certainly apartments elsewhere in town.

Craigslist is a good source of rentals and sometimes you can find a nice basement apartment in a home - so have enough light or are even walk-out basements. Some will have families living upstairs, but others may be two-level rentals with students upstairs! I've also seen studios listed in old Victorian houses in neighborhoods surrounding downtown, some listed as being oriented to professionals, not students.

[Alex-Teacher]

Thank you Doc, this is just the kind of information I was looking for!