Housing in FIU area (Miami, Weston: apartment complexes, rent, homes)

[bajediva]

I'm seriously considering grad school @ FIU, and I need some info on housing. I'd rather not live on campus, but as near to it as possible, as reasonably priced as possible. Does anyone know what areas students usually rent from? What places should I probably stay away from? What is public transportation in the area like? Thanks for any info you can share!!

[The A-Team]

I lived in Doral when i was going to go to FIU. Its nice, but a little expensive by Miami standards, and definatly a perdominantly Spanish speaking area(as much of the Miami area is). Hope this helps!

[MiamiVice1985]

Trust me- don't live in or near Sweetwater...I lived there for two years (on campus). It was a good experiece and I made friends, but FIU's campus there is literally an atoll in a vast sea of uglyness. Also, there are hardly any post-graduates living on campus, the housing is mostly for freshman orientation. The attrition rate at FIU for out-of staters like me is high because of the fact that FIU is an "atoll", the "ocean" is merely a third world uglyness that separates FIU from other notable areas in Miami like the downtown, the grove, the gables, and other places of interest. You have to be creative when considering where to live while going to FIU. Also, don't plan on moving anywhere more than 1/2 mile away from FIU if you don't have a car. I currently live downtown and I go AGAINST traffic to school both ways, morning and afternoon. Its the best setup, although rent is a little higher here.

[tallrick]

Funny you mention the ugliness, I have often been criticised for my views on how ugly the area surrounding FIU is. The only nice area is the original neighborhood between 107 and 117 Ave, between coral way and bird road. Much of it has been redeveloped and crowded, but a few nice areas remain. Once the newer residents take control they destroy most trees and redevelop nice homes into 4-10 tiny overpriced dumps. Sweetwater is the most overpriced dump of all, it's north of FIU and predates it by several decades. I would avoid Doral as it has traffic issues and is a dump too.

[nitokenshi]

not sure which campus you will be attending but there is a bus that run between both so let's say you found something cheap near the biscayne campus you could take the bus there to UP and vice versa

[compelled to reply]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Funny you mention the ugliness, I have often been criticised for my views on how ugly the area surrounding FIU is.

I was just there the other day. I can't criticize you at all. Although I wouldn't call Doral a "dump", it's way overpriced for what it is for sure.

[kevinkagy]

1. Doral is not a dump.
2. Many students at FIU that live off-campus live in the apartment complexes across the street from campus down 107th Avenue. The most popular one is Vista Verde which is almost 100% FIU students, and most of those are graduate students. I know a lot of people that live in Downtown Miami too, as it's really smooth (traffic-wise), since you go against traffic and Downtown is a really nice place to live.
3. If you're planning on not having a car, I'd suggest the apartment places down 107th Avenue or in Doral (by taking the bus), but Doral will be a lot pricier.
4. Best of luck, hope it all works out, and GO PANTHERS!!

[TannerMan]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Funny you mention the ugliness, I have often been criticised for my views on how ugly the area surrounding FIU is. The only nice area is the original neighborhood between 107 and 117 Ave, between coral way and bird road. Much of it has been redeveloped and crowded, but a few nice areas remain. Once the newer residents take control they destroy most trees and redevelop nice homes into 4-10 tiny overpriced dumps. Sweetwater is the most overpriced dump of all, it's north of FIU and predates it by several decades. I would avoid Doral as it has traffic issues and is a dump too.

I wouldnt agree with you on the whole area around FIU being ugly, its mostly your normal suburban neighborhood, lets remember sweetwater is probaly 20 blocks wide, its a small area to the north of FIU, the rest is pretty nice but probaly not for a student, more of a family area.
And Doral is no dump, not even by the slightest bit, to the OP, Doral is a heavily commercialized and industrialized city with very suburban neighborhoods, lots of new developments. Ive also seen it been mentioned that spanish is needed in Doral, I also disagree with that, Ive worked in Doral for months now and when im out for lunch or after work its not a problem at all, the city has both a large white/anglo and hispanic population and is very diverse with 5% of the city being asian more than probaly any city in both Dade and Broward and an article in the Herald just said Doral is the most popular city with european immigrants Weston also being mentioned in the state, but the area too is pretty expensive for a student but probaly if you share an apartemnt with a roomate its the right choice.

[kevinkagy]

Originally Posted by TannerMan

I wouldnt agree with you on the whole area around FIU being ugly, its mostly your normal suburban neighborhood, lets remember sweetwater is probaly 20 blocks wide, its a small area to the north of FIU, the rest is pretty nice but probaly not for a student, more of a family area.
And Doral is no dump, not even by the slightest bit, to the OP, Doral is a heavily commercialized and industrialized city with very suburban neighborhoods, lots of new developments. Ive also seen it been mentioned that spanish is needed in Doral, I also disagree with that, Ive worked in Doral for months now and when im out for lunch or after work its not a problem at all, the city has both a large white/anglo and hispanic population and is very diverse with 5% of the city being asian more than probaly any city in both Dade and Broward and an article in the Herald just said Doral is the most popular city with european immigrants Weston also being mentioned in the state, but the area too is pretty expensive for a student but probaly if you share an apartemnt with a roomate its the right choice.

Now that you bring up the Asian population in Doral, I recently read somewhere that Doral's about 7% or 8% Asian now.

[diddiyo]

Originally Posted by TannerMan

I wouldnt agree with you on the whole area around FIU being ugly, its mostly your normal suburban neighborhood, lets remember sweetwater is probaly 20 blocks wide, its a small area to the north of FIU, the rest is pretty nice but probaly not for a student, more of a family area.
And Doral is no dump, not even by the slightest bit, to the OP, Doral is a heavily commercialized and industrialized city with very suburban neighborhoods, lots of new developments. Ive also seen it been mentioned that spanish is needed in Doral, I also disagree with that, Ive worked in Doral for months now and when im out for lunch or after work its not a problem at all, the city has both a large white/anglo and hispanic population and is very diverse with 5% of the city being asian more than probaly any city in both Dade and Broward and an article in the Herald just said Doral is the most popular city with european immigrants Weston also being mentioned in the state, but the area too is pretty expensive for a student but probaly if you share an apartemnt with a roomate its the right choice.

errr i don't know on what streets in doral you drove, but i've been working in doral for more than a year now and traffic is just baaaaaaaad. couple weeks ago it took us about an hour to get from 107th ave & 41st st to hooters on 87th ave... and there were no accidents or anything, just regular traffic.