Moving to CMU in the Fall (Pittsburgh, Carnegie: apartment complexes, rentals, houses)

[TianaWei]

Hi all.

I'm planning on attending the MAPW program at Carnegie Mellon in the fall and I'm trying to get a feel of Pittsburgh (cool restaurants nearby/shopping/markets etc.) and also I'm trying to figure out places I should check out to live. I've read poor reviews about a lot of apartments that are more affordable, and also about some rental companies, so I'd like specific titles of apartment complexes/rental companies (possibly the exact buildings?) if you have any advice. I've been exploring the forums already and read some posts, but nobody really lists specific places to rent from, more general area.

I'm visiting the campus in two weeks, but won't have a chance to look at any apartments while I'm there at that point so I'm relying on pictures and reviews! I'm a young female so safety is my number one priority. Also, I have a small 7lbs terror of a poodle and she's 10, so very tame.

Thanks in advance!

[doo dah]

What is your budget?
You will be hard-pressed to find larger apartment buildings that allow dogs.
Many grad students live in Squirrel Hill, you *might* find an apartment in one of the large houses that have been divided into apartments, but again, dogs are hard to place.
You should check with CMU's housing office when you are here.

That said, I understand Walnut Capital allows dogs in some of their properties.

[Ambitions]

I'm in a pretty similar situation. Going to CMU for a masters program this fall and will be attending Open House this week. I'll let you know what I find as far as apartments and other info about the area.

[TianaWei]

Yeah, I saw that when looking for apartments. Many apartments are very cat friendly though! My budget is up to $1000.

@Ambitions: Really? That's exciting! I'm going to the one on the 27th, so only 10 more days! Very excited to see the campus :-)

[irishgirl49]

Hi! Current CMU student here

First off, congrats! CMU is a great place and Pittsburgh is now one of my favorite cities in the world!

You'll be able to find a pretty decent 1 bedroom for $1000/month. The area around CMU is pretty much the most expensive in the city, but still affordable by those standard. I live in a 3 br apartment with two friends and rent + utilities is about $650/month. I live up beeler though, which is where a lot of the undergrads live. As a grad student, if you want to be close to campus, look for something on fifth ave. If you are willing to live a little bit further, I know a lot of the grad students live in Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, both of which are super nice areas.

I can't really give any advice on an exact apartment building, but I hope this helps!

[TianaWei]

All the responses help :-) Anyone have any good experiences with any rental companies? I've heard some bad things about Sterling Land, but I did find some other that I haven't really heard too much about. The apartments do look nice though! I'll list them below to see if anyone knows anything.

Mozart Management
Regent Square Rentals
PMC Property Group
Steiner Realty
Franklin West

[I_Like_Spam]

Steiner bought a building that I was renting an apartment in, during the early 90's, I didn't find them to be a problem.

[jea6321]

I have no personal experience with regent sq rentals, but have heard a few people mention how terrible they are. Main concern I hear is that they false advertise units in the heart of wilkinsburg as regent sq. The two areas are close but not at all the same in terms of quality or safety.

[JimboPGH]

Originally Posted by jea6321

I have no personal experience with regent sq rentals, but have heard a few people mention how terrible they are. Main concern I hear is that they false advertise units in the heart of wilkinsburg as regent sq. The two areas are close but not at all the same in terms of quality or safety.

That is absolutely true.

Which one used to be Lobos? Avoid those jagoffs like the plague.

There are some smaller rental companies that can be alright (L & N has a lot of CMU-centric properties and is solid) but the best deals is in this town are usually through folks who own one or two places. Also as a rule of thumb, old subdivided houses and duplexes are usually more affordable and offer better living space than apartment complexes.

[doo dah]

Originally Posted by JimboPGH

That is absolutely true.

Which one used to be Lobos? Avoid those jagoffs like the plague.

There are some smaller rental companies that can be alright (L & N has a lot of CMU-centric properties and is solid) but the best deals is in this town are usually through folks who own one or two places. Also as a rule of thumb, old subdivided houses and duplexes are usually more affordable and offer better living space than apartment complexes.

I think Lobos is still Lobos; one thing to keep in mind about subdivided houses is that they may not have a laundry available, and you would have to take your clothes to a laundromat.