rly242

Marcy-Holmes is a quite a nice neighborhood, a little bit farther away from the undergrad crowds but yet not too far from the campus. Seward, Longfellow, and Uptown are in the order of increasing distance to the campus. Uptown area is a more hip place to live. You would get a decent amount of entertainment there. But all these are not within walking distance to campus (at least not for me during the winter). Fret not, the bus system in the twin cities is great. You have access to the campus in all of these neighborhoods. So you don't need to worry about travelling. If I were you, I would order the neighbourhood as follows (descending order of preference): Uptown, Seward and Marcy-Holmes (tie), Longfellow. But of course Uptown can be more pricey.

I live in the Highland neighbourhood of St. Paul. It's a little bit farther from your typical university housing (approx. 7 miles SE of the Minneapolis campus). However, there are buses that run to my area almost all the time (not so much on the weekends, but I typically either work remotely or drive to school). The reason is I, for one, do not want to live in the hustle and bustle of college (undergrad) life. But it's a matter of preference. If you like the undergrad atmosphere, Dinkytown is your best bet. It is also closest to the campus. If you want to live a little bit farther but yet not too far away, try the Uptown area or the St. Anthony Park area (closer to St. Paul campus). You can try the CTC or the CSCC which are suited for grad student. Or rent an apartment in those areas. The Twin Cities is an awesome place to live with beautiful hidden gems that await you to find out. I paid slightly more than $550 for a spacious studio apartment. Utilities and off street parking are included in the rent (no cap). The only thing that I pay extra every month is internet. Depending on where you rent and what kind of apartment (1 BR, 2 BR, etc) you are looking for, I think you could expect about $500-$600 for a decent studio or 1 BR apartment outside the 5 miles radius of the campus. The closer you get to the campus the more expensive it is. But you could expect to pay about $300 if you share. Regarding the nasty winter... I am from a tropical country right on the equator and I thought I would never survive it. But here I am, loving this place more than ever. Invest on a good winter jacket (no, the fashion ones do not really work) and a pair of winter boots. You would be fine.

Hey everyone, I am not a new student. I am closing in on finishing up my PhD at the U. I never heard about grad cafe until recently, I thought this is going to be a great place to get to know each other. Let me know if you need any suggestions!