Oxford, OH

[lalala1]

Hello!

Does anyone know anything about Grad school student life at Miami of Ohio? I know its a pretty small town, but not far from Cincinnati. Very pretty campus. Other than that I don't know a whole lot.

Thanks!

[Southeast Penn]

I spent two years there for an MA. Nice town, small, but it can fill up real quick on football weekends. What I liked was that there was a pretty clear delineation of the bars where most grad students hung out vs. the undergrads. It can be challenge to find a nice quiet place to live because the town is so small and there are roughly 15k students in the area, but the prices are decent, especially if you are rooming with someone. There are decent restaurants on the main street, and some nice nature preserves nearby.

It is close to Cincinnati, but it takes longer than an hour to get down into the city if that's where you want to go, due to lots of congestion.

[lalala1]

Thank you!

Yeah, i think it definitely helps when there is a clear distinction between grad school hang outs and undergrad hang outs. Just a different feel. I am thinking about living a little bit out of town... maybe more out in the country. Getting a dog and all that fun stuff

Thank you for your help!

[grifter]

Can anyone recommend a good place for graduate student living?

[lalala1]

i'm wondering the same...

i've been looking at some of the property management companies, just to see who has a clear distinction between student rentals and "other" rentals. i went to oxford a couple of weeks ago and met with college property management and the lady seemed really helpful. she took us to a couple of nice apartments out in the country and also one in town on college (but it was designated grad/professional student housing only). they were one bedroom and $475. i think two blocks from uptown...

anyway, she seemed really willing to listen to what we needed/wanted...

[margaretcho]

Hi! I'm almost positive I'll be attending Miami this fall. Does anyone have any tips for housing & when I should start looking for it? Renting privately vs corporately? I found an efficiency with a company for 400something/month-- great price, close to campus, but I don't want to be in a dormlike situation with a bunch of drunk undergrads. I'm looking for something that's cheap, close to campus (walking or biking), and somewhat decent looking. I don't plan on sharing an apartment. This is my first renting experience, so I'm not sure if I should try to find a place now or wait 'til I move there (August-ish). Any help would be very appreciated!

[BioC]

Hi!

I will be going to Miami of Ohio as well. I will wait until May before I go there and search for a house.

I figure that in May most landlords will have a good idea of which houses they will have available for next year or not.

If anyone has any advice on which part of town is best to live in, that would be great!

Thanks

[margaretcho]

Hi everyone,

If you're looking for an apartment in Oxford, I have a great deal for you! It's a beautiful apartment, really spacious, clean, great light, great landlord. Very affordable! It's a block and a half away from campus and in a quiet area on Main Street. http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/apa/1140038333.html, http://www.geocities.com/pentagonproperties/610.html

If you want to know more, please email me or email the landlord, Thomas Brandner at tbrander54@yahoo.com.

I was all set to go to Miami, but something happened and now I can't. Consider yourself lucky to benefit from my days and days of apartment-hunting for such a great, affordable apartment. I am willing to pay you an amount of money as a bonus if you rent this apartment and relieve me from my lease!

Thank you so much.

[art6308]

I visited the campus last weekend, and several grad students told me that if I wanted to avoid living near undergrads to try to find a place a little further away from campus. Oxford is really small, so unless you live way out on the edge of town, you could easily walk to campus (plus they have a great bus system).

There are several complexes that rent exclusively (or almost exclusively) to graduate students, so if you are interested in living in a bigger complex rather than a house, I would look at some of those. Some of them also offer grad students good incentives for signing a lease (for example, you might be able to get a 2 bedroom for a 1 bedroom rate). But, a lot of those complexes are almost full for the Fall, so I would recommend starting your search as soon as possible.

If you are looking at renting in a house, you'll probably have an easier time finding vacancies (but those can be hit or miss).

I hope that helps! Best of luck!

[Kathryn]

What can anyone about Oxford, OH? it's one of my top 3 choices. school, city, part time job opportunities around the city, etc.?

[chitown]

It's been quite some time since I lived there, but Oxford is definitely a college town. There is little there that doesn't revolve around Miami. It's a cute town with tons of coffee shops, bars, and locally owned stores. It reminds me of a smaller Ann Arbor (although much more conservative). There is also a little bit of friction between the "townies" and the college students, although I suspect this is directed more at undergrads.

The undergraduates are mostly white and upper-middle class, although there is more diversity amongst graduate students and faculty. Fraternity and sorority culture is huge, as are sporting events. However, academics are also valued. There is a wide range of course offerings, which probably doesn't interest you as much as a grad student, but you can take credit classes in wine tasting, horseback riding, yoga etc. There is also an ice skating rink and a huge fitness center. Miami brings in a ton of guest speakers from all different backgrounds. I saw Colin Powell and Henry Rollins within a couple of months of each other. For such a small town, there really is a lot to do.

As far as part-time jobs, you'll need to be prepared to drive 45 minutes or so to Cincinnati, or at least the 25 minutes to Hamilton. As I mentioned, there really is very little in Oxford that doesn't revolve around the campus.

Hope this helps.

[overeasy]

I'll be moving up to Oxford in the fall, and I'm curious about housing. Where should I look, where should I avoid, what can I generally expect? I've got a kitty and I want to avoid noisy undergrads, but I'll be living off my stipend, and I'm worried that there won't be a lot of choices because Oxford is such a small place.

Any advice?

[kce3]

I'm going to try to revive this thread for those of us considering Miami U for this coming fall term!

What is the best way to go about finding a room-mate etc?

And what is the deal in terms of being able to travel out of state without a car? It seems like all the cities where the Megabus, Greyhound, Amtrak and airports are located are kind of a hike from Oxford. Do you have to have a car to survive?

[JackB]

I only spent a year in Oxford for grad school and then transfered out. So, take this for whatever it's worth.

1. Oxford is a very small college town. Essentially for groceries you have Kroger (which is on the Miami bus line), and Walmart (which is not on the bus line). Your primary source of entertainment will be the bars in Uptown. For other forms of entertainment/shopping, you'll need to leave Oxford. Hamilton is about a 15 minute drive away that will have some better shopping/entertainment selections, but not much.

2. You can get decent apartments for relatively cheap. You really need to actually visit Oxford to find the deals though. Many apartments don't actually advertise their complexes online, so a visit there will be useful. And you'll want to visit the apartment to see how close/far it is from the Miami bus line. For pretty much all the apartments you would only have a 15-20 min walk to campus, but in the winter you might want to be able to take the bus. Also, I found that most of the loud undergrads lived right by the University in the residential areas where there are numerous houses for rent.

3. Can you survive in Oxford without a car? Absolutely - but realize you'll be limited to what Oxford has to offer, and you'll need to find a ride if you want to go to Walmart. If you need to get a transportation hub, such as the airport in Cincinnati, you'll also need to find a ride. FWI - the airport is about a 45 minute drive away and is quite nice. Don't hold me to this, but I think the University might run a shuttle back and forth to the airport - I can't quite remember.

I actually enjoyed my year in Oxford. It's a decent little town that can allow you to do work in relative peace and quiet - not to mention the campus is absolutely gorgeous. But, if you need something besides peace and quiet, Oxford won't be the place for you.

Hope that helps

[kce3]

All of this is so helpful, thanks. I am wondering what you think might be the best way to find a room-mate if you're unable to travel to Oxford for a visit... I don't have a car (yet, I'm thinking I'll need to procure one if I'm ever to leave the state) but I'd like to bunk up with someone when I'm there.

I only spent a year in Oxford for grad school and then transfered out. So, take this for whatever it's worth.

1. Oxford is a very small college town. Essentially for groceries you have Kroger (which is on the Miami bus line), and Walmart (which is not on the bus line). Your primary source of entertainment will be the bars in Uptown. For other forms of entertainment/shopping, you'll need to leave Oxford. Hamilton is about a 15 minute drive away that will have some better shopping/entertainment selections, but not much.

2. You can get decent apartments for relatively cheap. You really need to actually visit Oxford to find the deals though. Many apartments don't actually advertise their complexes online, so a visit there will be useful. And you'll want to visit the apartment to see how close/far it is from the Miami bus line. For pretty much all the apartments you would only have a 15-20 min walk to campus, but in the winter you might want to be able to take the bus. Also, I found that most of the loud undergrads lived right by the University in the residential areas where there are numerous houses for rent.

3. Can you survive in Oxford without a car? Absolutely - but realize you'll be limited to what Oxford has to offer, and you'll need to find a ride if you want to go to Walmart. If you need to get a transportation hub, such as the airport in Cincinnati, you'll also need to find a ride. FWI - the airport is about a 45 minute drive away and is quite nice. Don't hold me to this, but I think the University might run a shuttle back and forth to the airport - I can't quite remember.

I actually enjoyed my year in Oxford. It's a decent little town that can allow you to do work in relative peace and quiet - not to mention the campus is absolutely gorgeous. But, if you need something besides peace and quiet, Oxford won't be the place for you.

Hope that helps

[woolfie]

I'm very interested in Miami and Oxford, but right now I'm concerned for my partner who will be going with me. He needs to find a job and it seems like the university is the only option. How likely is it to find jobs in the town/university? Is it managable to commute to Cinci? Thanks!

[JackB]

I'm very interested in Miami and Oxford, but right now I'm concerned for my partner who will be going with me. He needs to find a job and it seems like the university is the only option. How likely is it to find jobs in the town/university? Is it managable to commute to Cinci? Thanks!

The commute to the northern outer-regions of Cincinnati is roughly about 45 mins. Keep in mind that the winter weather in that portion of Ohio involves a fair amount of ice, so driving can be an adventure. Also, on-campus parking is a massive joke at Miami, so driving to campus on a daily basis will involve waisting a great deal of time finding a parking space. I literally drove to school three times while I was at Miami before just taking the bus to and from campus.

Regarding jobs in Oxford, most jobs will be retail or bar related. There are some professional jobs, but those will be few and far between.

[goodmp]

The only real employer in Oxford is the University. Unfortunately, the school is under a hiring freeze, so getting a job here is actually quite problematic. Cincinnati is about 45 minutes away and seems to be a viable option for people willing to drive.

Parking is actually getting better on campus with the opening of two new parking garages. They require a special parking pass, but it seems like it would be worth it as a grad student.

I currently have a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apt that I've been paying $475 a month for. It was advertised to me as a graduate student building, but with massive vacancies all over town, that was quickly thrown out the window. Rental prices are incredibly cheap all over though, and most places will be happy to negotiate. I've had a pretty good experience with College Property Management, all things considered.

I've been living here since 2001, feel free to ask any other questions about the school or the town.

[phigirl]

anyone accepted offers to Miami for fall of 2013? Miami is my alma matter and I accepted a History MA offer today

[klader]

It's been a while since this thread has been active! Any other people here who have gone/are going to Miami of Ohio?

I just accepted a Composition and Rhetoric MA offer and am going to start the apartment hunt!

[crc21]

I just accepted an admissions offer for their SLP master's program! I currently go to school in Alabama, so I don't even know where to start when it comes to apartments! Any tips/recommendations would be helpful!

[histrybuff]

@crc21 @klader @TwirlingBlades

Hello grad friends!!

I just accepted Miami's offer for an MA in History! Very interested in finding a place with other grad students. I got some leads from various students during my visit last week. 

You both should PM me, maybe we can share some tips!

Can't wait to start in fall.

Edited April 4, 2016 by histrybuff

[dcat8]

I just got accepted into a PhD program at Miami, and I'm looking for housing as well. It seems to be somewhat limited judging from an online search but I'd love to hear if anyone knows of any specific areas that are more geared toward graduate students.

[Grits]

Hello everyone! 

I was accepted to the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Miami. Currently, I am searching for housing at Oxford. If someone have an information regarding worthy housing options there, please share some helpful links/e-mails. I'll be very grateful!

I am looking for 1br/studio, renovated and as far as possible from campus.

Thank you! 

[klader]

FWIW, my department's secretary sent out a list of housing complexes students have used in the past, and here's the list:

Miami Village http://www.miami-village.com/
Oxford Commons http://www.oxfordcommons.net/
Oxford Real Estate www.oxre.com
Park Place Real Estate http://www.parkplacerealestate.net/12-13AvailabilityList.html
College Property Management http://www.collegepropertymanagement.com/index.shtml
Sundance Management http://www.sundancemanagement.com/pages/default2.asp?active_page_id=83
Fox and Hounds Apartments http://www.foxandhounds-apts.com/
Miami Properties http://studenthousingmgmt.com/miami/?page_id=4
Swift Rentals https://www.facebook.com/pages/Swift-Rentals/108872865864193 (This one is run by a VERY sweet family right in Oxford)
Hometown Rentals and CJ Management hometownrentalsinc.com/
CKC http://www.ckcrentals.com/index.html
South Campus Quarter http://www.southcampusquarter.com/
Century 21 http://www.c21thacker.com/site/

Also not on this list because this is an older list is Hawks Landing, http://www.hawkshousing.com/. 

Hope this can help some people out!!