Tallahassee, FL

[rising_star]

Hahaha, I should've known you'd make your way over here eventually. I clearly posted far too much in this thread about a city I don't even live in anymore. And I never even posted about race and poverty issues in Tallahassee. But yea, there's definitely some info. If you've got any questions, feel free to ask.

Traffic in from the east side can be pretty bad though I hear it's improving. The upside is that it's more residential/family-oriented but the downside is the neverending traffic on Tennessee-Mahan or the parkway to get to campus. I would definitely consider the Park Avenue area. It's sorta on the east side but not really and a very reasonable drive to campus, shopping, etc (and really a walk to shopping as opposed to a drive like most things in Tally). Do you have a car?

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

Yes, I'll have a car, though I still have a bunch of schools to hear from before deciding.

If there are any areas to particularly avoid, that would be good info. I've gotten myself into trouble before, wandering into bad neighborhoods alone.

I was down there for a couple of days this Fall, during a torrential rain/thunder storm, so I didn't get to explore as much as I would've liked.

[rising_star]

A car is definitely an asset in Tallahassee. I'm actually not as up on areas to avoid but that's mostly because I'm a local and I can go pretty much anywhere without being harassed or bothered or feeling unsafe. But some people avoid the state/county streets (again, they aren't all bad but some are). Jackson Bluff Rd can get sketchy depending on where you are... But that's really all I know. All that advice from last year about where to live is still solid.

[Fiddler_Crab]

I was accepted and am seriously considering FSU this autumn! I am looking for a neighborhood with quaint shops some green space and some charming townhouses close to the hustle and bustle of downtown...are there any neighborhood like this in Tally?

This has nothing to do with my degree - but I am coming from a life in the midwest and am desperate to know how long it takes to drive to the closest beach! Also, is Tallahassee dog friendly? 8)

[rising_star]

I was accepted and am seriously considering FSU this autumn! I am looking for a neighborhood with quaint shops some green space and some charming townhouses close to the hustle and bustle of downtown...are there any neighborhood like this in Tally?

This has nothing to do with my degree - but I am coming from a life in the midwest and am desperate to know how long it takes to drive to the closest beach! Also, is Tallahassee dog friendly? 8)

Hahaha, I doubt there are any neighborhoods other than the Park Ave area that have quaint shops, green space, and townhouses. Those may be out of your price range though. Tallahassee is pretty dog-friendly, though not as much as some cities up north. The closest beach is between 1 and 1.5 hours away, depending on how fast you drive. Everyone's got their favorite nearby beach. Mine is closer to 2 hours away.

[Fiddler_Crab]

Thanks for the info! I guess I am just used to living in a sort of historic neighborhood on the cusp of downtown...and was looking for more of the same. I am willing to try something totally different though!

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

Anybody getting into apartment hunting mode?

[JordanJames]

Anybody getting into apartment hunting mode?

I'm looking for an apartment within walking distance of the department, but I'm having trouble finding anything that isn't a privately-owned undergrad dorm. I have a problem with making it to bus stops on time, and I don't believe I'll have a car while I'm there, so I have to find something within walking distance of campus. Normally I wouldn't even mind an undergrad atmosphere in my apartment building and god knows I love beer pong, but I'd imagine these spring break resorts they call student housing would encourage outrageous behavior from 19 year olds and keep me from sleeping most nights.

[Fiddler_Crab]

I am also hunting for a place to live in Tally. I've found some affordable little houses with yards (for my dog) but it turns out they are in the sketchy area NE of campus. Hopefully I can find something suitable within walking distance of campus. Does any one know if the buses in Tallahassee are reliable? When I visited, traffic looked like an absolute nightmare.

[rising_star]

I am also hunting for a place to live in Tally. I've found some affordable little houses with yards (for my dog) but it turns out they are in the sketchy area NE of campus. Hopefully I can find something suitable within walking distance of campus. Does any one know if the buses in Tallahassee are reliable? When I visited, traffic looked like an absolute nightmare.

Honestly, Tallahassee traffic is never really that bad. Honestly. It's really only bad at 8am, 5pm, and during FSU home football games. In "traffic", it takes me 23 minutes to get to the mall. When there's not traffic, it takes 12-16 minutes. That's really not that bad. I can't recall it ever taking me half an hour to get anywhere (aforementioned times excluded), even when I worked outside the city limits and drove through downtown around 6pm to get home.

As for the "sketchy area", where exactly were you? The buses are pretty reliable and StarMetro has done a much better job than the city ever did with them.

[Fiddler_Crab]

Rising_Star,

Most of the places I found in doing an onine search were in French Town. I also found something on Basin street and a current student told me that both areas are sketchy. To me it looks like Jackson Bluff is sketchy, but that is where she suggests I look for close housing. I think I need to visit again...

[rising_star]

If it helps, I used to party on Jackson Bluff all the time. Frenchtown really isn't that sketchy, depending on where you are. I've certainly never had any problems there. Visiting definitely helps since lots of apartments aren't advertised online...

[UGAgrad07]

Hey everybody,

Just got admitted to FSU's Ph.D. program in Religion and now I'm in the apartment hunt as well. I'd really like to live within walking distance of Dodd Hall, which looks like it's in the southeast corner of campus. Can anybody tell me about the area around the south gate? I found a complex called Jefferson Towers that looks really attractive for grad students in that area, but I have no idea how that area of town is, or whether Jefferson Towers is prohibitively expensive. Can anybody inform me about that area of campus/town, or provide any other names of places I might check out that are close by? Thanks!

[ale8698]

Hi! I got my B.A. from FSU and lived off of Jackson Bluff my senior year. I think if you live off of that street within about a mile of the school you will be fine. I know it may look sketchy (that was my first impression too as I had always lived in the dorm or a big, corporate run apartment), but it is really not bad at all. The houses are perfect for graduate student living (something I miss in SoFL) and the further you get from the actual campus and stadium, the quieter it is. The neighborhoods are great because you get a mix of tons of college students and Tallahassee residents, so you know there are people around year-round even when you've left for vacation. And, you are close to virtually everything except the mall. I would, however, stay away from Frenchtown as it is not that close to the school and not the best area of town.

Also, even though Blairstone is further away, there are some really nice apartment complexes off this road. One that comes to mind is Arbor View. I think they cater more to young professionals, so if you do have a car, don't want to be around crazy undergrads, especially on game days, this might be something to look into.

[UGAgrad07]

Can anybody tell me about the apartments on/near Pensacola St.? It looks like it's really close to Dodd Hall.

Also, I'm considering Jefferson Arms & Jefferson Towers. They're owned by the same company. Does anybody know anything about these properties?

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

I'm willing to bet that anything within walking distance of campus will be overflowing with undergrads, though I haven't been able to find websites for either of those properties. The fact that people on apartmentratings.com mentioned that the properties are "student-oriented" doesn't sound promising to me. I was originally hoping to live within walking distance of campus, but it seems like that really limits the options, especially for those of us who would just as soon avoid party related noise. I do sympathize though, because parking is supposed to be aweful. The profs were telling us to arrive on campus by 7am or we'd end up parking by the stadium and walking/riding the shuttle to class (which sounds perfectly fine to me).

Since the general consensus seems to be that a car is necessary for everyday life in Tallahassee, I'm now looking for something within 4 miles between North and East-Southeast of campus. The Governor's Square area (due East) looked pretty nice and has some places that interest me, though I'm looking for a one bedroom that allows pets, has some sort of porch/balcony/area where grilling could take place, and isn't in a flood plane. Things that would be a plus: a coffee bar within walking distance, a close grocery store/farmers market, and windows that face East (so I can wake up to the sun in the morning and not be blinded by glare while watching tv in the evening).

[rising_star]

Given the drought, I wouldn't worry too much about living in a floodplain. :wink: If you're seriously worried about flooding, do not park your car at the stadium. Ever. Its parking lots are notorious for flooding. But seriously, anything in the Gov Sq Mall area, Midtown, or Northeast will probably not flood. But it's all location dependent since if you live at the bottom of the hill it's much more likely... You know, common sense things.

As far as walking to campus, yea, I would avoid that. I can't think of any nice places that are walking distance, not crawling with undergrads, and are affordable... But you could luck out maybe. Look for smaller complexes/privately-owned houses and you may find something. I hear Craig's List is getting better but you'll want to check the classified ads in the Democrat and just drive around town if you can. A bike could serve you well, depending on where you live. The downside is that Tallahassee has hills which can suck.

[chaos]

Hey Agent,

How did your trip to FSU go? I am especially curious how many Americanists showed up in your group.

As an expert grad student, what would you suggest as far as housing? I am new to this whole arrangement, so any advice you have would help tremendously.

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

I thought the trip went pretty well. Everyone seemed friendly and like they weren't too stressed. For some reason I was really tired during the visit, so I didn't go out to the bars with the others, but there will be plenty of time for that later. It seemed like a group that was quite intelligent, but still knew how to have a good time. A lot of people were talking about the softball team, so it sounds like that could actually happen. If you were the only Americanist in your group, then I'm guessing there will be about 5 or 6 of us total.

In terms of housing, it's just like you're looking for a place to live while working. The places close to campus are more likely to be filled with loud undergrads. There's some good stuff on housing earlier in this thread and in the Florida State thread from people who have actually lived there. I'm gonna be down there in a few weeks to find an apartment and put some of my stuff into storage. There are a lot of interesting apartment complexes listed on rent.com, apartmentfinder.com, and others like that, but you can't really tell about a place until you see it in person. Personally, I'm looking East, Northeast, and Southeast, within 5 miles of campus.

[JordanJames]

There will be poli sci softball, flag football and basketball teams next year. I went to 1 bar there (undrafted flaked on us), and pitchers (real pitchers, not the mini rip off pitchers) were $4 and there was free pizza (it was the worst pizza I've ever had, but still). I'm pretty sure it was the cheapest place in the area, but that was a clear indicator that our stipends will go a long way down there.

Anyways, I found a great 1 bedroom place near campus (on the FSU bus line) for rent on Craigs List, but unfortunately the owner doesn't rent to smokers. The place is $650 a month, has a washer/dryer, and all utilities sans electricity are included in the rent. Email her and she'll send you pics.

http://tallahassee.craigslist.org/apa/660974824.html

[rising_star]

ammar, you went to Bullwinkle's, huh?

As a side note, I think $625 is a LOT to pay for a one bedroom in Tallahassee. My friends rent a two bedroom in a duplex that looks like a house for $675.

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

(undrafted flaked on us)

I think Delta must have drugged me or something.

[JordanJames]

ammar, you went to Bullwinkle's, huh?

As a side note, I think $625 is a LOT to pay for a one bedroom in Tallahassee. My friends rent a two bedroom in a duplex that looks like a house for $675.

Yeah, it's my new favorite bar. (Undrafted, drugged or not, you missed out on the most delicious $4 Yuengling pitchers south of the Mason-Dixon)

Honestly, I haven't really looked very hard, but most of what I've seen has been between $600-$650. And considering the fact that most utilities are included, it has a w/d, and it's so close to campus without being in one of the large undergrad housing complexes, I thought it was a pretty good deal. I guess I should start looking for apartments on different websites (I won't be able to go down to Tally until August).

[rising_star]

If you're looking for utilities included, make sure it includes the entire City of Tallahassee bill. I didn't realize it included that but, if so, then it's reasonable. For those of you unaware, you'll be lucky to ever get a bill under $90 from the City. Granted the bill covers water, sewer, trash, electricity, and fire, it's rarely under $100 because Tallahassee generates electricity from a natural gas plant.

[incompetent]

Hi to all.

I am an international student and I have received a good admission offer from FSu with a moderate stipend(14500/year) and tuition waver + TA. I am now waiting for my I-20 and then dig into the visa process.

Not surprisingly I have a lot of curiosity and questions about my future destination. I will try to put one by one and hope you guys can come up with help to me. Any bit of help will be sincerely appreciated by me.

Let me start with the budget. Since I have TA I don't know if I expect to be working/earning outside. So I am a bit touchy if the given stipend (1200/month) shall prove to be enough for me to manage my expenses or not.

More later on.

Thanks to all guys