Tallahassee, FL

[rising_star]

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.

You won't be able to live extravagantly but you will definitely be able to survive. I have friends who live on less than that and some who live on barely more.

[incompetent]

Hi to all,

Thanks to the reply to my previous question. I now switch to the apartment hunting.

I can see that FSU has on-campus housing facilities particularly in Rogers hall, Ragans hall and Alumni Village. Now my options are whether to seek living in these on-campus facilities or make off-campus arrangements.

Please suggest which one would suit me? Do consider my status as an international student, which means I'll have to do everything from scratch.

Thanks all.

[rising_star]

incompetent, I've ranted about Alumni Village on either page 1 or 2 of this thread. A lot of those units are older than I am!

[incompetent]

incompetent, I've ranted about Alumni Village on either page 1 or 2 of this thread. A lot of those units are older than I am!

Hi rising_star,

Yes I have gone through the previous posts of this thread. What I wanted to ask was whether staying off campus is better suited than staying on campus. Alumni village has pretty much been blacklisted. Has anybody got experience living in Ragan's hall or Rogers Hall? How does that compare with living of campus, specially in terms of cost, quality of life, headaches of arranging the places, sharing rooms with an unknown person and traveling matters.

[incompetent]

Hi,

can anybody give me a clue about 2525 Hartsfield Rd. I am looking for a potential condo at this place. How does this area compare in terms of locality, demography, shopping and transportation. Also what is the preferable means of transport for a college goer like me ( I don't have a car right now).

Thanks

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

Aside from rising_star, none of us have actually been to Tallahassee for anything more than a few days as part of a campus visit, so we don't really know much about apartments/condos down there. You might try contacting current grad students in your future department, as they will have better and up-to-date information on living in town. Based on previous discussions, the Northwest of town (that's where the address you listed is) isn't supposed to be that great an area, but then I haven't actually been there, so I don't know. I've included a link to the public transit website for the city, but your options seem to be very limited if you plan to remain on campus after 6:30pm.

http://www.talgov.com/starmetro/systemmap.cfm

If you're looking for an apartment, I recommend rent.com, apartmentfinder.com, and apartmentratings.com.

[rising_star]

Hey now Undrafted, the NW is a perfectly fine side of town, but as usual, it varies a bit depending on exactly where you are (I say this because NW includes Frenchtown, the Lake Jackson area, and so many others). Hartsfield Rd... a bit undergrad heavy typically.

Edit: In the interest of full disclosure, I should probably say that I was born on the NW side of Tally, moved elsewhere in town (all NE side), then my mom moved back to NW. Also, I haven't lived in Tally for over 6 years so my knowledge is a bit out of date.

[lauren]

Hi All,

Rising_Star, I think you're doing a GREAT job moderating this thread! I think, however, that the Tallahassee climate has changed a bit since you've lived here. I've been in Tallahassee for the past 6 years (four as an undergrad, two as a PhD student in Social Psychology department) and absolutely love it. Here are my opinions on some of the topics which have recently been discussed.

1. Avoid NW Tallahassee. It's populated by undergrads which means that, likely, you're friends and colleagues won't be living there.

2. If you want to live on campus, live in Ragan's Hall. I lived there for two years and LOVED it. Many colleagues have lived there. Some had undergrad roommates, other lived with grad students. It's all random.

3. Don't unless you're using the campus bus line, don't plan on taking the city bus. A colleague lives about 5 miles from campus and it takes him over an hour by bus.

4. $650 for a single is about average in Tallahassee. You can get a nice two bedroom for $850 (cheaper if you're willing to sacrifice certain amenities).

5.Unless you feel capable of defending yourself, don't live in Frenchtown. Most guys are fine. Confident women will be okay too but I strongly encourage you to look for other options first.

6. Ask the people in your department where they live and live on that side of town. As long as your friends are nearby you'll be fine (and you'll save gas too).

Please don't hesitate to email me questions. I am a grad student so it may take me a day or two to respond but I'd love to help out.

Cheers,

Lauren

brewer@psy.fsu.edu

[rising_star]

Lauren,

Thanks so much for your input! There definitely are pockets of the NW side that aren't populated by undergrads, particularly if you avoid Mission Rd and Old Bainbridge south of Fred George Rd. I say this because several of my working Tallahassee friends have rented or purchased townhouses or duplexes in that area in the past few years and their neighborhoods are quiet and filled with adults.

And I based my rent estimate on what I know my friends are paying living off Blairstone and Old St. Augustine. Maybe they just have really great deals? My friends live off Kay Ave, and pay $650 for a 2bd/1ba duplex. I think the trick is being patient, scouring Craig's List, and (maybe) being willing to wait until almost the last minute.

[Fiddler_Crab]

Hi FSU/Tallahassee folks. I just got back from a visit to Tallahassee and found what I feel is a great apartment just east of downtown on E. Park Avenue. I was excited to see that it is on the #22 bus line. Unfortunately, it appears that all buses in Tallahassee sort of meet downtown near Duval street - then proceed out in the cardinal directions. The buses stop running before 7PM! That means I would need to take TWO buses that come ONCE and hour to get from E. Park to Stadium drive where my office is. I would also need to leave the lab at a ridiculous time to get home. What the heck!!! I am used to living in a city with buses that run every 11 minutes, all over town until midnight.

I am not opposed to biking, but I will be bringing field supplies and a lap top on my back...and honestly the hills and bike lanes don't look appealing. I do have a car, but I am a big supporter of public transit and not dealing with finding parking. For those of you who are Tallahassee residents....am I missing something about the bus schedule? Like reading it incorrectly? What do you recommend. Perhaps I should invest in a vespa or scooter. Oy.

Also what are your opinions of the Park Street area near the intersection of Franklin?

[lauren]

Hi Fiddler! The Park/Franklin intersection is a great area for grad students. You should know that the area is prone to flooding. I've seen water up to the window of a small car in the heaviest downpours. I don't think the homes in that area flood but, if possible, ask for a second story unit. Also, it's worth getting flood insurance (if it isn't covered by your renters insurance). I have several friends that live within a block from that intersection and love it. The only complaint is that it can often be noisy. Many local Tallahassee youth move to that area after graduating high school and forget that some people have to get up in the morning. It's a pretty artsy area so there are lots of eclectic, welcoming people. I think it's a perfect place for a graduate student.

Regarding public transportation, no one uses it. Okay, that's an understatement. Plenty of people use it but mostly locals. I do have one colleague who takes a combination of bus and bike to school each day. From his apartment, he bikes a few blocks to the bus stop. Takes the bus to the Duval street hub and bikes to campus. The whole trip takes an hour each way (and this is with the bike - it might take longer if you have to transfer buses). If you are really interested in using public transportation, try this. Walk through downtown to campus (about a 20-30 minute walk) and catch the FSU bus at Wescott (corner of Copeland and College). This will take you directly to the stadium. Of course, these buses also stop running at 7.

Parking is a nightmare at FSU but they are making an effort to build more garages (and it's actually starting to help). In my humble opinion, I think FSU grad students need their own transportation. Public transport is unreliable and inefficient. I appreciate you not wanting to drive (and contribute to our parking dilemma) but you do need some way to get around. I think your best option is the scooter. They can park in motorcycle parking (FSU has LOTS of this) and get great gas mileage. A colleague of mine just bought one. He drove for 2 or 3 weeks before he filled up the tank for $5.15. If I didn't already own a car, I'd buy a scooter in heart beat.

In sum, get the place at Park and Franklin, watch out for floods, and buy a scooter. Good luck and welcome to town!

Cheers,

Lauren

[Fiddler_Crab]

Thanks for that thoughtful reply! I am going to take the apartment and ditch the public transit. Thanks so much!

[rising_star]

I agree with Lauren. Get a scooter. I'd never characterize Tallahassee as bike friendly. Also, everything she said about flooding is right on. Try to park your vehicle on high ground, make sure your car insurance covers flooding, and get renter's insurance.

[incompetent]

I have been running in order to get university housing at Ragan's Hall. Unfortunately the university guy is saying that I cannot be assigned to Ragan's Hall. However they are willing to make space in the Roger's Hall. Has anybody got experience in living at Roger's Hall? Should I get into Roger's hall, which is assigned month to month basis, or should I ditch the plan for oncampus housing and get onto off-campus apartment hunting seriously?

Any word will be warmly received. Thanks

[honeyloco]

Actually ditto to the question above!

I'm doing a one year research thing and accommodation is my biggest worry; at the moment I'm in ragan or roger, I think its roger. Is there a supermarket near campus?

[incompetent]

There are quite a few supermarket at a distance of 15minutes walk and at a convenient route by bus. These include CVS, Albertsons, publix and a few other stores and restaurants.

I am not a very good fan of Rogers Hall, having lived there, but its cheaper than Ragan and it doesnot (except for once) close during the holiday breaks.

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

Actually ditto to the question above!

I'm doing a one year research thing and accommodation is my biggest worry; at the moment I'm in ragan or roger, I think its roger. Is there a supermarket near campus?

Unless the school is paying for you to stay on campus or you don't have a car, I would recommend finding something off campus. You would think that living on the edge of campus would give you easy access to stores, but the main things there are bars and restaurants. Living on campus (from what my friends living there tell me) is really only a good idea if you plan to do nothing but sleep in your apartment. People living on the East side of town, including myself, seem to be happiest with their choices.

On a related note, if it's at all possible, come down to Tallahassee for a weekend to apartment hunt. You really can't get an idea of the city from websites and maps. For example, downtown is actually on a fairly significant hill and some parts of town are subject to flooding.

But yes, there are grocery stores near campus. If you're curious about what's around, you can use one of the google maps features to check what's convenient (check the Northwest side of campus).

[Bayerko]

Hello together,

I

[ICECOLDECON]

I posted this in the Gainesville forum, but I think that I mentioned my experiences in Tallahassee enough to warrant its inclusion on here:

I wanted to make some quick comments about Gainesville.

I attended a Summer Session in 2008.

First off, yes it is very hot; but not really much hotter than most of the other places in the state (I have attended both Florida State in Tallahassee and South Florida in Tampa). I actually think Tallahassee got hotter, during the summer, than Gainesville. Humidity is a problem though, Gainesville was by far the most humid of any of the places in FL that I lived.

You most definitely can live at UF without a car. Since I was there during a summer session, the buses were operating on a reduced schedule, but I still found it extremely easy to get to the supermarket and mall using the bus system. Yes, it is inconvenient to live anywhere in FL without a car, but of Tallahassee, Gainesville, and Tampa, Gainesville was by far the easiest (somewhat a product of the small size and compactness of the city). When I was in Tallahassee (2002-2006) practically no students used the city bus system and buses not in the bad parts of town came every half hour at best and usually only on an hourly basis. The same is true in Tampa, only the problem is exacerbated by the length of the routes. In Gainesville, students use the buses, they come pretty frequently, and the routes arent too long. Now, I think the bus situation at FSU may have improved since I left as the university; I think the university implemented its own bus system b/c no students rode the city buses, but still, Gainesville buses are more than adequate.

The area around campus is also nice. They have the best pizza shop I have eaten at since leaving New York (I love New York Pizza), a ton of lil restaurants, along with the bars and clubs you would expect. Compared to Tallahassee, the area around campus in Gainesville is wonderful (if not a bit too loud). In Tallahassee, I could not walk down Tennessee St without being approached by multiple homeless people begging for money and the Brevard St area straight north of Tennessee St had drug dealers and prostitutes. My first year in Tallahassee, a guy was murdered in my complex a couple of apts down by a local drug gang. (If this was a post about Tallahassee.......and I might copy this post there.....I would mention that Tallahassee has a bad ring around FSU and then is nicer on a second more outter ring).

As someone who has lived in Tallahassee, Gainesville, and Tampa......I would choose Gainesville in a heartbeat over the other two.

Now all that being said, my advice to someone moving to Tallahassee would be as follows:

(1) Get a car or scooter

(2) Live in that second ring I talked about.....stay away from living by the university and try to avoid the NW part of town. In general, the area around Tallahassee Mall is nice. The people who mentioned London Town are dead on, I lived there for over a year (back when I had a car), and it was absoulutely awesome and in one of the nicest areas of Tallahassee.

(3) Be prepared to see a large dose of southern culture. Culturally, the area is more an extension of southern Georgia, rather than the displaced northerners that you see in South FL.

(4) Be prepared to make your own entertainment. The city is pretty dead outside of college football. The Miracle 5 theatre is a pretty good Tallahassee secret....they play some neat movies there that dont make it to one of the bigger cineplexes.

Now it is not the worst place in the world, but Im still surprised to see all the positive comments here. During my time there, I think the most common thing I heard from my classmates about Tallahassee was I love FSU, but I wish it wasnt stuck in Tallahassee.

[ICECOLDECON]

Also, downtown is pretty during December for the city's winterfest.....that is definitely worth attending.

[ICECOLDECON]

Hi Bayerko,

Alumni village is not in what I know to be the Frenchtown part of Tallahassee. Frenchtown is on the northside of campus and would include the Brevard St area that I referenced above. Alumni village is on the south side of campus, which is a better (though not by a whole bunch) part of town. It is a bit isolated from campus, but to be honest I don't know as much about that area of town, as I rarely ever needed to go into there. I have heard of break-ins on the south side of campus, but those were cases with people living on Pensacola street, which is right on the edge of campus. Really, one just needs to be smart. I had a friend who lived on Pensacola and a group of guys knocked on his apartment door, he answered, and they knocked him out and robbed the place; the lesson would be, don't answer the door if it is a group of strangers.

I think you asked what your closest supermarket would be and I am pretty sure that would be the Publix on Ocala. It is clean, relatively new, offers decent prices (lots of buy one get one free items) and is open to midnight if I remember correctly. If you want to use google maps, it will probably tell you how far the supermarket is from the Alumni Village address (just type in the alumni village address, click search nearby, and enter Publix).

Volunteerism was big on campus, as was sports (our fitness center was pretty good). For a list of organizations go to:

https://fsu-sgms.symplicity.com/index.p ... ps&au=&ck=

Hope this helps

[honeyloco]

Hi,

I'm here in tallahassee for a year. I arrived 2 weeks ago and live at alumni village. To start with, its not so bad at all. It's way better than Rogers Hall which isn't even liveable and that's on campus. The accomodation is huge and its cheap(ish). It sucks without internet and the average utilities (apparently) is $120 and there's no air con; you have to buy that yourself; I'm still looking for one. Note there is a deposit for utilities + phone line.

For my one-bedroom, it's 395, plus 120 bills, probably $60 for internet, $25 for my mobile; it comes to $600 essential...pretty standard for this area.

The most annoying thing is this damn train tallahassee blows its horn whenever it feels like so when you're half awake and can't sleep it's really annoying, but when you're asleep you don't even notice it.

I have no car and I would really like a scooter but I think I'll have to borrow money off my parents to do that straight away. Therefore I take buses and they are actually okay. You have to accept that they maybe early and then turn up late but I come from a small town in England where trains come once every hour anyway so it doesn't really bother me. They drop you off in campus and practically outside your door step. Then hop onto another bus 10 minutes later, I think its the 16, to Hermite Grove (i think) from campus and you're at publix within 5/10 minutes. This weekend I explored out and found the way to Governers Square Mall and Target by bus. It was actually incredibly simple and easy. I don't actually need a bike at all, I'm just so used to driving that it feels weird not too; plus eventually I would like to do some exploring to the beach and such, so I probably will but it'll have nothing to do with the fact that buses are bad.

I do agree that maybe you shouldn't underestimate the area alumni village is in but if push really came to shove I would walk back; just maybe not with my laptop in tow... there is this taxi service FSU does for free 668-SAFE (i think) that takes you from campus to alumni which really helped out when I missed my bus (up to 2 in the morning I believe).

Anyway, I'm here so ask away. I'm annoyingly honest

lh00015@gmail.com

[Bayerko]

Thank you both for your advice! And for the volunteering web page, i couldn't find it somehow.

After scanning more and more info's across the web I think I'll give Alumni Village a try, at least for the firsts months. The rent is low and roaches seem to be common in FL, pest-controls usual. Plus, the other accommodations do not look much better and Alumni Village it's 1,5 miles from campus, maybe 20 minutes by bike.

As for mobility, well I do not yet know if my budget will allow to buy one car that doesn't fall apart . I've been looking and you possibly should spend $2000 for one that actually moves. Adding between $400-$800 for 6-7 months insurance (http://www.geico.com), depending how big the car is and how many persons will be driving it. Leasing could also be an alternative. Gas is not that expensive, something about $0,51 per liter. I'll give that some thought in the next couple of days. It would be surely great to have one to explore the area. I've also planed to do the drivers license there, it costs $20 and shouldn't be hard to get. If you want to have the tests drop me a line. As an alternative to a bike a scooter could be also nice, at least for the city itself.

[piccali]

To clarify what risingstar said, All Saints Cafe is in the Railroad Square area of town south of FSU's campus, whereas Frenchtown is north of campus.

I've been at FSU for 4 years and will more than likely be coming back for 2 more in the Arts Administration program and agree with what everyone else says. Live on the east side of town. Streets like N. Duval and N. Bronough have townhouses that are relatively quiet (this is the area I live in now, and have for 3 years). The area is a mix of (mostly quiet, though it varies from year to year) undergrads, grads, and families/working professionals. I know a few of my professors live within about 4 blocks of me and my next-door neighbor used to work for the state.

Stay out of the huge apartment complexes--they are generally overrun by party-happy undergrads. There are small apartments close to campus (I'm thinking of the ones on Jefferson St. by the College of Law) and I think that mostly grad and law students live there, but they're close to fraternity houses so they can be loud on the weekends (one of my TAs from freshman and sophomore years lived there and complained about the weekend noise all the time), but I think they're cheap.

Hopefully this helps you!

[teedeeuf]

Hi, all!

I'm moving to Tallahassee in the Fall for a Master's at FSU, and was wondering if anyone could help me out with some apartment hunting questions. I've been researching online, and found a complex called Villa San Michele. It's located at 1694 Baldwin Park Drive, apparently right by FSU's intramural fields. It seems really nice online, but I'd like some outside insight. I'm a woman who would be living with two other women, so safety is a huge concern. Is this a good area? The woman on the phone also said that the complex attracted mainly older students, but if anyone knows otherwise, please let me know. I definitely don't want a place filled with partying undergrads.

I've also looked at the Blairstone at Governer's Square, so if anyone could shed some insight on that as well, I'd really appreciate it. Villa San Michele is appealing since it includes washer/dryer and is a 3/3 instead of a 3/2. If anyone could help or has any other suggestions, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you!