South Bend, IN

[Bdeniso]

Any interesting places you have found for looking to rent a house?

[atiti]

Pepe Le Pew,

Thank you so very much! Notre Dame Housing it is then! Phew!

I just got a confirmation letter from Notre Dame after accepting the offer, but it doesnt state when the semester will resume for fall 2012 and i noticed they are quite slow at responding to emails

How cold is the weather in Indiana?

[ellie811]

How cold is the weather in Indiana?

You can see weather info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bend,_Indiana

Notre Dame does a fantastic job of clearing their roads/sidewalks, so even in the dead of winter they are bikable and certainly walkable.

[alphaproton]

Hey all I am also attending ND in the fall but am moving from NYC. Would my best option be finding rent or living in Graduate housing my first year then finding an apartment or house afterwards?

[schupjd0]

How is the area between the river, Angela Blvd, Portage Ave, and Michigan St.?

[ellie811]

How is the area between the river, Angela Blvd, Portage Ave, and Michigan St.?

The area enclosed by the river, Angela and Michigan ("northshore triangle") is lovely - big old houses, mature trees, lots of families.

With Portage, I would try to stay south of Angela. Portage east to the river is ok - going west of it is a little more dicey. And again, stay south of Angela. If you go north of Angela stay close to the river.

If you have a specific property you're looking at, feel free to private message me the address and I'll let you know my impression of that area. I live a few miles away from there, but I run in that area a lot so I'm very familiar with it.

[Loimographia]

can anyone recommend a good vet in the area by any chance? my dog has a history of health problems (bladder stones that have resulted in multiple surgeries) so I want to make sure I get a good vet relatively quickly, but I have no idea how to go about figuring that out...

[ThisSlumgullionIsSoVapid]

What about right here? I'm looking into the Stephenson Mills apartments

[ellie811]

What about right here? I'm looking into the Stephenson Mills apartments

That's a great area - love the old warehouse apartments! Very convenient to downtown and campus.

Unfortunately, I don't have a vet recommendation for a dog. I can recommend you for a good horse vet though, haha.

[DrChops]

Anyone looking for a roommate? I'm looking to see if I can get anyone to room with. Let me know if you are interested.

[ckonscider]

Hi -

 

My husband and I are gong to move to South Bend in August 2013.  I'm a student at the University of Chicago, so I'm going to be commuting out of South Bend to stay in Chicago 3 days a week.  We're looking for an apartment that would give me access to the bus to the airport so I can take the commuter train (the #4 bus) and close to the bus he'd take to Notre Dame (# 7).  (I couldn't find any shuttle to/from the airport to Notre Dame -- too bad!).  The commuter train looks like the cheapest option, and probably easiest -- but if anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know!!  

 

I'm wondering if anyone knows of good apartment buildings, or of an apartment opening up, in the downtown area.  I'm also wondering what areas are safe to live in that would allow us to make this commute -- we don't have a car, so we're relying on public transport.  The intersection we're looking around is Lasalle and Main roughly.

 

Thanks for any and all help!!

[ThisMedievalLife]

I'm wondering if anyone knows of good apartment buildings, or of an apartment opening up, in the downtown area.  I'm also wondering what areas are safe to live in that would allow us to make this commute -- we don't have a car, so we're relying on public transport.  The intersection we're looking around is Lasalle and Main roughly.

 

Hi ckonscider -

 

I currently live in that area, a few blocks across the river to the east in a safe student neighborhood - you can get the #7 two blocks away from our apartment. It's also on one of the few streets with a dedicated bike lane all the way to campus. (There is, btw, a shuttle bus that leaves from ND and stops at the airport: http://www.coachusa.com/CoachUsaAssets/files/113/schedule.pdfhttp://www.coachusa.com/CoachUsaAssets/files/113/schedule.pdf.) I'm moving to a house next year, so my apartment will be available. It's a huge two-bedroom at a great price, and it will be renovated this summer with hardwood floors. It's also available for a sublet over the summer. Let me know if you'd be interested!

[Angulimala]

So I will be moving to South Bend next semester, I was wondering what are some decent apartment complexes in the area (besides the grad school housing) that have large student populations.  I need a facilty that can provide 1 BR apartments btw.  I would preferaby like it as close to campus, but I if thats not how the off campus housing culture is set up then I am fine living a couple miles away from the school. 

 

I just know from my past experience at my undergrad institution all student housing was surrounding the campus so in a sense there was a giant student ghetto EXTREMELY close to campus.  So socializing and meeting people was easy, this seems to be vastly different than Notre Dame and I just want to make sure I get in a complex/neighborhood that will allow me to meet people. 

 

Additionally, if anyone has any opinions on the grad housing provided through the school I would also take that option into consideration, I just don't know how I feel about doing the whole random roommate thing again seems sooo undergrad to me, lol.  It either turns out to be an amazing situation or an absolutely abysmal situation.... at least in my experiences.

[Sparky]

Pretty much all the apartments right around campus are undergrad-heavy, which means LOUD. Also that thieves *will* break in and steal things over school breaks. There is the Foundry, which is quiet, although that is upwards of $1000/month. If you are set on living off campus, the University Park apartments are something to check into. A decent grad student population, quiet, and located on the bus route to campus.

 

The other option for living close to campus is to rent a house, which seems to be at least what most people in my department do. You'll generally pay more the closer you live to campus. The landlords have a lot of experience with student rentals and will actually usually advertise on their websites which houses are appropriate for grad students/visiting faculty (i.e. which ones are in quiet neighborhoods versus undergrad party areas).

 

I, personally, am a huge fan of grad housing, at least if you can get Fischer (the air-conditioned, 2-person apartments). They are *super* nice and *super* quiet, plus you're RIGHT THERE. O'Hara-Grace is a little rougher; they are older, the furniture is kind of grungy, no AC, the circuit breakers trip a lot, and four people sharing one freezer is...not easy. Both years I had fantastic roommates. People are generally pretty chill. FOG is very heavy on international students (understandably); my first year I had 3 roommates from various parts of China! So we had a lot of fun Netflixing every bad American teen movie you can think of to work on their English and knowledge of American culture. I'd be happily living in FOG still, by the way, except I wanted a dog. She is way worth the commute. I now rent a house, which is a little pricier than I'd like but quiet, convenient, and very much worth it.

 

If meeting people is your primary goal, live in FOG. They do *tons* of community programming, including weekly summer cookouts and schoolyear breakfasts!

[Angulimala]

Thanks for the insight, looks like I will do the grad school housing.  The international focus seems interesting.  I was just more worried about getting paired up with someone who likes to "party" etc. (but having someone thats at the complete other end of the spectrum is also unfavorable too,) but its nice to see that the facility as a whole is chill.  After looking into it the pricing seems relatively comparable to other apt complexes in the area, and you can't beat that walk to campus. 

 

But hopefully I do not get stuck without A/C.  I'd rather have a cold apt in the winter than a hot apt in the summer/spring months... yuck.  Do you know if they allow window units????

[Sparky]

IIRC, the windows in OG won't work with a window AC unit. And really, I wouldn't trust the electric systems in the townhouses to handle them! The Fischer apts, however, are not cold in the winter unless you turn the thermostat down.

 

FOG has 24-hour quiet hours. The most disturbance you'll get, barring a truly disastrous roommate situation (and the RA's are very good at mediating, apparently), are the business students who tailgate in FOG on football Saturdays!

 

Yeah, I really, really wish they allowed pets.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Sparky

[punkybugsy]

can anyone recommend a good vet in the area by any chance? my dog has a history of health problems (bladder stones that have resulted in multiple surgeries) so I want to make sure I get a good vet relatively quickly, but I have no idea how to go about figuring that out...

 

I take mine to Kryder out in Granger - I also like Western Veterinary Clinic.  I used to go to Family Pet Health Center, however, they were quite pricey - no complaints about the care though.  They charge a $40 exam fee per animal per visit though, so just walking in the door costs $40 and I had three pets so each visit was a minimum of $120 which I've never had at any other vet so I switched to the others.

[punkybugsy]

Also - I'm looking for a roommate to move in in August - for anyone looking I own my house and have 2 cats and a dog (black lab).  The common living spaces are furnished and I believe my roommate is considering selling her furniture (she's moving in with her boyfriend).  The space is the entire upstairs which is a bedroom plus a small living room.  I have a fenced in backyard.  I'm open to having other pets in the house with the provision that they get along with the current ones.  I'm try to keep the place clean and I'd like a roommate who is also relatively neat.  Message me if you're interested and I can send along pictures.

[Loimographia]

Like Punkybugsy, my roommate and I are looking for a third roommate. I also have a dog (toy poodle, she doesn't shed and loves all people), and we'd welcome another dog but she doesn't get along well with cats or birds. My roommate and I are both laid back and quiet -- my last roommates were a little party-crazy and I'm looking to avoid that this time around (please, just don't have wild 30+ people around the week final papers are due,is that so hard?). Rent is crazy-cheap ($267 + utilities, which are around $80) and within walking distance of campus plus a block away from the grocery store. The room is furnished with a queen bed and desk, and the house has air conditioning and cable internet. If anyone's interested, let me know!

[gr8pumpkin]

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm fairly certain that there is no such thing as a loft in South Bend and anything described as "charming" is certainly in short supply. South Bend itself is an economically depressed area, suffering (like much of the region) form the industry-wide decline of manufacturing.

I lived on campus during the academic year and can tell you that the Fischer on campus apartments are pretty nice, though considering that you have to share an apartment with a stranger (with your own bedroom of course), the 570ish rent isn't too hot, but does include utilities minus cable. The Ohara Grace on campus apartments aren't nearly as nice (ok, but no AC and you will have three roommates rather than one). Living on or very close to campus is key, especially during the Winter and on football weekends. Walking is really your only option on football Saturdays, as parking is insane, normal roads become one way only, and even the library becomes a drinking spot for alumni (somehow they got the code to the grad study room on the 10th floor in 2006). The other tip is that if you're looking off campus, try to get an apartment as early as possible, because the undergrads swallow up the best places VERY quickly and in some cases there are long waiting lists.

You will really want to limit where you look for housing to South Bend, Mishawaka, and maybe the outskirts of Granger. Anything farther than that becomes impractical and more expensive. There are some nicer mid-range apartments in Mishawaka and the only areas I would really avoid are the ones you can tell for yourself upon first glance. Some streets in poor areas have every other house boarded up due to abandonment.

 

 

I would throw in Niles, MI as a place to consider looking for housing.  It's adjacent to South Bend proper and potentially no more than a five to ten minute drive away.

 

I too grew up in Michiana.  I find it funny to hear people go on about how conservative South Bend is, because everything is relative.  Of course it's not the diverse metropolis Chicago is, but if you drive up north to the sixth congressional district of Michigan, they haven't sent a Democrat to Congress in over a hundred years.  At least South Bend is competitively bipartisan. 

[sociologynerd]

What does off-campus housing look like this year? What are the safest/cheapest places to rent? I'm looking for a room mate or two also! If anyone's interested PM me. I'll be attending the Sociology doctorate program this fall

[xor]

Hi I'm an international student who's just been admitted to Notre Dame's PhD program. This will be my first time in the US. I have not yet accepted the Notre Dame offer because I am comparing options, including housing and safety. I'll love to live in a safe area within 10 to 15 minutes of the campus. Where should I be looking at, and what should I budget? Am I generally better off taking the Cripe street apartments? (I'm married). Thanks.

[StatsG0d]

On 2/15/2015 at 10:54 PM, bananasinpajamas said:

I have just been accepted to Notre Dame's PhD program, and I was wondering if anyone could fill me in on South Bend's attitude towards minority races and interracial couples...

My boyfriend and I are thinking about moving to South Bend together. I'm Asian American and he's mixed (but looks Latino.) We're living in Southern California right now, and it's a pretty liberal state. We already sometimes get weird looks while we're out together, but I never fear for our safety.

I might be a bit paranoid for worrying about this, but because of everything that has been going on (Ferguson, UNC Chapel Hill shooting,) I'm a bit worried about potential hate crimes. I've lived in California all my life so I have no idea how people feel in conservative states.

 

When I visited Notre Dame, I got the feeling that everyone was pretty open-minded. So I'm not worried about how people at the university will feel. However, my boyfriend won't be attending the university, and I don't know what the attitudes are of the other people living in South Bend. Has anyone lived here that can shed some light on this? 

 

First of all, congrats. I'm from NW Indiana, and I've been to South Bend several times. I would say Notre Dame has a pretty diverse student population for a Catholic school.  South Bend itself is over one-quarter black and over 10% hispanic. NW Indiana is not like the rest of Indiana--we're more open minded than the rest of the state. Also, be sure to check out Cambodian Thai. By far the best Thai food I've ever had, and I've been to Chicago and DC Thai restaurants.

 

On 2/17/2015 at 10:45 PM, xor said:

Hi I'm an international student who's just been admitted to Notre Dame's PhD program. This will be my first time in the US. I have not yet accepted the Notre Dame offer because I am comparing options, including housing and safety. I'll love to live in a safe area within 10 to 15 minutes of the campus. Where should I be looking at, and what should I budget? Am I generally better off taking the Cripe street apartments? (I'm married). Thanks.

 

I've never lived there, so I can't really help you here. I wouldn't say South Bend is the safest place in the world, but you would feel very safe anywhere around campus. 

[xor]

I've never lived there, so I can't really help you here. I wouldn't say South Bend is the safest place in the world, but you would feel very safe anywhere around campus. 

 

Thank you. This is really helpful. I have found some good information on housing.

 

Can anyone help with information about cost of living vs. graduate stipends? Is approximately $10k per year sufficient to get by for a married student with no kids, if rent is already handled (working wife, but we may want to save her salary for a rainy day)?

[serenade]

Has anybody ever lived in the new apartment complex called the Overlook? Any info on monthly rent? Is it feasible on a grad stipend ($19,000-$23,000)? Also, is it already booked solid for 2015-2016 since it's brand new?