Columbia, MO

[sanch27]

Hello!

I would be joining University of Missouri Columbia this fall. I am an international student and do not plan on buying a car. I have been looking at the university run student apartments. However, from what I've gathered is that they have a huge waitlist and are difficult to get into. I was therefore looking at Ashland Manor or Staidum apartments. Any help or reviews regarding the same? Also, it would be great if someone could suggest good places with like 1 bedroom apartments, close to the campus, or those on the way of the campus shuttle. Also how close are the grocery stores located to these?

[Austen-sibly]

Bumping this for 2013 - does anyone have any new/further advice? I'm considering Mizzou, and would love to hear from some more recent voices. Thank you!

[Ansgar]

Apartments: Avoid The Reserve at all costs. When I say they almost killed my wife, I'm not exaggerating. Our upstairs neighbor had her water pipe burst, which they didn't shut off for 3 hours after the emergency maintenance number was called. They refused to do any cleanup or repair any damage even though our lights, oven and dishwasher were all fried. When the black mold started coming in, they refused to even look at it until my wife started having respiratory problems to the point that I had to move her into her mom's place in St. Louis while I packed the apartment. They "fixed" the black mold by painting the mold white and then tried to charge me $200 to break the lease after refusing to allow us to move to a different unit and started talking about a "cleanup and repair fee," both of which they backed off of once I threatened to tell every news station in the state about it (no legal recourse as Missouri eliminated mold protections from renters' rights due to it happening too often). Granted, your results may vary. (Lived there from Summer 07- Summer 08, so they may have changed since then)

 

Eateries: Gumby's Pizza is amazing, but eat there because it doesn't keep well during delivery. Okii Mama is not amazing, but is still quite good and very reasonably priced. Most of the Chinese restaurants are subpar at best. Lots of chain restaurants.

 

Shopping: Game City is great for gamers of the console variety. Ray (the owner) has a personal rule that if he doesn't have it, he will find it for you and carries everything from new releases on the current systems to the occasional Atari 2600 and even Sega CD games. The primary shopping area is the Columbia Mall with a decent selection of stores and a pretty average food court with a carousel in it.

 

Travel: The regional airport flies to and from Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth (one each way for CHI and two each way for DFW daily) with outdoor uncovered parking. If you want to fly out of St. Louis or Kansas City, MO Xpress charges $46 for one way or $86 round-trip, but you are expected to tip the driver. A car is a necessity in Columbia, even though it is one of the more cyclist friendly towns in the state.

 

*edited for grammar*

Edited February 21, 2013 by Ansgar

[AslanFollower]

Having lived in Columbia all my life, and gone to Mizzou for undergrad, I am a "little" bit familiar with the area.  The only subject I am not much help with is apartments, as I opted to live at home instead of taking out a loan.    

 

The locals think the mall is terrible, and several stores are threatening to go out of business, but it's decent and St. Louis is just an hour and a half away.  Dillard's, Penny's, Target, Barnes and Noble, Sears, small food court, and smaller stores as well.  Near the mall is a Macy's, Toys R Us, Best Buy, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Old Navy, Gap opening soon, etc.  There's a Kohls in town, Bass Pro, Joann's Fabrics, and several more.

 

As mentioned in previous posts, it is very much a university town.  Off of the top of my head I can think of six other campuses around town in addition to Mizzou, so most everywhere has some sort of student discount.

 

Speaking of which, two movie theaters in town that range from $5-12 depending on time of day, 3D, student ID (must be with you), etc.  Also, something called the RagTag Theater that shows documentary-like and lesser-known movies.  That one's downtown in what looks like a hole in the wall sort of place.

 

Shakespeare's Pizza was voted number one college hangout in the US about a year ago, it has three locations and is always a favorite.  Lots of chain restaurants (Applebee's, Ruby Tuesdays, Lone Star, Red Lobster, you get the idea).  A new favorite that just opened up a few months ago is Cheddar's, a less-common chain that serves amazing home-style food.

 

Cars are very handy, although as mentioned above, it is a very bike-friendly town and campus (says everybody but the locals that drive, but as long as you follow the rules they'll like you!).  There are three Walmarts, three HyVees, three Gerb's (smaller grocers), a Patricia's (local grocer), and some local markets that are scattered around town.  As far as traffic, I live outside of city limits on the southeast side of town and in order to get to campus at 8, I leave home at 7:30 and that gives me time to drive to campus, park, walk the 5-10mins to my class, and be there five minutes early.  Non-rush hour is even better, I usually leave around 20 til.  I'm in an organization on campus and have parking there, not in the commuter lot, so that all depends on where your class is and where your parking spot (if you're driving) is.

 

Nice big public library on the corner of downtown and far edge of campus that I think is pretty good.

 

The airport information is up to date from the previous post.  It's all American Airlines and Frontier right now, but Frontier is pulling out in May.

 

Hope this gives you a jumpstart!  Anything else you'd like to know?

 

M-I-Z!

[Sconnie]

What are some grad friendly apartments meaning not overrun by undergrads?

[commcomm]

@Sconnie Will you have a car? 

[Sconnie]

I will be bringing a car...on a side note I can give you some insight on Madison if you'd like as I did my undergrad there and live there now.

[commcomm]

Such a twist - I moved to Madison last year from Columbia. If you like Madison, you'll find it easy to fit in in Columbia. You'll also find that the winter doesn't last six months! I can deal with the cold but the crappy weather seems to drag on and on here...

 

I prefer the near west side of Madison and I prefer the south side of Columbia, if that helps you get an idea of the vibe. Grad students are more dispersed in Columbia - but I'd say you should only live super close to campus if you don't have a car. I take the bus and bike in Madison but I drove everywhere in Columbia. As a grad student, you can easily get a parking spot in one of the garages on campus. 

 

There is no real Madison "near east" equivalence in Columbia. There's East Campus - but that's undergrad territory. Undergrads also love all the Brookside buildings - and other apartment complexes that offer shuttles to downtown and campus. 

 

I rented at Katy Place, Walnut Brook and DBC rentals while I was in Columbia. I liked them all. No matter what you choose, you'll get a lot of bang for your buck in CoMo.

 

And while the microbrews aren't quite up to par with what Wisconsin has to offer, do try the beers at Flat Branch. 

[Makarem]

Hi,

 

I am a grad student going to Mizzou for fall 2013, I need some info about housing! Where can I find a clean apartment with affordable price? Also if I want to furnish the house myself how much does it cost? Is it better to rent a furnished house? Also I don't have any plan to by a car so I need a place close to Mizzou!  

 

Thanks

[serpentina02]

Does anyone have current information on furnished affordable apartments in walking distance? I read the online off-campus housing guide and googled many apartments, but most google reviews are horrible...

[LiaLuver]

Hey everyone,

I'll be attending Mizzou this summer and does anyone have any updated information on apartments with great amenities?  I'm moving with children so student housing is not an option for me and when I first move I will not have a car.  Thank you.

[Maylee]

Hello! I'm going to try to bump this as well. I visited campus but didn't have time to check out the local area (it was also horrible weather), and I'm curious about more recent perspectives. I'm getting ready to make a final decision on my college choice soon. I did get things from tourism to look over, but those are half advertisements and I prefer to hear it from a local. Specifically, if you have any information on the following I would really appreciate it!

1. Graduate/older adult housing (I have a cat ? and am protected by the FHA with medical documentation, but I prefer to just use pet friendly to avoid the hassle)

2. Hiking/camping (is the city conducive to outdoor activities and overall wellness/creativity)

3. Walkability and public transit

4. General quality of life