Santa Cruz, CA

[Eco PlantGirl]

Bumping this one up.

 

Has anyone lived in the graduate dorms on campus or know what they are like?

 

The city seems really cool and I'd be happy to be a future banana slug.

 

Hey! I may also someday be a banana slug. Unfortunately, I don't know much about the grad dorms on campus, though.

 

When I went for an interview, most of the students suggested finding a place on the "west side" if possible. The city definitely seems like a cool place, though. If only more SC grad students were on this forum!

[teacherplease]

Yeah, the city seems awesome.  It's so pretty there and really has a vibe all its own. 

 

I guess my only worry is that the hippies will be those pretentious "cooler-than-thou" type of hippies. Don't get me wrong, I love me some hippies, but I just hope that it's not a bunch of undergrads who think that they are tres awesome just because they have dreads or something. 

 

I'm sure there are people like that at every college, but being that SC is known to have a liberal feeling to it, I just hope its not the annoying kind. 

 

Ugh, I sound so judgmental. 

[LarissaEglem]

I'm also applying for Fall 2014. My master's advisor obtained his M.S and PhD in UCSC. He tells me the city and University are really beautiful!

 

I have talked to a PhD student from the CE Department and he told me the dorms are great but extremely expensive. If I'm not mistaken, the housing website has information on grad dorms. They cost a little more than $1000 per/month individual room.

[teacherplease]

Wow! $1000/ month! 

 

Does anyone know a general price for off campus housing in a safe part of town?

[Eco PlantGirl]

Wow! $1000/ month! 

 

Does anyone know a general price for off campus housing in a safe part of town?

From what I understand, it's typically ~$700 for a single room in a home with a few housemates, in a reasonable part of town. Of course, it varies. I've been told to avoid the boardwalk area and stick to the west side if I go.

[teacherplease]

What kind of stuff is there to do in town? It seems like it would be a lively place, but is the social scene more consticted to house parties, or is there an active nightlife/ bar presence?

[plusfort]

I was accepted to the psychology PHD program over the weekend (no word on the funding package yet), so I've started to check out the area of Santa Cruz. So far, what I can gather is that it's really pretty but really expensive!

 

If I choose SC, I'll be looking for a studio or 1BR without roommates. Any idea where to look for apartments (both on and off campus)? And if I do live off campus, is it feasible to get around without a car? 

[gk210]

I did my undergrad at UCSC, and it was some of the best years of my life. Let me tell you, it is quite possibly one of the most beautiful campuses I've ever seen. You can see the Monterrey Bay from the hilltops walking down to the campus East Remote parking. Get this--it's a school that's in the middle of a forest but literally right by the coastline, so the beach is just a bike ride down. What used to be a sleepy little surf town is definitely growing a lot more; lots to do downtown, two theaters, and the bars are really cool. I'd say it's quite feasible to get around without a car; my first year at school I didn't have a car, but every UCSC student can get around by bus for free. The downtown buses are quite easy to follow and simple to use, really. The schedules are posted at every bus stop. 

 

My only problem with SC off campus is that housing is so expensive. Most of these landlords that rent out houses to college students did whatever they could to take advantage of kids. They'd just raise rent even if the house is in super shitty shape. We definitely should not have paid as much as we did with the shape the house was in when we first moved in. I admit, the people that lived in it before us were a bunch of hippies that kept the house in HORRIBLE shape. The carpet was unspeakable...and they had a kid living in the walk-in closet in the upstairs double. Ridiculous!

 

The closer your place of residence is to campus, the more expensive it will be. I lived in a house off King Street (super close to campus) my senior year, a 5 bedroom house, and rent was 5000 a month between the 7 of us. I shared a double with someone and I paid $750 a month, not including utilities. Utilities and water bill I paid about on average $25-30 per month each. Not the cheapest area (I doubt anywhere in NorCal really is). The houses off campus aren't in the greatest shape (the house I lived in had a washing machine that broke literally every other week, and the toilet wouldn't work at least every other week as well.) 

 

I know that if you look for apartments downtown they might be the same...My friends lived in 2 bedroom apartments by downtown on Lincoln and paid about on average anywhere between $700-800 for their own rooms. It isn't too bad, considering I paid $750 to SHARE. 

 

Other than that, SC is a beautiful place. The boardwalk is always worth checking out, the bars are great, so if you're 21 check out the Red Room, The Blue Lagoon (super divey but 80s night every Thursday is always super fun) or 99 Bottles, and lots to do during the day as well. We're only about an hour 15 min or so south of San Francisco, and 40 minutes away from San Jose/Sunnyvale/Palo Alto area, so both are a good distance enough to party out there on the weekends. I partied up in the city a lot my senior year. San Jose Airport was the airport that most kids would fly out from to go home for break and stuff. Closest In-n-Out was in San Jose, so we all suffered. Lots of cute local businesses; SC was really big on supporting local/private owned businesses/mom-and-pop stores.

There are always rallies and protests around fast food establishments, or "No more GMO!" picketers around downtown. You could only imagine so....most everyone over there hated corporate establishments, preservatives/chemicals in food, and carnivores, so if you're into that hippie mindset, SC is the perfect place for you. 

 

Also, if you're an avid marijuana user, don't even think about going anywhere else.

Edited February 3, 2014 by gk210

[plusfort]

Any grad students have an estimate on how how much I can expect to pay for tuition and fees for a PhD program, or does that depend on the type and amount of funding I receive?

[LarissaEglem]

I'm really anxious to hear from UCSC! Anyone also applying for CE? If accepted, I'm actually considering the grad dorms, at least for the first semester. Anybody here who has lived in the dorms?

[LarissaEglem]

HI guys,

 

I recently got accepted in UCSC CE Department. Anyone going there this Fall? I've been searching craiglist for a place to rent. The on-campus rent is too high, $1019. Does anyone here intend to go and has also been considering renting off-campus?

 

Best regards,

Larissa.

Edited March 13, 2014 by LarissaEglem

[juiceboxrampage]

Yay Santa Cruz! Anyone have any info for 2015?

Here are my weird hippie questions, but really any insights into the city or campus would be great.

What are the housing co-ops like? Any info on the general culture or vibes of each co-op would be great.

I've heard rumors that there's a big tree squat up in the forests of UCSC somewhere. Is this true?

How is the alternative food situation? It seems like there are some food co-ops -- are they the type that have cheap bulk food, or the type that have very small packages of super expensive gluten free organic food? I've heard dumpster diving has become harder with more stores getting compactors. Is diving still feasible?

Are there other cool alternative, co-op-y, radical things in the area to get involved in?

Thanks a ton!

[szdat]

I'm thinking about accepting an offer from History of Consciousness.  But this place looks like it has expensive rents!  Where are the affordable places to live? Would like to be able to public transit to campus.

 

Please PM me if you are thinking about moving to Santa Cruz and looking for a roommate.

[quietedge]

I currently live here and SC is having a huge housing crisis at the moment. A lot of my friends could not find off campus housing and had to live in a surrounding town. SC is small so if you live on the west side or downtown it is easy to take the bike shuttle to campus or the metro buses which are both free for students.

There are small co ops but don't really know the reputation. Its more like a group of people all deciding to live in huge houses off campus.

You will have to try hard for housing. I think the university has a listing for off campus places but I found mine on craigslist. Paid 700 for a single room in a shared apartment. If you go further away you can find cheaper but 700 or more is average for a room.

Edited February 22, 2015 by quietedge

[ghostoverground]

Does anyone have any advice about looking for off-campus housing in Santa Cruz? Is Craigslist the only way to go?

[juiceboxrampage]

Does anyone have any advice about looking for off-campus housing in Santa Cruz? Is Craigslist the only way to go?

Since Santa Cruz is in a housing crisis right now, I've heard from many locals that the only way to find decent housing is to know people personally. Try visiting the area, ask your friends if they have friends there, and get in contact with student groups that you have interest in.

You can use Craigslist and other online postings, but I've heard that each Craigslist post gets tons and tons of responses, so it's rare to be the one they pick if you don't have connections.

Just make sure you're writing detailed emails to craigslist ads to show how you're a great applicant and make you competitive. This is true if you're trying to find housing anywhere, but especially when housing is scarce, sending a one line "hey can I move in thx" email won't cut it.

[Issaq87]

Went to UCSC for my undergrad a couple years back. Now im moving back this summer for their Masters in Teaching program. Anyone on here moving to Santa Cruz next year feel free to hit me up. Looking for housing can be a bit of a nightmare like people on her have said. So finding a couple of roommates is key. If your crazy and a stoner don't bother messaging. But if your just one of the two I guess you can message me. Beggars cant be choosers. 

[radicule]

Hi! UCSC finally sent out their offer letters and I got one. They're offering me 20,668 for three quarters, and the student approved fees is 364 per quarter (for three quarters?) so I'm guessing I'll be left with about 19+ for the year. This is already not fantastic because I'm from India and I was hoping to be able to visit home every year. Can someone give me a sense of what the living expenses are like at Santa Cruz, and how I'll fare with this much money?

[MikeTheFronterizo]

On 3/17/2017 at 0:18 AM, radicule said:

Hi! UCSC finally sent out their offer letters and I got one. They're offering me 20,668 for three quarters, and the student approved fees is 364 per quarter (for three quarters?) so I'm guessing I'll be left with about 19+ for the year. This is already not fantastic because I'm from India and I was hoping to be able to visit home every year. Can someone give me a sense of what the living expenses are like at Santa Cruz, and how I'll fare with this much money?

Hi! I just finished my undergrad here.

Did you mean $20,668 for three years? If so, 19k a year will be hard but you can make it work. Everything everyone has mentioned is still true but rent is skyrocketing here. I currently have a two bedroom apartment and we pay (among three of us) $1785 a month plus electric and internet. We have had our rent increase twice in three years. I live pretty far for commuting without car: 15min walk to bus stop plus a 20  a minute bus to campus about 10 minutes with car but traffic can take up to 30 minutes. 

A single in a house could cost you upwards of $700 without utilities. The closer to campus the more expensive it gets. Even if you have roommates, expect to pay at least $600. 

Other than rent, everything is really the same price as the rest of the US. UCSC students have a bus pass incorporated into there fees. All you have to do is show your id card on any SCmetro bus and they let you one. A huge plus when commuting around town.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

[nafizamin]

On 3/17/2017 at 1:18 PM, radicule said:

Hi! UCSC finally sent out their offer letters and I got one. They're offering me 20,668 for three quarters, and the student approved fees is 364 per quarter (for three quarters?) so I'm guessing I'll be left with about 19+ for the year. This is already not fantastic because I'm from India and I was hoping to be able to visit home every year. Can someone give me a sense of what the living expenses are like at Santa Cruz, and how I'll fare with this much money?

"and the student approved fees is 364 per quarter"- what exactly is that ? I'm from Bangladesh and will be facing a similar situation like you.  

 

[MikeTheFronterizo]

24 minutes ago, nafizamin said:

"and the student approved fees is 364 per quarter"- what exactly is that ? I'm from Bangladesh and will be facing a similar situation like you.  

 

There is a $364 student fee every quarter that includes bus pass, gym, and other student expenses. They frame it like it is an option but you are forced to pay it. It is not included in tuition.

[radicule]

On 3/21/2017 at 9:57 AM, MikeTheFronterizo said:

Hi! I just finished my undergrad here.

Did you mean $20,668 for three years? If so, 19k a year will be hard but you can make it work. Everything everyone has mentioned is still true but rent is skyrocketing here. I currently have a two bedroom apartment and we pay (among three of us) $1785 a month plus electric and internet. We have had our rent increase twice in three years. I live pretty far for commuting without car: 15min walk to bus stop plus a 20  a minute bus to campus about 10 minutes with car but traffic can take up to 30 minutes. 

A single in a house could cost you upwards of $700 without utilities. The closer to campus the more expensive it gets. Even if you have roommates, expect to pay at least $600. 

Other than rent, everything is really the same price as the rest of the US. UCSC students have a bus pass incorporated into there fees. All you have to do is show your id card on any SCmetro bus and they let you one. A huge plus when commuting around town.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Hey Mike! Thanks a lot for this reply. Not three years, but three quarters, so basically every year I get 20+. The program will go on for more than three years, at present I only have information about the first.
I've heard about the high rent earlier on the forum too, and it worries me a bit. The campus housing isn't that much better: it's around $ 1100 a month from what I can understand! What's funny is that their funding falls short or barely meets the cost of living estimates on their own website! My problem right now is that I have no bargaining power. My other offer is from UMass Amherst where I'm getting almost the same amount. I'm wait listed at Brandeis and Minnesota and I was really wishing I had something from those places so I could compare before making a decision!

I would love it if you could tell me a bit about the city: the weather, the culture, the security, etc. I know my questions are vague but I'm new to this

 

On 3/21/2017 at 11:53 PM, nafizamin said:

"and the student approved fees is 364 per quarter"- what exactly is that ? I'm from Bangladesh and will be facing a similar situation like you.  

 

nafizamin, have you applied to UCSC too? What's your offer like and what are you thinking about it?

[ZahP]

Just fyi as a black girl when I went to Santa Cruz I felt like I was in get out, the tension was weird and uncomfortable- I didnt feel safe at all.

[nafizamin]

On 3/27/2017 at 11:12 AM, radicule said:

nafizamin, have you applied to UCSC too? What's your offer like and what are you thinking about it?

Yes, Im going into the ECE program. The offer is 19800 for 3 quarters (everything else is pretty much same as you I guess.) I have accepted it. 

Have you accepted ? If so, could you manage a decent housing yet ?  

[radicule]

On 4/3/2017 at 8:08 PM, nafizamin said:

Yes, Im going into the ECE program. The offer is 19800 for 3 quarters (everything else is pretty much same as you I guess.) I have accepted it. 

Have you accepted ? If so, could you manage a decent housing yet ?  

Is it 19800 before the student approved fees? I haven't accepted yet but probably will soon. I bargained a bit because Amherst was giving me an awesome fellowship and so UCSC offered a bit of summer/setup money which I'm hoping to use for flight tickets over the years! (I'm planning long ahead and I have no idea how that'll work out)!

No I have no idea about housing yet. I was thinking of going for campus housing in the beginning to make it a little easier for myself to settle down. I guess that might mean I'll get ripped off in the first year, but I figured it'd be much easier for me to find a place and roommates once I've been in the city for a while. I'm not decided on this though. 
But I was told in one of the emails that when you accept the offer you're put on the listserv, which makes it easier to find other students looking for/offering a place. Did you figure that out?