Davis, CA

[Mrs. Grad]

I'm reviving this thread for 2011 applicants.

My husband accepted Davis' offer yesterday (yay!) and we have our move date set for July. We've yet to decided whether we want to live in Midtown Sacramento or Davis. Both seem to have their advantages and disadvantages.

Is anyone else considering an offer from Davis at the moment? What are you planning to do for housing?

[UnlikelyGrad]

I'm reviving this thread for 2011 applicants.

My husband accepted Davis' offer yesterday (yay!) and we have our move date set for July. We've yet to decided whether we want to live in Midtown Sacramento or Davis. Both seem to have their advantages and disadvantages.

Is anyone else considering an offer from Davis at the moment? What are you planning to do for housing?

I'm not, but I was a couple of years ago. I think we had pretty much decided on living in Woodland. It's about the same amount of time as the drive from Sacramento, but you could definitely get more bang for your buck.

[dubi]

I'm reviving this thread for 2011 applicants.

My husband accepted Davis' offer yesterday (yay!) and we have our move date set for July. We've yet to decided whether we want to live in Midtown Sacramento or Davis. Both seem to have their advantages and disadvantages.

Is anyone else considering an offer from Davis at the moment? What are you planning to do for housing?

I've lived in both and I would definitely live in Davis over Mid-town Sacramento. First, the commute over the causeway is killer, and second, I LOVE DAVIS. It's a great laid-back environment. My husband was got his doctorate there and we lived in the Atrium. It's one of the most bike friendly city in the country. I miss the farmer's market on Wednesday and Friday. The night life is better in Sacramento, but I would choose Davis, hands down. Have you visited Davis yet?

[Mrs. Grad]

Have you visited Davis yet?

Yes. Both my husband and I actually grew up nearby (I was raised in Vacaville and he lived in Vallejo) so it's a little bit like returning home.

The only reason Midtown really appeals to us is its contrast from our undergraduate experience. We've spent the last 4 years in Ashland, a quiet, environmentally-friendly bike/college town, so we're hoping on gaining some new experiences. Either way, one of us will have to commute, as it's unlikely that I'll be able to find work in my field (broadcasting) in Davis itself.

[Mrs. Grad]

My husband and I have been looking into signing a lease with the Arlington Farm apartments in Davis. I read the reviews on Davis wiki, but I was wondering if any past/present UC Davis students could vouch for the quality of life at Arlington.

[mesocyclone]

I'm just finishing up my undergrad at Davis and preparing to move on, but I've got to say...I'm going to miss the place.

If you plan to live anywhere within the city limits of Davis, you really don't need to own a car. As has been mentioned, Davis is an extremely bike friendly town, and it's not just the "hardcore cyclists" here who use a bike to commute every or almost every day to school/work. I live in North Davis at the moment (Temescal Apartments--I can vouch for the location and the management, if that's any use!), and I'm perfectly happy to bike the ~2 miles to campus each day. Any two points in Davis are no more than 15-20 minutes away by bike, and the student-run UNITRANS bus system is pretty comprehensive for a relatively small town, so it's extremely reasonable to forgo the expense of a car. Zipcar has also made a convenient appearance in Davis both on and off campus, so that's an additional option for short trips. Yolobus (which is free to students) is an option for travel from Davis to Sacramento, Woodland, or Sac Int. Airport, and generally runs every hour or so on weekdays and somewhat less frequently on weekends.

If you're willing to share an apartment, rents in Davis can be rather reasonable (by Northern California standards, in any case). Rents at my apartment complex (and I suspect at others as well, given the existence of the communally agreed-upon Davis Model Lease) have actually decreased this year after increasing monotonically each year for as long as anyone I've talked to can remember. You could probably get away with $450-650/month, assuming you want your own bedroom but are flexible regarding most of the other details of your living situation. The lower end of that range would probably entail splitting a 3/4 bedroom apartment with 3/4 people and living moderately far away from campus (still within biking distance, of course). The higher end of that range might allow you to rent a 1 bedroom apartment for yourself fairly far from campus or split a larger 2-bedroom closer to campus. Obviously, rents at some complexes, especially in West Davis and near campus/downtown, may run higher, but it you're persistent (especially in the current economic climate) I think the above rents are attainable.

Davis can indeed be a quiet place, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences. For the record, I've never been bored here, but Amtrak is a great (if slightly expensive) way to get into downtown Sacramento or the Bay Area if you so desire.

I also second the suggestion that all those interested in Davis check out DavisWiki (http://daviswiki.org). This is a fantastic resource for all things Davis, and I will miss it dearly.

[dunkelblauecola]

Is anybody moving to Davis this summer? I recently accepted my offer to a PhD program at UC Davis (yays!).

[jldstudio]

I'll be moving the first week of September! MFA fine arts program. I enjoyed my visit there earlier this year. I found a room to rent in the old north Davis area.

[Soleil ت]

I just moved to Sacramento a few months ago, and the only time I was "in" Davis was on my way to San Francisco.  If there hadn't been a sign on the interstate telling me I was passing through Davis, I think I would have missed it!  Glad to hear the positive things, though.  I'm also applying.

[tip3r]

I'm reviving this thread again. I will be attending UC Davis this fall.

I've never visited Davis and I have already leased an apartment (without seeing it :s). It's at University village (one bed/bath in a four bed/bath apartment).

My wife will be joining me half way through the year and we'd like to move into a two bedroom. I noticed that apartments are pretty pricey. Would it be possible to find a decent two bedroom around $1000 - $1200?

 

Thanks,

[brownpickle22]

I know Davis very well. AMA! Feel free to PM me

 

Housing, life etc etc

 

Good luck!!

[fluff poo]

I'm reviving this thread again. I will be attending UC Davis this fall.

I've never visited Davis and I have already leased an apartment (without seeing it :s). It's at University village (one bed/bath in a four bed/bath apartment).

My wife will be joining me half way through the year and we'd like to move into a two bedroom. I noticed that apartments are pretty pricey. Would it be possible to find a decent two bedroom around $1000 - $1200?

 

Thanks,

University Village is a nice place to live.  A few of my friends lived their during their undergrad and it was relatively quiet with quite a few amenities.  Only downside is that it's not close to campus, but Davis is a small city so driving/bus won't take too long.  

 

Apartments are pricey because the cost of living in Davis is pretty high.  If you're looking for a two bedroom apartment, here is a link that shows a few in your price range (http://www.apartmentfinder.com/Zip-Codes/95616-Apartments).  As far as those apartments on J street, they're borderline decent and located near a homeless shelter I believe.  The best apartments on a budget are Russell Park, Orchard Park, or Solano Park.  They're cheap, right next to campus, and located near shopping areas.  

 

Daviswiki.org is a website that'll be vital during your time in Davis.  You can find information about almost anything, including apartments (http://daviswiki.org/Apartments)

Edited June 13, 2013 by fluff poo

[Maleficent999]

This is all very helpful! Thanks previous posters!

[seeingeyeduck]

Hi everybody,

 

I just got accepted into Davis for a MFA program, and I'm starting to do some research about transportation. I still have to see where else I get accepted, but I want to figure the numbers out since if the numbers are doable, then Davis would sure start to look better.

 

I live in SF right now and am really not sure whether it would be more cost effective to try to commute (I assume ~3x /wk?) via the Berkeley shuttle or train, to drive/carpool, or to just rent a really cheap room there for the week and go home on the weekend? I'm in a long term relationship with someone who works in the city, so I'm not really considering moving to Davis full time. I'm not sure if I'm getting a stipend at all, and it seems like a lot of money if a one-way ride is $11, plus I'd still have to BART to the city. I'm leaning toward the public transit options since I'm really sick of driving in East Bay traffic and I like being able to do work/read, but it looks like a crazy 2 hrs each way! It seems like most people who carpool or commute do so from the East Bay and not the city? Is it doable at all, or will I go insane?

 

Also, in terms of commuting and grad school - is it inherently a disadvantage, since most people will be living nearby and hanging out together while I go off at the end of each day? I was looking forward to having more camaraderie with a group of folks esp since I had to commute for the last year or so of my undergrad and consequently never really got close to any of my peers even though we were friendly. The program will be small, so I feel like it will be even more pronounced - but then again, do a lot of people have families and other commitments anyway in grad school?

 

I really like the program and professors, but the logistics are a bear!

Edited February 5, 2014 by iomarch

[GeoDUDE!]

Hi everybody,

 

I just got accepted into Davis for a MFA program, and I'm starting to do some research about transportation. I still have to see where else I get accepted, but I want to figure the numbers out since if the numbers are doable, then Davis would sure start to look better.

 

I live in SF right now and am really not sure whether it would be more cost effective to try to commute (I assume ~3x /wk?) via the Berkeley shuttle or train, to drive/carpool, or to just rent a really cheap room there for the week and go home on the weekend? I'm in a long term relationship with someone who works in the city, so I'm not really considering moving to Davis full time. I'm not sure if I'm getting a stipend at all, and it seems like a lot of money if a one-way ride is $11, plus I'd still have to BART to the city. I'm leaning toward the public transit options since I'm really sick of driving in East Bay traffic and I like being able to do work/read, but it looks like a crazy 2 hrs each way! It seems like most people who carpool or commute do so from the East Bay and not the city? Is it doable at all, or will I go insane?

 

Also, in terms of commuting and grad school - is it inherently a disadvantage, since most people will be living nearby and hanging out together while I go off at the end of each day? I was looking forward to having more camaraderie with a group of folks esp since I had to commute for the last year or so of my undergrad and consequently never really got close to any of my peers even though we were friendly. The program will be small, so I feel like it will be even more pronounced - but then again, do a lot of people have families and other commitments anyway in grad school?

 

I really like the program and professors, but the logistics are a bear!

 

 

If you want the traditional "Graduate School" experience you will need to live in davis; often times me and the rest of the department shuttle out of the geology building (at my school, not Davis) and grab some brews after work. It will be very hard for you to do things like that because of your long commute.

 

It helps that you don't have labwork since you are in an MFA. I see no reason why you need to be on campus every day if you dont have a GA from a education point of view. I probably would commute, i think its fairly common for MFA people to do.

 

 

 

On the converse side, a room in davis is going to set you back, but you can live further away if you have a car so it might be cheaper.

 

 

Congratz on getting into Davis... there is a good chance I will be attending aswell.  

[Maleficent999]

I wondered the same thing about living in Sacramento just to save some money (I'm not from the area orginially) but a friend of mine did her undergrad at Davis and said that trying to commute on the causeway would be a huge pain the backside. I do have a car so I might look a little further out than central Davis in order to cut some costs. When push comes to shove, I'll do what I have to to make my stipend work. I've heard a lot of people say that they don't end up being that close with their cohort anyway so you might not miss out? Just depends what you want out of it. If you're just there for the degree then commuting probably won't be a problem.

Edited February 5, 2014 by Maleficent999

[seeingeyeduck]

It helps that you don't have labwork since you are in an MFA. I see no reason why you need to be on campus every day if you dont have a GA from a education point of view. I probably would commute, i think its fairly common for MFA people to do.

Congratz on getting into Davis... there is a good chance I will be attending aswell.

Thanks! Did you just get accepted this year too?

I just wondered if people hang out at the studios and end up talking. But maybe people would be working in their studios rather. I will have to figure out how to make work if I'm going to commute. That's the part I don't know. It will take time out of class so it's not like I can just hop back on the shuttle right after class ends, I don't think.

They told me recruitment day was 3/6 so maybe I will have a chance to dig around....

[Monochrome Spring]

I currently go to UC Davis and would be more than happy to answer any questions you have (if I have an answer). Personally, I think you don't get the full experience of Davis if you don't live in Davis. As for avoiding the causeway, there is also the option of living in Winters or Woodland, which would be about the same commute time.

[Maleficent999]

I prefer to live alone but it seems like most of the 1 bedrooms or studios I'm finding online are $900+ and I definitely can't afford that on my stipend. Any current or past Davis students know of places to look or ways to find less expensive single-person living?

Edited February 7, 2014 by Maleficent999

[Crucial BBQ]

Davis gets a bad rap, but it's mostly from people who have never been there.

I loved my experience as an undergrad. The town is very suburban despite its undeserved reputation as a rural school. You can see Sacramento in the horizon from many town locations. It's apparently the second most educated town in the country, but I am unsure of the metric. The families who live here are very open and very friendly green-liberal-types. The town has gone out of its way to maintain a "progressive small town"feel.

There are many nice scenic walks and bike rides around town. The bike culture here is insane. If you are into bikes as I am, then you will be in heaven. I read a map once and the map showed that the town had more than 40 (!) parks where you bike around, walk, play softball, etc. Nice restaurants. Walking downtown is pleasant.

Weather: Varies between two extremes by California standards. Summer months are hot and dry (85-95deg av) and winters are cold and rainy (40s-50s days, 30s nights).

Where to go: I've lived in the Bay Area for all of my life, and many exciting things are in driving distance. San Francisco is 1.5 hours southwest, Sacramento is 15 minutes east, Napa range (for hiking) is 1 hour west, Napa valley is 1.5? hours west, the Sierras are 1.5 hours northeast, and Reno is 2.5 hours northeast. Indian casinos are within an hour by car.

Housing: The most expensive area is South Davis. North Davis is next. Students usually populate these two areas because these areas have shopping centers. West and East Davis are both in the lower in price, quieter, and less obnoxious (in my opinion). If you want to bike to campus, then live in South Davis or West Davis. These two areas have long, dedicated straightaway bike paths. You can bike to campus from just about everywhere since every street connects to a small bike path. Most people overestimate how often they will bike to campus, though, since the weather is rarely "perfect".

Houses are usually available but are variable in quality. Some of my friends had bad experiences with landlords trying to rip them off.

I was born and raised in Sacto, so I most definitely have been to Davis many, many, many.  In my opinion, Davis is boring.  Even for a college town it is boring. It is pretty cool if you are into bicycles, and the Davis to Sacramento bike trail is a nice ride, but there is really not much to do in town.  That is probably why people mention The Bay quite often.  Davis is also too far to the Left.  So much so that I am surprised the city and its residents have not banned car exhaust from 80 from entering its airspace. Also if you smoke anything other than marijuana, you be treated like a pariah.  Not very Liberal, in my opinion. 

 

One thing to keep in mind:  there are many rice fields near Davis...and these get burned once a year to make-way for next seasons crop.  The smoke from the burning crops is extremely irritating, in particular to your eyes.  It also has a peculiar smell...like burning rubber does.  

 

The smog/air quality can also get pretty bad.  Sacramento is something like the 8th most polluted city in the U.S. (actually, if I remember correctly, California has like five of the most polluted cities in the U.S.).  Davis is about 11 miles from Sacto, so the air quality is relatively the same.  If you have asthma, air quality might be an issue.  

 

Also, if you are not from California, and have zero allergies, chances are you will develop an allergy to something.  

 

And then there is coccidioidomycosis, or valley fever.  It is a fungus that lives in dirt.  People who are born in California have already been exposed to it, and chances of reinfection are rare, but for new comers it can give a terrible flu-like illness.  It is noninfectious from person-to-person, but it is airborne and generally can not be prevented.  Chances are if you get it, you will just think you have a bad case of the flu. Not to scare you, though.  You probably won't know you have it. 

 

I wondered the same thing about living in Sacramento just to save some money (I'm not from the area originally) but a friend of mine did her undergrad at Davis and said that trying to commute on the causeway would be a huge pain the backside. I do have a car so I might look a little further out than central Davis in order to cut some costs. When push comes to shove, I'll do what I have to to make my stipend work. I've heard a lot of people say that they don't end up being that close with their cohort anyway so you might not miss out? Just depends what you want out of it. If you're just there for the degree then commuting probably won't be a problem.

 

Not sure what websites you are looking at, but you can definitely find a studio in Davis for less than $900.  I looked not to long ago as UC Davis is one of the schools I applied to.  I found quite a few in the $600 to $700 range.  

 

As for the Causeway, traffic is not that bad, but I suppose it is what you are used to.  There is also a Yolo county bus that you can take from Downtown Sacto to Davis.  Not sure how often it runs, though.  There is also Amtrak, which operates a commuter train between Sacto and Oakland daily.  It stops in Davis.  

 

Sacramento, though, would not be cheaper than Davis, and most places that you would find cheaper are going to be cheaper for a reason: you don't want to live there. 

 

You might want to check out West Sac if you cannot find anything in Davis.  There is also Winters and Woodland, as already mentioned, and perhaps Dixon.  

I prefer to live alone but it seems like most of the 1 bedrooms or studios I'm finding online are $900+ and I definitely can't afford that on my stipend. Any current or past Davis students know of places to look or ways to find less expensive single-person living?

 

Edited February 7, 2014 by Crucial BBQ

[Crucial BBQ]

Hi everybody,

 

I just got accepted into Davis for a MFA program, and I'm starting to do some research about transportation. I still have to see where else I get accepted, but I want to figure the numbers out since if the numbers are doable, then Davis would sure start to look better.

 

I live in SF right now and am really not sure whether it would be more cost effective to try to commute (I assume ~3x /wk?) via the Berkeley shuttle or train, to drive/carpool, or to just rent a really cheap room there for the week and go home on the weekend? I'm in a long term relationship with someone who works in the city, so I'm not really considering moving to Davis full time. I'm not sure if I'm getting a stipend at all, and it seems like a lot of money if a one-way ride is $11, plus I'd still have to BART to the city. I'm leaning toward the public transit options since I'm really sick of driving in East Bay traffic and I like being able to do work/read, but it looks like a crazy 2 hrs each way! It seems like most people who carpool or commute do so from the East Bay and not the city? Is it doable at all, or will I go insane?

 

Also, in terms of commuting and grad school - is it inherently a disadvantage, since most people will be living nearby and hanging out together while I go off at the end of each day? I was looking forward to having more camaraderie with a group of folks esp since I had to commute for the last year or so of my undergrad and consequently never really got close to any of my peers even though we were friendly. The program will be small, so I feel like it will be even more pronounced - but then again, do a lot of people have families and other commitments anyway in grad school?

 

I really like the program and professors, but the logistics are a bear!

I've had two GFs who did grad school: one for an MFA at CSUS (aka Sac State) and one at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (hence, why I am currently in Maryland).  The one who got her MFA barely hung out with anyone in her cohort. Not sure if that was because of her degree/program or what, but she just didn't.  She did hang out with some of her prof's, though. The one who went to Hopkins definitely hung out with member of her cohort, generally to study, but also to help create a sense of community since practically everyone was new to the area and not from Baltimore or Maryland. 

 

As for commuting, I would seriously reconsider, but, there are plenty of people who work in the Bay Area yet reside in places as far away as Sacramento.  Personally, I would take the Amtrak as there would be more room, but for costs the UC shuttle might make more sense.  

[Maleficent999]

 

 

Not sure what websites you are looking at, but you can definitely find a studio in Davis for less than $900.  I looked not to long ago as UC Davis is one of the schools I applied to.  I found quite a few in the $600 to $700 range.  

 

As for the Causeway, traffic is not that bad, but I suppose it is what you are used to.  There is also a Yolo county bus that you can take from Downtown Sacto to Davis.  Not sure how often it runs, though.  There is also Amtrak, which operates a commuter train between Sacto and Oakland daily.  It stops in Davis.  

 

Sacramento, though, would not be cheaper than Davis, and most places that you would find cheaper are going to be cheaper for a reason: you don't want to live there. 

 

You might want to check out West Sac if you cannot find anything in Davis.  There is also Winters and Woodland, as already mentioned, and perhaps Dixon.  

 

 

 

I've been looking on Craigslist, a few of the property management company websites listed on Daviswiki, and the school's listing for available housing. Where else should I look? I also wonder if none are available just because it is the middle of the academic year.

Edited February 7, 2014 by Maleficent999

[seeingeyeduck]

I've had two GFs who did grad school: one for an MFA at CSUS (aka Sac State) and one at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (hence, why I am currently in Maryland).  The one who got her MFA barely hung out with anyone in her cohort. Not sure if that was because of her degree/program or what, but she just didn't.  She did hang out with some of her prof's, though. The one who went to Hopkins definitely hung out with member of her cohort, generally to study, but also to help create a sense of community since practically everyone was new to the area and not from Baltimore or Maryland. 

 

As for commuting, I would seriously reconsider, but, there are plenty of people who work in the Bay Area yet reside in places as far away as Sacramento.  Personally, I would take the Amtrak as there would be more room, but for costs the UC shuttle might make more sense.

Good to know! Thanks!

[nermah1]

nice info thx

[ravenray]

I prefer to live alone but it seems like most of the 1 bedrooms or studios I'm finding online are $900+ and I definitely can't afford that on my stipend. Any current or past Davis students know of places to look or ways to find less expensive single-person living?

Unfortunately that is pretty much how the one bedrooms run.  I currently rent one for that price.  However, the on-campus housing is a little bit cheaper but you have to get on the wait-list for a lot the places. http://www.housing.ucdavis.edu/prospective/graduate-professional-housing.asp

 

Now is actually the time to look for housing and sign contracts.  Lots of places are already signing contracts now.  When I transferred to Davis, I signed my contract the April before the Fall quarter.  

 

Another place to look for housing is on facebook groups like this one: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418689684823205/

 

The down side about commuting with a car is that Davis has ridiculously expensive on campus parking passes.  And driving over the causeway is a pain in the butt during peak hours, suddenly no one knows how to drive.  Inside Davis there is a very good bus system but it does cost grad students one buck per way.  Though I believe you can purchase bus passes.