Auburn, AL

[Guest sylves]

Any tigers out there?

[Guest sylves]

No tigers in here?

[SG]

No tigers in here?

I didn't go to Auburn, but I grew up in Alabama, so I know a bit about the town and campus. Auburn is a pretty nice little town. I haven't been there as a post 21-year-old, so I couldn't delve into too much detail about the nightlife, but all the friends I have that went there really liked it. The campus, is a bit too "blocky" for my tastes - a lot of the buildings are just big cubes sitting in the middle of fields - but then again, I went to Ole Miss, where all the architecture is Greek revival - so that's just what I'm used to, and I don't know if you'd even care. A lot of students live in mobile homes in Auburn - and no, I'm not kidding. I guess it could be kind of cool living in a big trailer park with a bunch of other 18-26 year olds, but again, it's just not for me. However, pretty much everybody at AU is extremely friendly, and will go out of their way to help you to feel welcome. If you're a sports person, the athletic facilities are pretty nice (Jordan-Hare Stadium is huge - and loud) and the team always does pretty well, so expect a nice atmosphere on fall Saturdays.

That's all I've got, but if you want to know any more specifics, there are other people that I can ask.

[Guest sylves]

Hi! Thank you very much for the info! I would like to hear also about cultural and recreational opportunities besides the sport ones, and about transportation within and outside the area.

[cahaba]

I'm considering going to Auburn too (Masters English) and I have a friend who just finished her English Masters there and will start on her Ph.D. next fall. She actually commutes to Auburn from Montgomery. I have only visited Auburn a couple of times. Montgomery, which is only about an hour's drive, has the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Atlanta isn't too far away for concerts, etc. Auburn is a fairly small college town, so for big city attractions you'd have to drive to Atlanta. It is kinda funny because the other day as I was leaving Auburn on Hwy 14 I left the campus and like 5 min later I was out in the country surrounded by cow fields! Lets see, from what I hear Auburn is zoned so that undergrads can only live in certain areas, which is kinda nice for T.A.s, ect who don't want to have to live right next door to a house full of their students. Opelika, the town right next to Auburn, has even lower cost of living than Auburn. There is a nice little State Park right next to Auburn. It doesn't have miles of trails or anything, but it has a pretty creek, a field for playing frizbee, and some trails, if I remember right. That's all I can think of right off. What department are you considering? And, if you don't mind my asking, where are you from?

[Guest guest]

I'm considering Auburn as well. There is a detailed city profile on the city website: http://www.auburnalabama.org/econdev/PDF/Profile.pdf claiming that Auburn is one of the most progressive cities of the South (?). It lists a theatre, a movie theatre a museum, a performing arts centre in Opelika, several parks, golf courses, sport centers (especially golf courses), restaurants, but no transportation besides the highways.

[cahaba]

In Alabama, golf courses are seen as great signs of progress. :roll:

I do know that it has the best public school system in the state, though.

[sylvester]

A few months ago prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said that because every Italian owns an average three tv sets, Italy is an advanced country and we shouldn't worry about the future.

Frankly, I prefer progress the Alabama way. 8)

P.S. Elections are coming right away...

[anriv]

My husband and I will be moving to Auburn for the fall semester. We're from Washington State and have never been to Alabama. We were hoping to visit Auburn before heading down there to get an idea about the housing situation, but we've decided it's too expensive to visit on top of the cost of moving (total around $8,000). Can anyone offer any advice about housing options? Also, I don't drive. Is public transit an option if we don't live super close to the campus?

Thanks!

[kferra]

Hi! My husband and I will be moving to Auburn this fall, too. He'll be starting a PhD in Forestry. We only live a few hours away so we were able to go check out the area a few weeks ago. We started by looking at the websites of some of the property management companies in Auburn and seeing what they have available in the next few months. There are a lot of townhomes, condos, duplexes, etc. available in the area. As for public transportation, you might want to search for info on the Tiger Transit bus system routes. I don't know how convenient they are, but I did see a lot of these buses around while we were there visiting.

When will you be making the move? We'll be in Auburn again on Mon and Tues, so if you see a place you might be interested in renting write me a PM and we can swing by and check out the neighborhood for you. We've done a couple of cross country moves in the past so I know how difficult it can be to do everything long distance!

Katy

My husband and I will be moving to Auburn for the fall semester. We're from Washington State and have never been to Alabama. We were hoping to visit Auburn before heading down there to get an idea about the housing situation, but we've decided it's too expensive to visit on top of the cost of moving (total around $8,000). Can anyone offer any advice about housing options? Also, I don't drive. Is public transit an option if we don't live super close to the campus?

Thanks!

[anriv]

That is so nice of you! But we are not at that stage in our planning yet. We are trying to wait as long as possible to move because we still need to pay rent on our current apartment through September. We are hoping to rent an inexpensive duplex or a small house. We have dogs and we want an extra room so that when people visit us (hopefully) they will not need to pay for a place to stay. My husband does not want to live near noisy undergrads. And, we need to be near public transit. I did read about the Tiger Transit and it seems like it will work if we live in Auburn.

When you were there, did you feel that there was any place that you definitely wouldn't want to live? Like that some neighborhoods were not good? Auburn is significantly smaller than the current city we live in and we are having a hard time imagining that it could really have bad neighborhoods, but we could be wrong.

This is all really new for us. We've never made a big move before. I really wish we were able to visit ahead of time, but it's just not going to happen, so we'll have to take our chances and hope it works out.

When are you moving? Have you found a place yet? Maybe if you move down there before us, I can message you then about areas, if you don't mind.

Hi! My husband and I will be moving to Auburn this fall, too. He'll be starting a PhD in Forestry. We only live a few hours away so we were able to go check out the area a few weeks ago. We started by looking at the websites of some of the property management companies in Auburn and seeing what they have available in the next few months. There are a lot of townhomes, condos, duplexes, etc. available in the area. As for public transportation, you might want to search for info on the Tiger Transit bus system routes. I don't know how convenient they are, but I did see a lot of these buses around while we were there visiting.

When will you be making the move? We'll be in Auburn again on Mon and Tues, so if you see a place you might be interested in renting write me a PM and we can swing by and check out the neighborhood for you. We've done a couple of cross country moves in the past so I know how difficult it can be to do everything long distance!

Katy

[kferra]

We're hoping to move in June or July so we're taking our time looking at places. We're just getting to know the town but so far the neighborhoods we have seen look nice. The only areas we've decided to stay away from are the ones closest to the university since we want to avoid the undergrad scene too. We've looked at some inexpensive houses for rent but haven't found the right place yet. Some of the houses we saw had seen too many generations of partiers and were really run down. It looks like a lot of places will become available in August so you shouldn't have a problem finding something. Feel free to contact me again if you need any info when it gets closer to time for your move.

Katy

When are you moving? Have you found a place yet? Maybe if you move down there before us, I can message you then about areas, if you don't mind.

[PlutonicFriend]

I did my undergrad and masters at Auburn. It's a great small town and I really enjoyed it. Tiger Transit can take you to the campus but it wont take you anywhere else so I wouldn't rely on it as transportation other than to and from campus. Most things are in walking distance if you live downtown though. Kroger (grocery) is only 1.5 miles at the most from the university and easily walkable if you live in between them. Most of the things to do revolve around nature, sports, or going out. There's a movie theatre in town but mostly it is small town life.

[guttata]

Accepted to Auburn and quite possibly my leading candidate at this point. Can anyone give any updates?

[TylerGuin]

Hi there!

I attend Auburn University as an undergraduate, but I have been here for 4 years now so I know a bit about the area. It's a small town, with all the benefits and drawbacks inherent to that distinction. A huge portion of the population are students, which means almost every business caters to students, the university staff, or the massive amount of tourists. Booze is easy to get, cheap tasty food is served all night, and the girls here are famously attractive. The locals (and students) are very welcoming, and I've been amazed at the hospitality I've experienced everywhere. If you've never been to a small town, you might be in for a shock-- strangers will start conversations with you, shopkeepers greet your personally when you walk into their stores, and nobody ever hesitates to help a stranger out.

If you are not into American football, then you might not know about the gigantic rivalry between the University of Alabama (the "Crimson Tide") and Auburn University (the "Tigers.") In Alabama, college football is king, and these two universities are the best in the nation. Last year, AU won the national championship, beating the favored Oregon Ducks. This year, UA won, beating their long time rival LSU. It's a big deal here, and games will draw huge crowds. The excitement can fill the entire town for a week before an important game. Even if you're not a fan of football, it is definitely worth attending a game while you're a student here.

The trailer park post is correct, especially for graduate students. Owning a trailer is very affordable and doesn't carry the stigma here that it does elsewhere. Trailer parks are not associated with high-crime poor areas of town. Essentially, a student will purchase a trailer and rent a spot in a park near campus. This allows him own his own home and do with it as he sees fit. Also, trailer parks tend to be much quieter than many of the apartment complexes, where students are known to party all night. Luckily, undergraduates tend to rent away from graduate students.

However, there is this strange "Montgomery myth" new students have that I don't understand. Montgomery is a wasteland, with less culture than Auburn despite being much larger. I think people tend to assume that Montgomery must have culture because of a few festivals and the fact that it is the state capitol, but after 4 years of living here and being a theater lover, I've never once had the desire to go to Montgomery and neither has anyone I know. Atlanta is a much better choice, and Atlanta's music/food/theater/shopping scene is well known.

Hope you become an Auburn Tiger!

[engphiledu]

We have been looking at housing options, and on the housing website they have a link to off-campus apartment options. It's actually a pretty sweet system. 
http://offcampushousing.auburn.edu/

 

As for on-campus housing options, there are the apartment complexes on Glenn street. They appear to be family and grad-student friendly, but I am not for certain. I will be making a trip to visit sometime soon, so if I find out anything, I'll post on here!
https://fp.auburn.edu/housing/ApartmentDescription.htm

[Aliha2007]

Is anybody looking for housing starting from Fall 2014 term?

I have renewed my lease for a 2 BR/2 bathroom apartment and I'm looking for a roommate!

It is a nice, spacious apartment in a quiet complex, washer and dryer are in the apt, there is a pool.

 

I am a female grad student and so I am quiet and studious. I don't have any pets.

 

The apartment is on Tiger Transit route (Tiger Transit is a bus system for students), it takes 10 mins to get to campus by bus.

This complex is very quiet, not like places on Magnolia Ave or adjacent to campus.

[ctenophora]

I'll be beginning my PhD in the Fall at Auburn.  I'm super excited, but my future roommate & I are having some difficulty finding good quality housing options.  I've heard north campus is preferable.  Does anyone live in Auburn and/or have any tips on finding cheap, awesome housing remotely in Auburn?

[ELathan]

Hey, I went to auburn for the past four years for undergrad. I lived in a 3 bedroom house off of Dumas Street. I would try to find somewhere along Gay Street or Magnolia Street. My realtor was Tucker Brown. If you are looking for apartments, I would look at Two TwentyOne Armstrong (I toured those, but they were slightly expensive ~700 per month vs. $500 in the house). Another good apartment complex is Eagles West- my sister lived there for two years and she really liked it. 221 and Eagles West are both walking distance from campus.

[lemur1993]

On 4/13/2016 at 1:14 PM, ctenophora said:

I'll be beginning my PhD in the Fall at Auburn.  I'm super excited, but my future roommate & I are having some difficulty finding good quality housing options.  I've heard north campus is preferable.  Does anyone live in Auburn and/or have any tips on finding cheap, awesome housing remotely in Auburn?

Lemans square is pretty cheap (550) a month and biking distance from campus, and Evans realty is a good one to check out for cheap prices. 

[LeadersAsAnimals]

Also starting a PhD in Auburn this Fall and need some insight into housing there. I am married, so my wife and I are looking for a quiet residence close to campus. We are open to apartments, houses, condos, townhouses, etc. We also have pets moving with us. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also, my wife is an early childhood teacher, so insight into the school districts and the difficulty of landing a job with a nearby school system will help too. Thanks!

[lemur1993]

On 4/22/2016 at 0:13 PM, LeadersAsAnimals said:

Also starting a PhD in Auburn this Fall and need some insight into housing there. I am married, so my wife and I are looking for a quiet residence close to campus. We are open to apartments, houses, condos, townhouses, etc. We also have pets moving with us. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also, my wife is an early childhood teacher, so insight into the school districts and the difficulty of landing a job with a nearby school system will help too. Thanks!

I don't know that you will be able to find anything "quiet" near campus. I've lived for 2 years near the Gay St / Samford intersection and it is anything but quiet. Try to avoid living near any of the fraternity or sorority houses. If you are willing to drive or catch the bus, I would suggest looking into Alice Henderson Realty or Copper Beach. Otherwise, most of the apartments closer to downtown are loud and filled with 18 year olds. On the subject of schools, there are at least 3 elementary schools that I know of within 20 minutes of campus. Haven't heard anything about job stats, but there are definitely multiple places to apply.

Also, I'd like to extend a general hello. I'm entering the MA program in literature. We might see each other around.

[LeadersAsAnimals]

59 minutes ago, lemur1993 said:

I don't know that you will be able to find anything "quiet" near campus. I've lived for 2 years near the Gay St / Samford intersection and it is anything but quiet. Try to avoid living near any of the fraternity or sorority houses. If you are willing to drive or catch the bus, I would suggest looking into Alice Henderson Realty or Copper Beach. Otherwise, most of the apartments closer to downtown are loud and filled with 18 year olds. On the subject of schools, there are at least 3 elementary schools that I know of within 20 minutes of campus. Haven't heard anything about job stats, but there are definitely multiple places to apply.

Also, I'd like to extend a general hello. I'm entering the MA program in literature. We might see each other around.

Thanks for the insight and nice to meet you! I am quite excited to join the AU English dept. So far, my experience with the dept. and the GS has been wonderful. I don't know if they are simply friendly people or if the friendliness is a put-on during the "courting" process, but I appreciate it all the same. I don't care for the "ivory tower" mentality in academia, and they seem to have overcome it. I am sure we will see each other around. Maybe you can give us a tour of Auburn if we decide to visit before moving? It will also be nice to know someone in the dept. and in the town before uprooting our lives and moving to a new town. As soon as the DGS sends the GTA paperwork my way, my spouse and I will more than likely visit to get our bearings and to submit the paperwork. We live about 3 1/2 hours away, so the drive is manageable for a day trip. On a side note, did you receive the official letter from the Graduate School? I have not yet, and it is a little unsettling as I turned down another funded offer in favor of Auburn. I have only been in correspondence with the DGS, and I accepted the offer with him through email. Again, thanks for the insight.

[lemur1993]

10 hours ago, LeadersAsAnimals said:

Thanks for the insight and nice to meet you! I am quite excited to join the AU English dept. So far, my experience with the dept. and the GS has been wonderful. I don't know if they are simply friendly people or if the friendliness is a put-on during the "courting" process, but I appreciate it all the same. I don't care for the "ivory tower" mentality in academia, and they seem to have overcome it. I am sure we will see each other around. Maybe you can give us a tour of Auburn if we decide to visit before moving? It will also be nice to know someone in the dept. and in the town before uprooting our lives and moving to a new town. As soon as the DGS sends the GTA paperwork my way, my spouse and I will more than likely visit to get our bearings and to submit the paperwork. We live about 3 1/2 hours away, so the drive is manageable for a day trip. On a side note, did you receive the official letter from the Graduate School? I have not yet, and it is a little unsettling as I turned down another funded offer in favor of Auburn. I have only been in correspondence with the DGS, and I accepted the offer with him through email. Again, thanks for the insight.

My experience has been great, too. I received an e-mail from the graduate school with a link to the official letter. If you login at your original application place, you should have an option to view the decision. I also received an e-mail today with orientation information.

[LeadersAsAnimals]

14 hours ago, lemur1993 said:

My experience has been great, too. I received an e-mail from the graduate school with a link to the official letter. If you login at your original application place, you should have an option to view the decision. I also received an e-mail today with orientation information.

 I received the orientation email for incoming PhDs yesterday with all of the info for insurance, funding, orientation, etc., but I still haven't received the letter from the grad school. Are you talking about the apply yourself portal? I didn't see a link to view my decision there. Oh well, I'm sure it will be squared away soon enough.