Brown University

[emma1frost]

Ahh!!! I submitted my acceptance of Brown's MAT offer. Now it's about packing up and figuring out this cross country move on top of all the other financial aid stuff. Ugh. The MAT program starts in the summer, so I have about 2 months to get organized. It will be a crazy 2 months, that's all I got to say.

Anyone have any insight into areas to rent in? The federal hill area sounds nice, but across the bridges... will the commute really annoy me? Or do I just stick to the east side and pay some more?

[LLajax]

I've been hearing that most students live within a mile of campus. I'm visiting next week, and I think I'll check out some apartment options.

[emma1frost]

That is pretty ridiculous of them to be so behind, but we have it now and that's what matters! You got good news re:financial support?

Hey echolikebells,

Just FYI. I have been digging through the financial aid process at Brown, which by the way is all on you the school doesn't really provide you with help other than sending you to webpages and forms online, and I have found an interesting point you might want to consider.

The subsidized stafford loans are no longer available to grad students after July 2012. But because the MAT program starts in the summer, June 2012, we are still eligible for subsidized stafford loans. The break down is like this: (from the financial aid people at Brown)

You will be eligible for $8,500 in Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan and $12,000 in Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, provided that your "need" is equal or greater than $20,500. The new laws apply to curriculums that begin on 7/1/12 or after; the MAT program starts before this. Your "need" is the number in Box #12 of our

Affordability Worksheet.

If your other programs begin in the fall, this could be something to consider as you won't be able to get subsidized loans after July 2012. The interest rates for unsub loans this year is pretty steep. Very frustrating and annoying that this is happening right now. But still, might want to think about the save interest for the year.

whew!

[Eggleston]

Does anyone have any advice as to whether a car is necessary in Providence? I know that the city proper is walkable, and that there are some buses, but the nearest Target is in all the way in Cranston... just wondering whether anyone has an opinion on this. Thanks!

[LLajax]

Seems car-friendly enough. All the apartments I'm looking at advertise as having parking. Haha as fr as I'm concerned, I already have a car, and I'm pretty happy keeping it. I'd be sad to have to get rid of it.

[emma1frost]

As someone who has lived in a city, San Francisco, for a while without a car, I can say that it is totally doable. Providence is a way smaller city than SF too, and without the hills! And I don't even have the Brown shuttle system here. But we do have zipcar. And looks like Providence has a great selection of zipcars too. It's a great way to just get a car when you need it. We love it. When you need a car, just get on your phone app, book it, drive it. Gas and insurance is all included in the price of the hourly or day rental fee.

You get more exercise, don't have to stress about parking or tickets, and you can use a new car when you need to.

When we are in Providence in June, we will be inheriting an old, old car, but we may just not take it at all. The maintenance of it might just be too much for us. But if you have a partner that needs to commute, you might want to get a car. But zipcar is great for trips to get furniture, go to Target, all that kind of stuff.

[Eggleston]

Thanks for the advice, guys! Very helpful to know that most apartments include a parking space and that Zipcar takes care of most needs like Target trips anyway. I'll probably just stick with Zipcar for the first semester or year, at least, and leave purchasing a car to second year or later.

[LLajax]

Alrighty- I've got the low down on housing at Brown from my visit. Two "spines" of campus= Benefit St. and Hope St. Major Neighborhoods= Wayland Square, Wickenden, Ives (which is aparrently sketchy), sort of north of campus (although I was told there are some "sketchy" areas up there, so I was instructed to "go investigate" before renting up there). I really like Benefit- it's so pretty and historic and ridiculously close to the Amtrak station/recently nice-ified river/important campus buildings for me! I'm looking at apartments tomorrow!

[emma1frost]

Great! Thanks for the update! Hope you find something good and not too pricey.

I go in a week to search for apartments. I really hope something pops up that is amazing in either Wayland Square or Wickenden.

Keep us posted!

[InquilineKea]

Is anyone here debating between renting a house and buying a house here? I've posed the same question at

Also, do the rents usually go at $1000/month, or are any cheaper options available?

===

By the way, Brown has a special arrangement with Harvard where PhD students can take Harvard courses at no additional cost. Is anyone planning to take advantage of that?

Edited March 23, 2012 by InquilineKea

[LLajax]

Doesn't seem necessary to buy a house, in my opinion (then again, I'm not financially in a place where I could buy a house anyways.) from what I saw, there are a lot of options well below $1000. I'm aiming for a studio or 1bedroom at around 800. I wa told by some grad students that rents are very area particular- prices drop just a few blocks off campus (this is where all the undergrads live apparently, and they're not great apartments anyways- very depressingly run down on the inside.) if you go north about a mile, it's a very popular spot for grad students and reasonably priced. If you plan on sharing with someone, it is even more cost effective.

[InquilineKea]

Hmm interesting - how can you find apartments that are well below $1000? The Providence Craigslist isn't especially helpful on that (very few apartments in the College Hill area..)

[LLajax]

What have you been searching for? Try "east side"- if you haven't already there's also some more specific neighborhood names, try using those? Or look for major street names (Thayer, Hope, wickenden).

Apparently there's also a lively listserv among the grad students that you can sign up for once you've gotten a brown email address.

Best bet now is to get in contact with grad students in your program- they have the best suggestions!

Also: yay Washington people! (home state pride)

Edited March 24, 2012 by LLajax

[InquilineKea]

Hm okay - I'll try that.

I wonder which of these two is the better option for a first-timer though?

http://providence.craigslist.org/apa/

http://providence.craigslist.org/roo/

===

http://providence.cr...k=850&bedrooms= is one sample query I'm using. http://providence.cr...k=850&bedrooms= is another.

I'd like to be as close to the university as possible though (although I did register for the official 1st year grad student housing and am waiting for results on that). With that said, RI public transportation is free for Brown students so I can live a bit away as long as I'm on a bus line (and if it slashes the rent down to $600 - wow - there actually are options in that range).

===

I wish I could get a brown email address. But the admin told me that I'll only be able to get it in-person once I'm on campus after June. But I'll visit again in April so maybe I'll find some grad students to contact soon.

Oh cool - where in Washington did you come from?

Edited March 24, 2012 by InquilineKea

[Eggleston]

There are also the Auxiliary Housing listings- this is where current grad students and recent grads who happen to own or rent out apartments post:

http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Auxiliary_Housing/Listings/

The downside is no pictures :/ But I had a few current grad students tell me that this was a great way to go if you're looking to avoid Craigslist.

I plan on probably using Craigslist anyway. I've found quite a few nice listings by doing what LLajax suggested- searching "East Side" or any of the main street names/neighborhoods (Wickenden, Wayland Square, Thayer, etc.)

[Eggleston]

By the way, Brown has a special arrangement with Harvard where PhD students can take Harvard courses at no additional cost. Is anyone planning to take advantage of that?

I might! The art history department (where I'm headed) is quite small, and though my advisor is awesome and teaches a variety of great courses on my specialization (history of photography), I might try to take just a few more modern/contemporary related courses at Harvard in my 2nd or 3rd year if possible. Boston is such a short train ride away, so if you signed up for a once-a-week seminar, I'm sure it would be easy to get back/forth one day a week.

[InquilineKea]

Okay, I've decided to visit Providence (along with Cambridge, MA) for a month now and I'm starting to actually physically visit apartments.

One undergrad did warn me that the part north of campus was the sketchy area with crimes - does anyone else find this to be true?

[InquilineKea]

What have you been searching for? Try "east side"- if you haven't already there's also some more specific neighborhood names, try using those? Or look for major street names (Thayer, Hope, wickenden).

Apparently there's also a lively listserv among the grad students that you can sign up for once you've gotten a brown email address.

Best bet now is to get in contact with grad students in your program- they have the best suggestions!

Also: yay Washington people! (home state pride)

PS: How do you feel that apartments/homes at Brown compare with apartments/homes at Washington?

[emma1frost]

I went to the Open House for admitted students day this past Monday. Apart from attending the event I also made it my mission to find an apartment. I live in San Francisco so it was important to find a place before coming out east this summer. I didn't want to wait too long as I wasn't sure what would be out on the market when I got there in June.

The current grad students had some good tips too. For rentals starting in June, look and book now. For the Fall, get on the grad list serv. You don't have to have a Brown email. You can sign up with any email you have. You can also ask about other grad students looking for places and potentially line up some roommates. Parking is a pain around campus, so make sure you can walk, take the bus, or use the shuttle service to get where you need to go.

The rent compared to San Francisco is ridiculously cheap. But I know this isn't the case for people coming from other parts of the country. I also have a husband and a cat. Also, as I am in the Master of Teaching program, half my time will be spent in an offsite school for student teaching, so I don't need to be on campus all the time. And I don't want to be too near the undergrad life as I need my sleep and quiet. lol...

I found an awesome loft in the Oakhill area of Providence. It's technically in Pawtucket, but right above the border of Providence. It's a compact city and walking from the campus to where I will be living is a 40 minute walk or a 17 minute bus ride. I have 2 bus lines to choose from and as a Brown student RIPTA rides are free (that is included in the hefty tuition).

The space I got for $1200 a month is insane. It is about six times larger than the apartment I have now in SF, if not more. I have spent so many years perfecting living in small spaces, that now I need to figure out how to live in a large space. I am pretty excited.

I looked through craigslist. And I had a few things booked up but when I actually got there on the weekend, either I got no answer, or they answered way too late. So disappointing. You need to be in town, or have someone who can do the footwork and really make sure the place is livable. Too many places look great in photos, but when you actually see it, it's a mess. Layout is weird, bedrooms too small, bathrooms that are just weird. Make sure you see it in person and that you know what is included in the rent. You want GAS heat, NOT OIL. Oil is pretty expensive and not very efficient for heating places with older windows. A lot of the student housing is older and not that updated. Weird creaky attic spaces, low ceilings, layouts where the bedroom is right off the kitchen, go see it.

And make sure you have off street parking if you have a car. The rule in Providence is that from 2am-5am you aren't allowed to park on the street. There is a movement to change this and issue permits for residents to allow parking overnight, but still not passed.

The food scene is awesome in Providence. Coming from foodie-ville, I was skeptical. But there are food trucks, farmer's markets, slow food movement places, amazing restaurants, and a great sense of local/organic resources around town. There are whole food, and yes, the prices still keep up the moniker, Whole Paycheck, but there are other economical options. Eating out is pretty cheap for me, compared to SF and upkeeps the same quality. You can get an awesome tasty lunch for $5! Sorry for those that think it's no big deal, but for SF, that's gold.

I used a realty company, Samson Realty, to find my rental. There was no broker's fee and she was able to find a place with my needs and within my budget. It was nice to go to a place where they had a whole bunch of places and you had a choice. She showed me 3 different places and the loft, although farther than other places, was the best fit for me. The neighborhoods in the east side are fine. If you have lived in a larger city, then Providence is a small quiet town compared to that. Everything is 10 minutes or less away by car around town. I walked around my neighborhood during the day and drove by at night and it was fine. It's near Lippitt Park, where the farmer's market takes place, and it is near all the stuff on Hope Street. A great yarn shop, Asian food, vegan bakery, vegetarian restaurant, and boutiques are all 10 minutes walk away from me. People are really nice and friendly. As long as you are aware when you walk around, you will be safe. But honestly it felt like a family area and it was great.

Also check out The Rhode Guide and see what he has. Listings change all the time. He has high end things and lower end things. Just call and see what he can do for you. Or call Samson Realty and line up some appointments. Have your credit information handy, know your score, and have your lists of needs. I worked with Diane and she was great. They can get busy now that students are coming into town, but just make a day of it and you will find something.

Good luck!

[LLajax]

Thanks for the detailed post Emma1Frost!

Agh, I'm having such struggles trying to secure a place. I had an apartment I loved, but the lady called me today and said I didn't get it and there were no other available units in the building So, now I'm eating my weight in discounted Easter chocolate and trying to resign myself to finding another "perfect" place. The thing is, it's almost impossible for me to travel up there (almost 6 hours by car or train), especially because I'm right in the thick of final papers (and spent all my travel money on discounted Easter chocolate ) Blargh. I'm having a heck of a time trying to convince these real eastate people to talk to me. Yeah, I'd love to come tour your apartment, but I can't just come see it, and by the time I can go see it, you'll have already rented it. Some incredulous agent just told me to have a friend look at it for me (I don't have any friends north of Pennsylvania, but thanks?) Struggles. Thanks for letting my rant guys.

[KaylaMiz]

I will be attending Brown in the fall, but I am also from Rhode Island. I didn't grow up near Providence (although in RI, everything is pretty much near Providence) but I can say definitely avoid South Providence, and don't live on Thayer Street as it's pretty busy/loud most of the time.

Also, when I visited a lot of graduate students said if we needed help looking at apartments they'd be happy to do the actual viewing for us and send pictures/etc. if it wouldn't be possible to actually get to Providence to look.

[emma1frost]

Yeah, from what I saw, the rental market works person to person and you have to keep on top of it. That is, don't wait for them to call you, you have to do the legwork and push to get what you want.

I am used to a more aggressive rental market being in a densely packed city and was surprised at the vaguely lackadaisical approach to it all. There were realty companies empty and closed on Saturdays! Kinda weird for me, but it just makes me the more grateful that I was able to get out there and find it that weekend.

But the Brown graduate housing boards might be a better bet for you to secure a place without seeing it. As long as you are okay with putting down that deposit instantly.

Good luck! And I second the idea to reach out to local grad students for some help looking/vetting places.

[InquilineKea]

As a side question, would it be a good idea for an incoming student to join a credit union near Brown, like the Rhode Island one? I still don't have any credit and all the credit cards keep rejecting me, so I'd like some way to earn it...

[mandabeth]

As a side question, would it be a good idea for an incoming student to join a credit union near Brown, like the Rhode Island one? I still don't have any credit and all the credit cards keep rejecting me, so I'd like some way to earn it...

I use a national bank that has free ATM access everywhere. I switched to that from a credit union because I travel a lot, so it ends up saving me at least $3/week when I get cash out. The local credit union would really add up in fees whenever I wasn't at home.

[PiTwoComplete]

Hi all, I'm just starting to look for a place. May I ask what the "Brown graduate housing boards" are (as quoted below)? My current institution had a forum for incoming grad students to find roommates and discuss such matters, is this what the boards are? 

 

But the Brown graduate housing boards might be a better bet for you to secure a place without seeing it.

 

I assume my department's visiting day will be a decent time to look around and try to find roommates and such, but I don't necessarily want to live with people in my department... variety is nice. It also looks like a lot of people are looking at single bedroom places, but it also looks like a lot of nice places exceed the recommended rent-to-income ratio... having never lived alone, is it worth having a worse place to myself or a much nicer shared space?