Boulder, CO

[mintless]

Thank you both!!!

[Faraday]

I've been scoping out the craigslits of the three potential places I could be attending grad school in the fall, and I see there are already a lot of places in Boulder listed for fall pre-lease. I won't visit the school until early March, so I wouldn't be able to start committing to anything until shortly after that. How concerned should I be about finding a place then if they are already listing places now?

Edited February 7, 2013 by Faraday

[virmundi]

If you want to pay for a permit, parking isn't bad, though it would really depend if there's a good lot centrally located by your classes. The large lots tend to be on the edges of campus, with less parking in the central areas.

There are LOTS of park-and-rides in and around Boulder though so I would really recommend using those and taking the bus into campus so that you wouldn't have to worry about parking at all. The public transportation in Boulder is pretty decent and your tuition pays for a bus pass. I even commuted via bus between Boulder and Denver (living and going to school in Boulder, working in Denver) for 6 months and it wasn't bad at all.

 

Yes -- this for sure. I would say that of the lots, the dirt parking lot behind the football stadium is the best deal and always has parking available (in my experience). It's lot 168. It is a rather bracing climb up a steep hill to get onto campus proper, but you can enjoy crossing lovely Boulder Creek and appreciate the beauty that is the Boulder campus and the mountains while getting a nice little walk in as you head to your destination. I really enjoyed those walks a lot and it was -- bar none -- the cheapest way to park on campus itself.

 

Park-and-ride is definitely the way to go if you don't need a campus permit though for some reason!

Edited February 8, 2013 by virmundi

[Vicki]

I've been scoping out the craigslits of the three potential places I could be attending grad school in the fall, and I see there are already a lot of places in Boulder listed for fall pre-lease. I won't visit the school until early March, so I wouldn't be able to start committing to anything until shortly after that. How concerned should I be about finding a place then if they are already listing places now?

 

This, exactly! I've been accepted to CU, and it's my first choice, so assuming that funding works out, I will be moving to Boulder this summer. I, too, am concerned that most places have started pre-leasing, and I am worried that I won't be able to secure a decent place if I don't lease soon. I'm currently working on my thesis, so I'd rather not visit until after the deposit deadline in April, but this might be too late. 

 

Hopefully someone will respond to this question!

[aulait]

I've been scoping out the craigslits of the three potential places I could be attending grad school in the fall, and I see there are already a lot of places in Boulder listed for fall pre-lease. I won't visit the school until early March, so I wouldn't be able to start committing to anything until shortly after that. How concerned should I be about finding a place then if they are already listing places now?

 

 

This, exactly! I've been accepted to CU, and it's my first choice, so assuming that funding works out, I will be moving to Boulder this summer. I, too, am concerned that most places have started pre-leasing, and I am worried that I won't be able to secure a decent place if I don't lease soon. I'm currently working on my thesis, so I'd rather not visit until after the deposit deadline in April, but this might be too late. 

 

Hopefully someone will respond to this question!

 

I've been in Boulder about three years, three different apartments. Looking in March or April is totally fine. Boulder does get started early, but I think a lot of people are looking for places on The Hill, etc., so if you're even slightly flexible about location, you should have plenty of options when you come visit. Rent is high in Boulder, but campus is pretty much surrounded by mainly student-occupied apartments, so I think the owners start showing places as soon as they know students have started working out next year's living situation. I'd start to worry if you don't have a place by the beginning of the summer, but really, I promise you, the whole pre-leasing thing goes on for quite a while. Good luck! I'm ready to move on, but Boulder is a great town.

[Vicki]

I've been in Boulder about three years, three different apartments. Looking in March or April is totally fine. Boulder does get started early, but I think a lot of people are looking for places on The Hill, etc., so if you're even slightly flexible about location, you should have plenty of options when you come visit. Rent is high in Boulder, but campus is pretty much surrounded by mainly student-occupied apartments, so I think the owners start showing places as soon as they know students have started working out next year's living situation. I'd start to worry if you don't have a place by the beginning of the summer, but really, I promise you, the whole pre-leasing thing goes on for quite a while. Good luck! I'm ready to move on, but Boulder is a great town.

 

Ooh, thank you! That's great to know. I'm hoping for outside of The Hill--do you have suggestions? I've scoured the forums here, but I'd love to hear something more recent. I've heard some good things about the Table Mesa area--what do you think?

[aulait]

Ooh, thank you! That's great to know. I'm hoping for outside of The Hill--do you have suggestions? I've scoured the forums here, but I'd love to hear something more recent. I've heard some good things about the Table Mesa area--what do you think?

 

I like the Broadway and Table Mesa intersection area, personally. It's where I live now, actually.   Sadly, it's just a touch too far for walking comfort--approx 40 min from the main campus buildings--but there are three or four busses that go straight down Broadway, meaning you never have to wait more than about 10 minutes for a bus if you're headed to campus at a normal time of day. It's also no problem at all if you have a bike, which like everyone in Boulder does. Broadway also leads straight into downtown, so it's pretty easy to get to and from the night-life, when you need to. Also, comments about the grocery store are still right, it's right on the intersection, so that's nice. I'm not sure what price-range your looking for, but I'll give you websites for the two main rental management companies I know of that operate Broadway/Table Mesa. (1) http://www.thebouldercreekapartments.com/ and (2) http://rentbouldernow.com. (The 2nd does other locations too, but anything on Lashley Ln is going to be Broadway/Table Mesa.) There are also a lot of houses in the area that I'm guessing get rented out by individual owners.

 

I'm with you on The Hill, it's where all the greek life is, so it's pretty much a constant shit show. Not the nicest for grad life. But you might also want to check out the area just east of campus. I lived in a building my first year that was on 29th and Baseline-ish. It was fairly cheap, fairly nice and fairly quiet. And actually a little closer to campus than where I am now. I've never lived north of campus, though there are a lot of people who do. (I'm a big walker, and there are A LOT of vertical feet between where campus is and where downtown is. In other words, I've always been reluctant to live down there because walking to school in the morning would be killer.)

 

I'm not sure what else I can tell you, but I'll check back and try and answer any other questions you might have. I'm currently trying to figure out how to look for a place in Philadelphia, so I'm hoping that any help I can give might come back to me on the Philly thread. 

[virmundi]

I like the Broadway and Table Mesa intersection area, personally. It's where I live now, actually.   Sadly, it's just a touch too far for walking comfort--approx 40 min from the main campus buildings--but there are three or four busses that go straight down Broadway, meaning you never have to wait more than about 10 minutes for a bus if you're headed to campus at a normal time of day. It's also no problem at all if you have a bike, which like everyone in Boulder does. Broadway also leads straight into downtown, so it's pretty easy to get to and from the night-life, when you need to. Also, comments about the grocery store are still right, it's right on the intersection, so that's nice. I'm not sure what price-range your looking for, but I'll give you websites for the two main rental management companies I know of that operate Broadway/Table Mesa. (1) http://www.thebouldercreekapartments.com/ and (2) http://rentbouldernow.com. (The 2nd does other locations too, but anything on Lashley Ln is going to be Broadway/Table Mesa.) There are also a lot of houses in the area that I'm guessing get rented out by individual owners.

 

I'm with you on The Hill, it's where all the greek life is, so it's pretty much a constant shit show. Not the nicest for grad life. But you might also want to check out the area just east of campus. I lived in a building my first year that was on 29th and Baseline-ish. It was fairly cheap, fairly nice and fairly quiet. And actually a little closer to campus than where I am now. I've never lived north of campus, though there are a lot of people who do. (I'm a big walker, and there are A LOT of vertical feet between where campus is and where downtown is. In other words, I've always been reluctant to live down there because walking to school in the morning would be killer.)

 

I'm not sure what else I can tell you, but I'll check back and try and answer any other questions you might have. I'm currently trying to figure out how to look for a place in Philadelphia, so I'm hoping that any help I can give might come back to me on the Philly thread. 

 

To add a little to this great description of the area around Broadway/Table Mesa -- there are some really decent places to eat right there. A great, unpretentious breakfast place, several restaurants including a brewery that serves great burgers and an Indian restaurant that has a good lunch buffet... in short, while there isn't a night life, there are some really nice amenities right there if you feel the need for some vindaloo, a nice egg scramble, or something like that... My best friend lived in this area for several years and we had a lot of nice moments in that little area, very conveniently located near his home.

[thebeatgoeson]

Is downtown Boulder more expensive than the area around campus?  Any thoughts on primo locations for riding your bike out of your back door and up some of the more impressive climbs in the area?  A lot of great information here!

[Vicki]

This is fantastic info--thanks all! One question about the Table Mesa/Broadway area: Boulder Creek looks awesome but perhaps out of my price range. Can anyone comment on the Park Mesa Apts? They seem decent/affordable, but they have a terrible reputation on apartmentratings.com. Anyone familiar with them?

 

Thanks!

[MarkR]

Ooh, thank you! That's great to know. I'm hoping for outside of The Hill--do you have suggestions? I've scoured the forums here, but I'd love to hear something more recent. I've heard some good things about the Table Mesa area--what do you think?

 I went to CU for undergrad, and I lived up Table Mesa (15 min walk from the B'way intersection) for four years. Honestly I loved living in South Boulder. I was right on the SKIP route (a main bus that runs up and down Broadway, including through campus and downtown) and Southern Sun (the brewery someone mentioned above) was my favorite place in town. I'd recommend checking out the table mesa area. 

 

Also, people are posting stuff about rental places, etc. I found my places to live through Craigslist, and I later found other roommates to share my apt through CL as well. Most people I knew lived with roommates, having your own place usually meant living in an apartment complex, no pets allowed (I have a dog), and generally not so hot places to live. 

 

Having lived in Boulder for four years, feel free to ask away. I'll check back here to see if there's anything I can help you guys with. 

[Vicki]

 I went to CU for undergrad, and I lived up Table Mesa (15 min walk from the B'way intersection) for four years. Honestly I loved living in South Boulder. I was right on the SKIP route (a main bus that runs up and down Broadway, including through campus and downtown) and Southern Sun (the brewery someone mentioned above) was my favorite place in town. I'd recommend checking out the table mesa area. 

 

Also, people are posting stuff about rental places, etc. I found my places to live through Craigslist, and I later found other roommates to share my apt through CL as well. Most people I knew lived with roommates, having your own place usually meant living in an apartment complex, no pets allowed (I have a dog), and generally not so hot places to live. 

 

Having lived in Boulder for four years, feel free to ask away. I'll check back here to see if there's anything I can help you guys with. 

 

Thank you! This information is very helpful. Were the places you got from CL independent homeowners renting their places out? 

[MarkR]

Thank you! This information is very helpful. Were the places you got from CL independent homeowners renting their places out? 

My apartment was, yes. I know other people who used rental agencies, but you will get a much better deal if you find an independent person to rent from. 

[Vicki]

I've been checking out a lot of apt. communities recently, and I'd love to get some feedback from those of you who may have lived there/knew someone who lived there. I've already read Google reviews, Apt. Ratings, etc., so I'd just like to toss these names out there to see if anyone has firsthand experience with them. Any info you can provide on noise problems, issues with the staff, grad vs. undergrad tenants, or anything related to owning pets (I have 2 cats that I refuse to part with), I'd love to hear it! I'd personally prefer renting from a homeowner, but I'd like to have some backup options just in case that doesn't work out. Thanks!

 

Boulder Creek Apts.

Eastpointe

Wimbledon Apts.

Kimberly Court

Coronado Apts.

[Grev]

Hey all, I have a not-housing related question.  My partner is trying to decide if she can/wants to move to Boulder with me (assuming that's where I go next fall).  One big concern is employment, since rent in Boulder looks quite a bit pricier than where we are now.  Does anyone know what the job scene is like in Boulder?  Especially in bookkeeping/accounting type work.

 

Any info is great, thanks!

[Silent_Bobina]

I am visiting Boulder next week, but I can only afford to be in town one night. As a result, I won't be able to spend a lot of timing scoping out apartments. I currently live in Boston which seems to be much more expensive than Boulder housing-wise but I am hoping for a studio that allows pets (and multiple tenants if there are limitations on that) that is between 700-1000 a month. What are some good places to try and arrange an appointment? It would be nice but not essential for the selection of apartments for rent to be within walking distance of campus and off of the Hill (although I would look there if it's my only option). I would ideally like to put a hold down or at least apply for an apartment while I am there. I was wondering if you have to see an apartment in person to rent it (that is the law in Boston)? Also, someone on here called Boulder Property Management "slum lords" but didn't really explain why. From what I can tell from their website, most of their apartments allow pets and are reasonably priced. They also seem like they are flexible with long-distance movers. Was this person referring to their quality? If so, would it be a waste of my time to make an appointment with them? I looked up another place that was recommended on here "rentbouldernow" but I couldn't tell where the apartments were in relationship to campus. Where is Table Mesa in reference to campus by foot? I also am not sure where the mass transit lines cover and what streets are good to live on if you want to be close to the bus. If you guys can give me any details at all on any of these things I would really appreciate it. I am very nervous about spending my time in Boulder poorly and having a difficult time securing an apartment.  

[Faraday]

Bump. Any Boulder residents have useful information pertaining to the above questions? Some questions have already been addressed but I

Edited March 13, 2013 by Faraday

[midwinter]

Does anyone here have an opinion on the university housing for graduate students? (I specifically mean furnished apartments for one.) I'm an international PhD student, going to CU-Boulder as a visiting researcher for the academic year 2014-2015 - so any information on whether applying for the university housing would be a good idea, or if there are better places available for rent, would be appreciated. I don't drive and would like to be within walking distance from the university - can anyone recommend good areas in which to live? Thanks!

Edited January 9, 2014 by midwinter

[Faraday]

Does anyone here have an opinion on the university housing for graduate students? (I specifically mean furnished apartments for one.) I'm an international PhD student, going to CU-Boulder as a visiting researcher for the academic year 2014-2015 - so any information on whether applying for the university housing would be a good idea, or if there are better places available for rent, would be appreciated. I don't drive and would like to be within walking distance from the university - can anyone recommend good areas in which to live? Thanks!

 

Hello! I don't have any personal experience with the off-campus university housing, but from looking at the website and hearing from a few other people, it seems pretty nice. Of course this means you will still have a "dorm feeling" to your hosing though, but if fully-furnished is what you are looking for then that is probably your best bet. I don't know of many other places that would be fully-furnished.

 

If that sounds like something you would be interested in then you need to start the process ASAP, as that housing is very difficult to get into and the waiting list is usually a few months long.

 

If you don't decide to live in the off-campus university housing, then look for anywhere East, North, and South of campus, and avoid "The Hill". That is where lots of noisy undergrads live and there are plenty of loud sorority and fraternity houses.I would look along Baseline Rd. or in the visciniy East, or down along Broadway southeast, to the Table Mesa area. There are also a lot os places between Arapahoe Ave. and Baseline, directly east of the main campus. Any of these areas will still be convient if you get a bus pass, and you can ride for free virtually anywhere in the city so a car is definately not necessary. The public transport here is top notch. If you will officially be a student, the bus pass is free, but if not you can buy an "Eco Pass" that will be well worth you money if you use the bus system even semi-regularly.

Edited January 18, 2014 by Faraday

[snowandmountains]

Does anyone here have an opinion on the university housing for graduate students? (I specifically mean furnished apartments for one.) I'm an international PhD student, going to CU-Boulder as a visiting researcher for the academic year 2014-2015 - so any information on whether applying for the university housing would be a good idea, or if there are better places available for rent, would be appreciated. I don't drive and would like to be within walking distance from the university - can anyone recommend good areas in which to live? Thanks!

 

It is likely you will be living in the Williams Village dorms. There are 2 bedroom apartments that 4 students share. I was an undergrad transfer to CU Boulder in 2004 and I lived with 3 freshmen in one of these apartments. Across the hall from me were 4 PhD students (2 international). This was my second  time living in a dorm building and both experiences were the typical dorm scene. I would not recommend it. The Williams Village dorms are also a 15min walk from campus (there is a frequent campus bus every 10-15min though too) The city bus system is amazing (and free for students), so it is very easy to get to/from campus from anywhere in town. Busses run from 6am-midnight-ish 7 days a week.

Edited January 25, 2014 by hoser_eh

[Kermit]

Hi all,

 

I just received unofficial word that I will be likely be getting an offer from cu boulder for a phd soon. (It's one of my first choice programs so yay!). I'm from Vancouver and Toronto so I'm used to paying 700+ for a small shared space, in fact Boulder seems way cheaper than Vancouver.

 

I'm looking for a neat area, I've read some earlier comments about Table Mesa. I usually live in the funky areas (ie Mile End in Montreal, Cap Hill in Seattle) so hopefully it will be somewhere with character. My one requirement is that I live in an actual house. I absolutely hate apartments. Is there any areas where there is shared housing? It seems like a lot of apartment complexes. I don't drive but I bike everywhere so being 30 mins away isn't a problem.

 

I'm also wondering if anyone knows where the hospitals are. I have epilepsy and it's always safer to live closer (I'm a dork I know).

 

Thank you so much! I have no idea about boulder, I've only been on the coasts of the US so anything between Oregon and New York is new to me!

[Faraday]

Hi all,

 

I just received unofficial word that I will be likely be getting an offer from cu boulder for a phd soon. (It's one of my first choice programs so yay!). I'm from Vancouver and Toronto so I'm used to paying 700+ for a small shared space, in fact Boulder seems way cheaper than Vancouver.

 

I'm looking for a neat area, I've read some earlier comments about Table Mesa. I usually live in the funky areas (ie Mile End in Montreal, Cap Hill in Seattle) so hopefully it will be somewhere with character. My one requirement is that I live in an actual house. I absolutely hate apartments. Is there any areas where there is shared housing? It seems like a lot of apartment complexes. I don't drive but I bike everywhere so being 30 mins away isn't a problem.

 

I'm also wondering if anyone knows where the hospitals are. I have epilepsy and it's always safer to live closer (I'm a dork I know).

 

Thank you so much! I have no idea about boulder, I've only been on the coasts of the US so anything between Oregon and New York is new to me!

 

There is no Hospital near the Table Mesa area, the main "hospital" in Boulder is actually located in northern Boulder (Boulder Community Hospital). I'm not sure Table Mesa is one of the more "funky" areas of the city, in fact I find it to be more plain. Northern Boulder and anywhere near downtown would be quite "funky" and have lots of culture. Be aware that houses are very hard to come by, especially if you are only looking to rent so be sure to start early. I've seen some posted on craigslist but being a college town the market is mostly Apartments. That said, Table Mesa is a fairly "residential" part of boulder with a good many homes and renting (with at least one roommate) would be doable. Also consider west of campus, but make sure you are west of 9th street or you will be mixed in with all the crazy frat and sorority houses and other shenanigans on the hill.

 

In terms of cost of living, I don't think it is way cheaper than Vancouver. I pay 700 for an apartment 3 miles from campus and I have one roommate, and that was one of the more reasonable deals (the only utilities I pay for is electricity and cable). Food in Boulder tends to be expensive, I shopped at Safeway for a while but then I ventured to the Walmart in Lafayette and was shocked to see how much cheaper things are there. I switched to shopping at Costco and Walmart and I have saved about 50-70 dollars a month on food now, so it's cheaper to buy food elsewhere I find.

Edited January 30, 2014 by Faraday

[Austin F]

I'm a local native - born and raised for 26 years, and I did my Ungrad/Masters at UCB. What everyone has said so far is pretty spot on. South Boulder is a great place to live... you will find some newer development around there and around the 29th street mall. Everything in Boulder tends to be more expensive (on average) than the surrounding areas. The closer you get to campus, the more expensive rental units will be. You can also look east of Foothills Parkway. Some of the apartments around 55th st. are on the cheaper side.

 

As far as off-campus dorms and apartments, I'd look into the Bear Creek apartments. They're in the same area as Williams Village, but are a lot newer and nicer. Will Ville are true dorms (questionable stains and all), whereas the Bear Creek apartments are more like actual apartments. 

 

Another option you might consider is some of the surrounding areas. I commuted in and out during my masters program. The RTD busing system is great around here. Louisville, Broomfield, Lafeyette, and Longmont are the closest towns. Longmont (my home town) is probably on the cheaper side. There's some nice apartments around the South end, and transportation that takes about 30 minutes on any given day. 

[EmperorRyker]

Hey guys, I was wondering about the following. I just got admitted to UC Boulder, but haven't accepted the offer yet. The latter came with a TAship of just a tad below ~$16.9k, which would amount to about $1.4k montly. Is that enough for a living in Boulder without going into further debt? I looked up university housing and it seems there are some studio options even in the range of $800 - 900. I wonder about the food prices and all the other stuff, though. For example, here in Alberta, I spend $400 - 500 on food each month, most likely since a lot of it goes to meat and veggies. In any case, any and all feedback in regards to this would be greatly appreciated.

[iheartplants]

I'm a local native - born and raised for 26 years, and I did my Ungrad/Masters at UCB. What everyone has said so far is pretty spot on. South Boulder is a great place to live... you will find some newer development around there and around the 29th street mall. Everything in Boulder tends to be more expensive (on average) than the surrounding areas. The closer you get to campus, the more expensive rental units will be. You can also look east of Foothills Parkway. Some of the apartments around 55th st. are on the cheaper side.

 

As far as off-campus dorms and apartments, I'd look into the Bear Creek apartments. They're in the same area as Williams Village, but are a lot newer and nicer. Will Ville are true dorms (questionable stains and all), whereas the Bear Creek apartments are more like actual apartments. 

 

Another option you might consider is some of the surrounding areas. I commuted in and out during my masters program. The RTD busing system is great around here. Louisville, Broomfield, Lafeyette, and Longmont are the closest towns. Longmont (my home town) is probably on the cheaper side. There's some nice apartments around the South end, and transportation that takes about 30 minutes on any given day. 

Hey! I was recently accepted to CU Boulder EBIO, and it's a top choice contender for next fall. My SO and I considering living in Broomfield or Westminster so he can commute to work in Denver. Could you (or anyone) elaborate on the public transportation and busing system you mentioned? I'm just curious if there are options if my (old) car breaks down or something. Would it be easy to use public transit?