Kitchener/Waterloo, ON

[nugget]

Sorry about that. I was speaking more generally about the website and did not realize it was catered towards single students. Thanks for pointing that out for others who are looking for family accommodations.

   

For future reference, I have found that the first link is kind of useless to students with families, as mostly shared housing arrangements for single students or couples is offered.

 

However, Kijiji is pretty good for students with families - or at least as good as anything else. Some other sites I found somewhat useful are walkscore.com and trovit.com.

[MathCat]

Bumping this thread. I'm interested in UWaterloo. I see people have said that it's hard to rely on the buses in Waterloo. However, I don't even have a driver's license, let alone a car - so are they really bad, or just not as convenient as having a car? If I got an apartment within walking distance of campus, would I be able to easily get around for things like grocery shopping, etc? Also, how common is air conditioning in apartments or public buildings?

[bubba]

Hi, the buses aren't that bad. I suppose it depends on which bus line you're using, but in my experience they keep to the schedule, even during heavy snowfall.

[areyno13]

I've been accepted to UW and I'm unsure about the housing. The stipend I'm looking at is only like 9k a year right now (I'm trying to discuss getting more) but that just seems like it would be impossible to live on. I don't want to live more than a 15 min drive from campus and I have a cat so that is making things more challenging. Does anyone think this is doable? 

[zupgiusto]

I've been accepted to UW and I'm unsure about the housing. The stipend I'm looking at is only like 9k a year right now (I'm trying to discuss getting more) but that just seems like it would be impossible to live on. I don't want to live more than a 15 min drive from campus and I have a cat so that is making things more challenging. Does anyone think this is doable? 

 

I do think this is doable. It may be more difficult to find housing with a cat, though. There are plenty of rooms available from 400-600/mo, usually in townhouses close to the university. If you want to live with all grad students it will be harder but this would be an ok option to at least get settled and then see what else is available.

 

I see that you write a '15 min drive' and want to bring up that your student card is a free unlimited bus pass for transit in KW - this could save you a lot of money! Parking at the school is $5/day or $170+ for a term pass (so, $170 x 3 for the year) which adds up. Most student housing is on bus routes. You could try looking on Kijiji if you haven't already for an idea of the rentals that are available. There's probably not a lot right now but more start to crop up near the end of terms. The housing offered by the school (i.e. at CLV) is in my experience the most expensive option.

 

I'm not sure if you're a MSc or PhD student, but either way co-op could be an option to supplement your stipend - a lot of departments offer it for grad students but for some reason it's not well advertised at all (I think they don't like to have MORE people competing for jobs). With geology as your major I don't think you would have issues finding a position with one of the many Canadian mining companies (which, from what I hear, pay generously)

Edited February 16, 2015 by zupgiusto

[Imaginary]

Areyno13, I agree with most of what zupgiusto wrote. You probably could find housing for about $300 a month for a room. The buses are pretty reliable and if you make sure a bus route that goes directly to UW is near you (within a block or two) you could easily get to UW within minutes. I do recommend looking up the bus route from the housing you are interested in before you move, though. Google maps!

 

I'm also from the U.S. and I moved this past year.

[areyno13]

Areyno13, I agree with most of what zupgiusto wrote. You probably could find housing for about $300 a month for a room. The buses are pretty reliable and if you make sure a bus route that goes directly to UW is near you (within a block or two) you could easily get to UW within minutes. I do recommend looking up the bus route from the housing you are interested in before you move, though. Google maps!

 

I'm also from the U.S. and I moved this past year.

 

 

I do think this is doable. It may be more difficult to find housing with a cat, though. There are plenty of rooms available from 400-600/mo, usually in townhouses close to the university. If you want to live with all grad students it will be harder but this would be an ok option to at least get settled and then see what else is available.

 

I see that you write a '15 min drive' and want to bring up that your student card is a free unlimited bus pass for transit in KW - this could save you a lot of money! Parking at the school is $5/day or $170+ for a term pass (so, $170 x 3 for the year) which adds up. Most student housing is on bus routes. You could try looking on Kijiji if you haven't already for an idea of the rentals that are available. There's probably not a lot right now but more start to crop up near the end of terms. The housing offered by the school (i.e. at CLV) is in my experience the most expensive option.

 

I'm not sure if you're a MSc or PhD student, but either way co-op could be an option to supplement your stipend - a lot of departments offer it for grad students but for some reason it's not well advertised at all (I think they don't like to have MORE people competing for jobs). With geology as your major I don't think you would have issues finding a position with one of the many Canadian mining companies (which, from what I hear, pay generously)

Thank for the help guys.

I got my stipend up to ~16k so I should be able to afford something nicer now. Good to know about the buses though

[homie]

do you have a tuition waiver? or ~16k per yr is all? 

Thank for the help guys.

I got my stipend up to ~16k so I should be able to afford something nicer now. Good to know about the buses though

[homie]

I would say $300 per month for a room is very difficult to find now... especially if you want all-inclusive. 

Areyno13, I agree with most of what zupgiusto wrote. You probably could find housing for about $300 a month for a room. The buses are pretty reliable and if you make sure a bus route that goes directly to UW is near you (within a block or two) you could easily get to UW within minutes. I do recommend looking up the bus route from the housing you are interested in before you move, though. Google maps!

 

I'm also from the U.S. and I moved this past year.

[homie]

The buses are generally reliable... download GRT app for better arriving schedule

Bumping this thread. I'm interested in UWaterloo. I see people have said that it's hard to rely on the buses in Waterloo. However, I don't even have a driver's license, let alone a car - so are they really bad, or just not as convenient as having a car? If I got an apartment within walking distance of campus, would I be able to easily get around for things like grocery shopping, etc? Also, how common is air conditioning in apartments or public buildings?

[Imaginary]

That's true. I would say generally, from what I've seen posted around here, all-inclusive would range from $400 to $450 per month.

 

I would say $300 per month for a room is very difficult to find now... especially if you want all-inclusive. 

 

 

[reposae]

Hi all,

 

I'll be attending the MSW program at Laurier in Kitchener in the Fall. I was hoping that anyone would be able to provide me with some insight on whether I should live in the immediate Kitchener area or more towards Waterloo and the main Laurier campus. What would be the benefits of living more central to the main campus?
Any input would be much appreciated!

[zupgiusto]

Hi all,

 

I'll be attending the MSW program at Laurier in Kitchener in the Fall. I was hoping that anyone would be able to provide me with some insight on whether I should live in the immediate Kitchener area or more towards Waterloo and the main Laurier campus. What would be the benefits of living more central to the main campus?

Any input would be much appreciated!

 

Congrats!

 

Disclaimer: this is all my personal opinion and observations. I don't live in Kitchener or Waterloo but I've been going to UW for 7 years, and I went to highschool in Kitchener, so I've watched them both change/grow a lot.

If your classes are all going to be at the Kitchener campus, there isn't much draw to live further away. Rent is cheaper in Kitchener, there are lots of great restaurants, as someone said above it's more historic, there's a farmer's market right downtown, etc. There's also Communitech where the Google office is with loads of young companies, so there is a cool start-up vibe and lots of new businesses to serve this growing demographic. In Kitchener you can get great deals renting apartments that are in beautiful old homes. In Waterloo, the apartments are more "student" apartments (the bland, shared kind). In the area between UW and Laurier's Waterloo campus there have been tons of big tall apartment buildings going up in the last 2+ years, which is nice if you want something new. I have not been in any of them yet but there's an incredible amount to choose from. Kitchener has the GO train/bus station + Greyhound station + GRT terminal + Via rail station. GO buses stop at Laurier and UW main campus too, as do Greyhounds, but using these is more of a hassle. In Waterloo, a lot of Laurier undergrads live in the area around Ezra Ave, so that's something to take into consideration if you want a more lively neighbourhood. If you wanted to be in Waterloo with student housing that is a bit quieter, I would recommend living closer to UW than Laurier. It is fairly convenient to get around by GRT, though I'm not sure if a GRT pass comes with Laurier tuition. Last but not least, we don't have Uber. 

 

Hopefully this can help you with your decision. If you have specific questions let me know and I'll try to help! 

[belles]

Hi everyone! I'm moving to Waterloo this fall for my Masters. I've never been to that city in particular, but I have spent months in Toronto. Anyone who's been in the area have anything pertinent to add this list of thoughts/opinions? I'm really curious as to what my new home is going to be like.

[SnowAngel3535]

hey,

 

I got an unofficial offer for waterloo (actual amounts will be in the official acceptance) but I wanted to know if about $31,000 (roughly) per year is enough for an international grad student to pay tuition + living expenses. I live a very frugal life now but not sure how that translates here

[Nocturnae]

Is it possible to commute by bike in Kitchener/Waterloo?

[Shinhan]

Hi everyone,

Just bumping this thread up. I'll be attending University of Waterloo this fall. I am looking for a roommate to share an apartment. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested.