West Lafayette, IN

[asymptoticallyAbnormal]

Culture shock?

 

Hello,

 

I have been admittted with funding to study at Purdue beginning in Fall 2014.  Now, I've spent my whole life in the Northeast of the United States and almost everyone I talk to cringes a bit when I say I may go Midwest for my Ph.D; there are some pretty significant lifestyle differences.  Not to mention cities in the Northeast probably have better employment prospects.  Are there current Purdue students originally from the Northeast (or places like San Francisco / Silicon Valley) who can speak to this?

 

I'm a little apprehensive about whether I want to spend 5 years there.

 

Thank you very much for your thoughts.

 

--asymptoticallyAbnormal

[Wisdom-Lover]

Hi, there! So, there's a strong likelihood I will be attending Purdue in the Fall 2014, going from undergrad to grad. I was curious (or more so, my over-anxious mother is  ) if there are areas of Lafayette and West Laf housing to avoid, as far as crime goes. Specifically, she was just wondering if there are any areas that are known for being "problem areas" with drugs or violence or if there are "better areas" for living. (Obviously, there is no clear-cut idea, one way or the other but just as a general idea.) Trying to help my mum worry less, you know? haha

[Rolling Circles]

Thank you so much for the info!

 

And, as I haven't made a decision yet, can I apply and then withdraw my application for the housing if I decide not to go there? 

 

You can withdraw your application, but it is unlikely that you will get any deposit you put down on it back.

 

Hi, there! So, there's a strong likelihood I will be attending Purdue in the Fall 2014, going from undergrad to grad. I was curious (or more so, my over-anxious mother is  ) if there are areas of Lafayette and West Laf housing to avoid, as far as crime goes. Specifically, she was just wondering if there are any areas that are known for being "problem areas" with drugs or violence or if there are "better areas" for living. (Obviously, there is no clear-cut idea, one way or the other but just as a general idea.) Trying to help my mum worry less, you know? haha

The graduate students I talked to when I visited said it was a generally safe area to live in.

[Wisdom-Lover]

The graduate students I talked to when I visited said it was a generally safe area to live in.

That's fantastic to hear! So, what places are best to live in either West Lafayette or Greater Lafayette? Any favorites from current grad students?

[Rolling Circles]

That's fantastic to hear! So, what places are best to live in either West Lafayette or Greater Lafayette? Any favorites from current grad students?

Not in particular. Basically what I got was "the closer you get to campus, the more undergraduates you will find". I believe many of the graduate students live across the river in Lafayette. I just Google mapped apartments and went through them all.

[Leuco]

I can say that I haven't heard any specific things bad about the places you mentioned, but I haven't heard a lot about them in general, sadly.

 

I know Beau Jardin is a pretty popular place for new grad students, especially internationals.  It's on a bus line, I believe (10-15 min ride either way if I remember right)
I think I've heard good things about Blackbird Farms, and I know I've at least heard of Livesay Management, haha.



I really can't think of any particular areas to avoid in Lafayette/West Lafayette.  I mean, I have a (female) friend who lives in a studio in downtown Lafayette (4th street-ish) and has no troubles stumbling back at night drunk.  I mean, it's obiviously not totally crime free, but there's nothing specific I can think of to avoid. 

Yeah, most grad students tend to want to live in downtown Lafayette - the bars are there, and it's easy to get to campus, and generally NO undergrads (the joke is they won't cross the river), but some do tend to live in West Lafayette, though a bit further from campus.

[cheezburger42]

Hi everybody, I will be also attending Purdue this fall and I am seriously considering renting at Crestview North; however since I'm an international student I can only see the place on pictures and Google Maps, which doesn't help much to be honest. Can somebody give me his/her opinion regarding the place? I've been reading some reviews and they are somewhat contradictory; some people like it and some people hate it. Any advise would be greatly appreciated ... I'm finding the process really scary because I can't visit the apartment before august.

 

Greetings

[Rolling Circles]

Hi everybody, I will be also attending Purdue this fall and I am seriously considering renting at Crestview North; however since I'm an international student I can only see the place on pictures and Google Maps, which doesn't help much to be honest. Can somebody give me his/her opinion regarding the place? I've been reading some reviews and they are somewhat contradictory; some people like it and some people hate it. Any advise would be greatly appreciated ... I'm finding the process really scary because I can't visit the apartment before august.

 

Greetings

I know how you feel, I did the same from the other side of the country. I did talk to one graduate student who lived there, and she said she thought it was fine.  I assume undergrads will be living there too. 

 

I'll message you my email conversation with them for your reference.

[asymptoticallyAbnormal]

Hi everybody, I will be also attending Purdue this fall and I am seriously considering renting at Crestview North; however since I'm an international student I can only see the place on pictures and Google Maps, which doesn't help much to be honest. Can somebody give me his/her opinion regarding the place? I've been reading some reviews and they are somewhat contradictory; some people like it and some people hate it. Any advise would be greatly appreciated ... I'm finding the process really scary because I can't visit the apartment before august.

 

Greetings

 

 

The secretary of my department has lived outside Purdue a long time and told me she would be willing to give me a thumbs up or thumbs down to any apartment I found on the internet.  Maybe your secretary can do the same, or point you to a willing professor/student.

 

She also said every city has its bad part.  For West Lafayette, that's downtown, by second street.

 

Purdue has a large foreign population, and I'm sure it has a vast network of people going through your situation.  I'm American but live half way across the country, so for all intents and purposes I'm in the same boat.

[cheezburger42]

I kinda did exactly what you said and asked around for advise regarding the living options (aka: I just creeped out lots of people through emails). One thing led to another and now I'll stay at Salem Courthouse with a grad student that has already been living there and has shared with me her firsthand experiences. So it seems that if both the online reviews and her stories end with "It's overall a nice place to live", it might actually be a nice place to live. I'll keep in mind to not go to 2nd street at night, though.

 

Anyway, if it's of any help to anybody, here goes the summary of my apartment hunt (of the places where I seriously considered living at):

 

Crestview North: Upsides- have discounts for 1b/1bth apartments that make them cost almost the same as a studio (aprox 600usd). Plus, the apartments are really close to the engineering section, so you can even walk to the place (or go on a 10 min bike ride). Downsides- the heaters on all apartments are really small and apparently they are stricter when returning the deposit at the end of the lease. Most complaints that I've read on the internet are due to deposits not being returned.

 

Riverwalk Apartments: Upsides- No undergrads, fiber optic internet, the "bronze loop" bus route covers the place, and the new management (HunterLP) is extremely professional. When I talked to them, they only had a 2 bedroom available, but then emailed me when a 1bedroom was released. Downsides- they are kind of expensive should you decide to live on your own (on the range of 650-700usd), they are away from campus and the night bus routes do not come that often across the river. I believe there's only the 18NightRider that goes until 3am, but still you have to walk a stretch to get to the apartments).

 

Copper Beech: Upsides- really huge living spaces for little money. A 2bed/2bath costs 800usd for 1200sqft, which is quite a lot (had a discount though, the real price is about 1000usd). They have a shuttle that takes you directly to campus and the staff seems to be well intentioned. Downsides- it seems that the shuttle is unreliable, and on winter apparently insulation is not the best. Also, it seems that you need a car to travel everywhere else and, of all the previous choices, this is the one with the poorest reviews, and those reviews are fairly fresh. Finally, they have a "parent info" button on the webpage, so that's not a good sign anywhere.

 

Salem Courthouse: Upsides- Is close to a shopping center and to Purdue's Research Foundation (among other important stuff for grads) by walking, for the main campus you need to take a bus, and with like six bus stops covering two bus routes you will find one every 10 mins or so. In this place, it seems that the most economical way to live is to have a roommate, as i'll end up paying 400usd for a private bed and bath, which is nice. Also, there are washers/dryers on each apartment. On a personal note, the fact that there's a physical person taking a good look at the potential apartment is a big plus. Cons- For a 1b/1bth apartment, the place is quite expensive. You pay the same for an apartment at River Walk, which has a lot more of space. There's also quite of a bug problem on the 1st floor apartments and they also seem to have insulation issues on some units.

 

And, just to please my inner number freak (and possible fellow freaks), some numbers:

                                          Rent 1bedroom  | Mins to Armstrong Hall |Ratings

Crestview North             -       607 USD           15 mins (walk)                43%

RiverWalk Apartments   -       670 USD            23 mins (bus)                 77%

Copper Beech               -       750 USD            33 mins (bus)                 16%

Salem Courthouse         -       670 USD            20 mins (bus)                 73%

 

Times taken for a monday at 8am using google maps. The ratings where taken from http://www2.apartmentratings.com and the rent values from their personal proposals. You can check the prices on their webpages anyway. All of them are offering grad discounts that will end up giving you those approximate numbers, I believe.

 

 

I would like to add that all of this info is based on internet blogs/reviews/posts with some emails giving me advise here and there. Please take all this info with a bit of salt. And sorry for the mega long post.

Cheers

[Leuco]

Just a quick fyi, if it helps:

Purdue/Lafayette's bus system is City Bus, here: (http://gocitybus.com/)  That lists bus routes, and you see how late they run.

 

Some vary (i.e. the 4B [which takes you to Copper Beach/College Station/some others] runs every half-hour from 6:30am ish to 7pm, then every hour until midnight, while I think Happy Hollow and most of the campus routes only run till 6ish or so, just depends. So if you dont have a car and plan on staying on campus late, check on this.
Also! Some places (I think maybe Copper Beech is one of them) have their own express bus services.

[Rolling Circles]

I also found a little app someone made on the android market with all of the Purdue bus routes and things.  It's actually pretty cool.

[Nothung]

Lots of very useful info in this thread! Thank you everyone.

 

I was just wondering,

 

People keep mentioning that most love having an apartment in downtown Lafayette, near bars, cafes, hangouts, etc. But which apartments are the nice ones in the downtown area? Does anyone know any specific names that I can look into?

 

Thanks!

[TheMercySeat]

Hi all,

 

What is it like living out here? What are some of the top activities people do for fun? 

[TheMercySeat]

Anyone...?

Living out here can't be that terrible, can it?

[MaudDib]

I think it's nice. It's a beautiful place in the summer. 

 

As far as "activities," I think there's a movie theater. There's just not much to say about West Lafayette, honestly. It's a small town.

Edited March 8, 2015 by MaudDib

[csStudent]

Hi guys , 

 

I was accepted for in PhD degree CE at Purdue starting the next fall, and am looking for a graduate roommate to share an apartment with him , I do not want to end up living alone    .

 

I am  , clean , descent , non-smoker , and respectful , looking for the same .

 

Please contact me if interested .

[eprzpd]

Where is the best apartments in Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana? I'm looking for a one bedroom and reviews have scared me away from a lot of places. I am in town and hoping to visit a few, so any suggestions would be welcomed!!

[sherbetlemon]

I got admitted to Electrical Engineering. Getting offered $1500 a month, minus 1000 per sem for misc. fees, and taxes. Anybody know if that is enough to get by?

It seems that housing alone is $600 per month, roughly, though I am not sure if that includes bills. What about other expenses, like food and travel, provided I don't cook? How much savings does it leave?

Anybody know?

[csStudent]

Hi Congratulations man,

misc. fees will be 1000/semester that is 300-250 per month , and taxes will be less than 300 /months

so you will have 900 remaining, for accommodation if you find a roommate , you can rent a 2BR apartment at a rate of 500 max with utilities(water/elec) included ;"you do not have to live on campus at a high price!" .

 

you will have remaining in worst case 400 for food and find which i think more than enough ,  do not worry man the amount is  Just fine if you are single.I know it is not great amount , but it might increase in the following years.

 

I know guys with families(wife and child) that lives at 2000 stipend at Purdue.

 

But Try to find a roommate or a bedroom to rent ASAP before prices goes high.check criaglist 

Good Luck , 

 

Edited April 8, 2015 by csStudent

[eggfish]

I'm checking out Purdue soon and wanted suggestions for areas to visit around Lafayette and West Lafayette.  Is the wolf park worth a visit?  

Also, what's the vibe you get?  If anyone knows, how does it compare to St. Louis or Urbana-Champaign?  Is there a decent amount of diversity?  Are there lots of religious people or not really? etc. 
I try to avoid suburbia, but I like rural areas and city.  Is Lafayette much of a city?

Edited August 19, 2015 by eggfish

[bandinterwebs]

Don't know if anyone is still around on this thread, but if so...

I don't know if I will be attending Purdue next fall, as I am still undecided between a few programs. I originally visited and thought Purdue would not be a good fit, but I found one professor who is absolutely amazing and a bit of a game-changer. 

Here's my concern: My significant other will be moving with me, and he and I are both used to bigger cities with lots to do (such as Houston). He travels for work, so he will need to be nearish to an airport (within an hour or so). If I were single, I wouldn't worry about the location, but I am not, so I do.

Is there perhaps a town that is closer to the INDY airport (or even Chicago) that might be a bit more lively and less college-oriented? I would theoretically be willing to commute 20-30 minutes if it meant living in a city that would a better fit for someone who is not part of the university.

Any suggestions?

Edited March 2, 2016 by bandinterwebs

[gandrews]

Hi, bandinterwebs!

I'm currently at Purdue and I'm afraid you might be out of luck. I'm not an Indiana native but as far as I know there really aren't any towns bigger than Lafayette/West Lafayette within 20-30 minutes driving distance. The good news is that it is pretty easy to get to IND and Chicago airports from West Lafayette; IND is about an hour by car and O'Hare is about 2.5 hours. There are also several companies offering reasonably-priced shuttle services; I fly out of IND pretty frequently and the shuttle from campus to the airport is 50 bucks round trip (they pick you up from campus and you don't have to worry about parking, so it's a win-win).

You would probably get less of a college town vibe by living across the river in Lafayette, where there is also more to do than there is around campus. It's not a major city by any stretch of the imagination but at least there are some restaurants, bars, cultural events, etc.

Let me know if you have any other questions I might be able to answer!

[Golden321]

I will start my PhD in engineering field on Fall 2016 at Purdue. 

I am wondering if anyone is looking for room/roommate in lafayette/west lafayette. 

 

[osteophile]

Any tips for a married couple with 2 cats looking to rent a house? I'll be starting grad school at Purdue in the fall (August 2018) and the hubby will be working full-time, so we'll have my stipend plus his income. We are from a small town so we want to live in a quiet, safe area and wouldn't mind a short drive (~15 minutes).