Housing in Ann Arbor

If you plan on joining the UMSI community in the Fall, which I hope you are, yesterday would have been the best time to start looking for housing… but today’s a good a time as any.

I recommend that you start looking early! Why? I remember last year, some really smart people started looking for housing as early as Visiting Days in March. I, however, wasn’t quite as proactive. I waited until about June to actually begin searching and didn’t have a confirmed place to stay until a week before orientation!! It was very nerve wracking and I recommend you DON’T do that.

Some important factors about housing in Ann Arbor:

• Price: The further from campus, the cheaper rent will be in general. I know some people who live in the neighboring town of Ypsilanti (about 20min away) and drive in.
• Location: Consider how long your commute to North Quad (where the majority of SI classes are held) will be. I personally wanted a place within 10min walking distance of North Quad, so that I wouldn’t have to rely on waiting for a bus if I was running late. Also consider, how accessible grocery stores are. Seriously. I live a good trek from a grocery store (with a car).
• Transportation: If you will not have a car, I recommend visiting The Ride to get information on the Ann Arbor public buses (free for students!).
• Safety: I think in general, based on UM Crime Reports, the northern part of town is safer than the areas near S. University or south of central campus. The northern part includes areas such as Kerrytown and North Campus.

• Amenities: Think about if you need a furnished place, heat/water included, want to pay for parking, etc. Personally I found an unfurnished place and bought things from Ypsilanti SUPER cheap with Craigslist. But I also refused to pay additional for parking… I wanted a place that had it included.

• Housemates: Most likely you will have 1-2 housemates. It’s quite pricey to live alone in Ann Arbor and many students wishing to do so look into Ypsilanti.
• Neighborhoods: Some student-recommended areas to live are the North Side of Ann Arbor (i.e. Kerrytown), North Campus, South Campus, Plymouth Rd. On-campus options for graduate students are Munger (on central, new, multi-disciplinary, hosts events) and Northwood (on north, quiet, family-friendly).

Recommended Resources for Your Housing Search:

Craigslist UM Housing Site UM Off-Campus Housing Site Facebook: UMich Housing Group, Prospective Students Group Zillow Referrals from Friends Homeshare program

UMSI listserv* Driving/Walking around A2 Calling/Visiting apartments Padmapper Trulia Cribspot Apartments.com ICC (co-op) website Walkscore

*once you get access to the listserv.

Happy Hunting :)