You’ve been accepted to UConn Law. Congrats! Now you’re faced with the looming and all encompassing question: where am I going to live? Unfortunately (as you most likely already know) the law school does not provide student or university housing. Therefore to some, finding housing in the area can seem like a daunting task. This holds especially true to those who are coming from out of state, completely unaware of possible options. For that reason, I have complied some helpful hints and suggestions for those in search of housing. These suggestions and advice come from my fellow classmates, who hail from all over the United States. If they could find adequate housing I promise you can as well!
What Town to Live in
One of the great things about UConn Law is its central location, as it is easily accessible to many surrounding towns. I have friends that commute from a variety of places throughout the state, ranging from Stamford to Storrs. Other close options (within a half an hour commute) include Bloomfield, Farmington, East Hartford, Glastonbury and Manchester. However to those looking in the immediate area (5-15 minute commute), my suggestion is to look for housing options in either Hartford or West Hartford.
Where to Look
One of the great things about UConn Law is its central location, as it is easily accessible to many surrounding towns. I have friends that commute from a variety of places throughout the state, ranging from Stamford to Storrs. Other close options (within a half an hour commute) include Bloomfield, Farmington, East Hartford, Glastonbury and Manchester. However to those looking in the immediate area (5-15 minute commute), my suggestion is to look for housing options in either Hartford or West Hartford.
Where to Look
Online
Probably the most popular option to those seeking housing is to use Craigslist. For those not familiar with this website, it is a network of online communities featuring online classified advertisements (for our purposes: housing). In order to find the housing section, all you need to do is look to the upper left hand corner to find the “search box.” From there, all you need to do is type in the town you are looking for (ex: West Hartford) and click “housing” from the drop down menu. This will bring you to a page with housing listings. At the top you can limit your search according to price, bedrooms, pets, etc. Each listing will provide a description of the place, number of bedrooms, rent, landlord contact information, etc. Many also include pictures!
To many, the idea of using Craigslist is a bit scary, especially to those who are searching for a possible roommate. However, I am here to tell you that if done appropriately it can be successfully done. My sister and a large majority of my friends (who all reside in West Hartford) have found their apartments and roommates through this method.
If you are thinking about using Craigslist to obtain housing I would suggest contacting the landlord and setting up a time to see the place. If you are coming from out of state, try to schedule all of your viewings in one day. This will give you the opportunity to see the street, surrounding community, etc. Other helpful hints that my fellow classmates have suggested to me is to go to local businesses (ex: your waitress) and ask generally about the specific street or area that you are looking at. It’s also a great excuse to check out West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square.
From a personal opinion, West Hartford as a whole is an extremely safe town. I personally live in WeHa (as we like to call it) and have had no complaints in the three years I have resided here. In fact, West Hartford has been voted as a top 10 best City for the new decade! (http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/10-best-cities-2010-for-the-next-decade.html)
Do not count Hartford out as a viable option for housing. There are safe and livable areas in Hartford for graduate students. Downtown Hartford and the surrounding streets of the law school (where a majority of students live: Girard Ave, Sherman St., Fern St. and Kenyon St.) are great places to look. Additionally, many Professors and law school affiliates rent out apartments or rooms on the aforementioned streets. The law school will have a housing list and a roommate list available where members of the law school community can post information about places they are renting out, and those who are looking for roommates. Craigslist is another resource to find local housing options.
Probably the most popular option to those seeking housing is to use Craigslist. For those not familiar with this website, it is a network of online communities featuring online classified advertisements (for our purposes: housing). In order to find the housing section, all you need to do is look to the upper left hand corner to find the “search box.” From there, all you need to do is type in the town you are looking for (ex: West Hartford) and click “housing” from the drop down menu. This will bring you to a page with housing listings. At the top you can limit your search according to price, bedrooms, pets, etc. Each listing will provide a description of the place, number of bedrooms, rent, landlord contact information, etc. Many also include pictures!
To many, the idea of using Craigslist is a bit scary, especially to those who are searching for a possible roommate. However, I am here to tell you that if done appropriately it can be successfully done. My sister and a large majority of my friends (who all reside in West Hartford) have found their apartments and roommates through this method.
If you are thinking about using Craigslist to obtain housing I would suggest contacting the landlord and setting up a time to see the place. If you are coming from out of state, try to schedule all of your viewings in one day. This will give you the opportunity to see the street, surrounding community, etc. Other helpful hints that my fellow classmates have suggested to me is to go to local businesses (ex: your waitress) and ask generally about the specific street or area that you are looking at. It’s also a great excuse to check out West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square.
From a personal opinion, West Hartford as a whole is an extremely safe town. I personally live in WeHa (as we like to call it) and have had no complaints in the three years I have resided here. In fact, West Hartford has been voted as a top 10 best City for the new decade! (http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/10-best-cities-2010-for-the-next-decade.html)
Do not count Hartford out as a viable option for housing. There are safe and livable areas in Hartford for graduate students. Downtown Hartford and the surrounding streets of the law school (where a majority of students live: Girard Ave, Sherman St., Fern St. and Kenyon St.) are great places to look. Additionally, many Professors and law school affiliates rent out apartments or rooms on the aforementioned streets. The law school will have a housing list and a roommate list available where members of the law school community can post information about places they are renting out, and those who are looking for roommates. Craigslist is another resource to find local housing options.
http://hartford.craigslist.org
Other Websites
1. www.apartments.com
2. http://www.livehartford.org
3. http://therentersdirectory.com/
*As a quick side-note: These websites are similar to Craigslist, however are usually more limited to apartment complexes. This may mean more expensive rent as opposed to renting rooms or a floor in a house, however not always! Both Hartford and West Hartford offer housing that splits larger homes into 2-3 apartments by floor. The first and second floors usually offer 2 or 3 bedrooms, while many third floor apartments are studios. I live in a split Victorian style home and love it!
Other Websites
1. www.apartments.com
2. http://www.livehartford.org
3. http://therentersdirectory.com/
*As a quick side-note: These websites are similar to Craigslist, however are usually more limited to apartment complexes. This may mean more expensive rent as opposed to renting rooms or a floor in a house, however not always! Both Hartford and West Hartford offer housing that splits larger homes into 2-3 apartments by floor. The first and second floors usually offer 2 or 3 bedrooms, while many third floor apartments are studios. I live in a split Victorian style home and love it!
UConn Law Website
The UConn Law website offers a list of available housing in the immediate area. This list can be found by going to our website (law.UConn.edu) and hitting the tab entitled “current students.” On the left hand side you will see the link, “housing list.” This list provides a pretty extensive list of available housing in the surrounding areas. The law school also has a roommate and housing list and like Craigslist it includes a description of the place, rent, and landlord contact information. My advice and suggestions from the Craigslist option apply here as well.
https://www.law.uconn.edu/portal/students/new-students-portal-home/quick-links-0/housing-hartford
Realtor
Another possible option that several of my fellow classmates utilized is a realtor. Though more expensive, this saves you the step of searching on your own. Though I do not have much expertise in this area, there are several options here.
1. You can utilize the services of an actual realtor. Probably the best way to go about this is googling “West Hartford or Hartford Realtors.”
2. If you are content with the idea of living in an apartment complex you can do an online search for apartment complexes in the area. Most have pretty informational websites, in which you can call the apartment complex office to set up a viewing.
As stated before these are only a few suggestions and advice that I have obtained from my fellow classmates. Please feel free to email me at the below email if you have any pressing questions about housing, i.e. is this a good street to live on? I will do my best to answer! Goodluck!
Realtor
Another possible option that several of my fellow classmates utilized is a realtor. Though more expensive, this saves you the step of searching on your own. Though I do not have much expertise in this area, there are several options here.
1. You can utilize the services of an actual realtor. Probably the best way to go about this is googling “West Hartford or Hartford Realtors.”
2. If you are content with the idea of living in an apartment complex you can do an online search for apartment complexes in the area. Most have pretty informational websites, in which you can call the apartment complex office to set up a viewing.
As stated before these are only a few suggestions and advice that I have obtained from my fellow classmates. Please feel free to email me at the below email if you have any pressing questions about housing, i.e. is this a good street to live on? I will do my best to answer! Goodluck!
