As the school year comes to an end, so will many students’ apartment leases. While some aspiring leaseholders may be thrilled to move out of the residence halls or leave their parents’ nest, they have a few pros and cons to consider before signing above the dotted line.
Many find living close to campus ideal. They don’t want to worry about traffic, wake up unnecessarily early or hassle with parking, wondering if they’ll be lucky enough to find a spot in Parking Structure 4. Luckily for them, College Area is filled with options offering just that. The question is, how do students find the apartment that’s right for them?
Aztec Corner is only steps away from campus, with floor plan options including 2 bedroom / 2 bathroom and 1 bedroom / 1 bathroom that range in price from $629 to $659 per month per person. It includes utilities such as cable TV, Internet, water, sewer and trash. Aztec Corner offers furnishings including full-sized beds and a dining table with chairs. This gated complex also holds community events, offers a courtesy patrol, has helpful on-site management and provides the services of an after-hours, on-call staff.
Students new to the renting game may also be interested in College Campanile Apartments across the street from Aztec Corner. They can choose between one, two or three-bedroom floor plans that range from 650 to 1,700 square feet. College Campanile offers barbecue areas and an Olympic-sized pool as its main amenities. However, despite its beautiful landscaping and large floor plans, it isn’t entirely perfect.
“The quality is like any average apartment. Kind of on the older side … there are some bug problems. We had an exterminator three times,” journalism and media studies sophomore Lauren Yap, who recently renewed her lease, said. Although College Campanile offers on-site laundry, management and maintenance, it does not offer furnishings. Students who do not own furniture or have a way of transporting it may want to choose another location.
Hardy Avenue is another option students may consider when looking to roll out of bed and onto campus in the same motion. It offers a single floor plan consisting of three bedrooms and two bathrooms, which is ideal for small groups. Its amenities are basic, including a dishwasher, electric stove and garbage disposal. Hardy Avenue’s stand-out feature is a 24-hour emergency service and staff.
“The woman who ran the apartment complex was really nice, along with the maintenance staff. They were usually available to cater to our needs when necessary,” psychology junior Kristin Morse said. However, she added, living with four other girls did leave her feeling cramped at times.
Sterling Alvarado, a similar building to Sterling Collwood, is another option located mere minutes from campus. It offers studio apartments as well as two, three and four-bedroom floor plans, some of which are furnished. Rates vary from $625 to $1025 per person. Sterling strives to be environmentally friendly and provides notable amenities, including an athletic center, private study rooms and two pools. Each apartment comes with a 42” flat screen television, a washing machine, a dryer and a patio. Though its amenities are impressive, some residents have found issues with the complex.
“The complex was not quite walking distance, which made it harder to get to school on time. The shuttle was small, crowded and unreliable,” liberal studies junior Katelynn Abbott said.
Aztec Corner and Sterling Alvarado offer more amenities than College Campanile and Hardy Avenue, which may make them more appealing to future renters. However, each of the students interviewed complained about the noise level that is inevitable when living so close to San Diego State. Students who came to SDSU to study free from distraction may want to keep this in mind before jumping on the College Area bandwagon.
