Every student needs a place to live — and come spring, it's on everyone's mind. Incoming freshmen shop around with anxious parents for the perfectly cool apartment complex, while commuter students finally decide to make the move out of Mom and Dad's. Others tire of the on-campus experience after a year or two of shared living with roommates, suitemates, hallmates and floormates. Eventually, privacy and freedom beckon in the form of (often cheaper) off-campus apartments.
For most students, living near the Metro Light Rail has serious appeal. Driving to and parking on campus gets expensive, and many students commute between multiple campuses. Light rail-adjacent apartments market themselves as such, drawing more and more residents with each dollar rise on the gas pump.
But not every place suits every student. Some are for the quiet and studious, while others are designed for the social, college experience. Here’s a look at the culture of some popular apartments on the rail near the ASU Tempe and Downtown campuses.
Downtown Phoenix
Alta Phoenix Lofts
Quick Stats: Phone number: 602-374-7133 Light rail stop: Van Buren Street and Central Avenue Amenities: fitness center, cyber cafe, clubhouse with billiard and poker tables, pool, art gallery, local business on property, acupuncturist, tattoo parlor, personal trainer Furnished: No Pet-friendly: Yes Price range: $960 - $3,500
Sitting catty-corner from the College of Nursing and Health Innovation building, Alta Phoenix Lofts boasts an urban style. Residents find themselves walking through halls with exposed copper pipes and duct work. Property manager Chiara Elie says the light rail is another way to give residents an urban experience.
“We go for the whole downtown vibe, participating in First Fridays and reminding residents the light rail is nearby,” she says, sitting in her pool-facing office.
Elie says not many students live at the Lofts because they are higher-priced than other apartment complexes in the area. She says she tries to hold at least two or three events per month so residents get what they pay for. She says the active student would appreciate living at the Lofts.
“Our biggest appeal to students is we’re very close to the Downtown campus,” she says. “But we also have so much to offer in terms of amenities and activities.”
Nursing senior Barbie Frazier says she chose to live at Alta Phoenix Lofts after looking at The Met and Roosevelt Square. She says Alta won her over because she thought it was the best deal for what she paid for.
“The lofts were bigger than the other places I looked at and it has this really big balcony with a pretty view, which The Met and Roosevelt Square didn’t have,” Frazier says. “The balcony just makes it so much more open and I like having my own space outside.”
Frazier says one of the frustrating things about living at the Lofts is wasted space in the apartment, which makes cleaning difficult. She says she had to buy a stepstool to reach a lot of her cabinets and storage space.
Frazier says she thinks ASU students who are studious, but also social, would enjoy living at the Lofts.
“People here are pretty nice so I don’t think anyone would call the cops on you for having a party,” she says. “As a nursing student though, I have to be studious and I never hear anyone so it’s easy to study.”
The Met
Quick Stats: Phone number: 602-258-6387 Light rail stop: Van Buren Street and Central Avenue Amenities: pool, hot tub, fitness center, 800+ DVDs for free rental, Wi-Fi throughout the property Furnished: No Pet friendly: Cats and caged animals only Price range: $779 - $1,264
Rising only three stories high, The Met apartment complex is one people might miss, especially as it's surrounded by buildings with 10-plus stories. The city has grown around it; journalism sophomore Liam Hausmann says he enjoys living there because it’s so close to the Downtown campus where he takes classes.
“I don’t live as close to the light rail as some other places, but it’s worth it to me to be able to walk back and forth to campus four times a day without it being a hassle,” Hausmann says.
Hausmann rents a two-bedroom two-bath with his roommate and says he gets the most use out of the Jacuzzi. However, he says he has a rocky relationship with management, though it doesn’t affect his enjoyment of his living experience.
“I got a message from [management] complaining to me about people parking in The Met guest parking spots and then leaving,” he says. “They blamed me and my roommate and my roommate had to go the office and basically say it’s not our job to watch the parking lot, regardless if the people doing it are people we know or not.”
Hausmann says while the facilities are very nice, management tends to treat students as if they aren’t full and responsible adults.
“If you take management not appreciating students out of the picture, the location, the amenities and stuff is all awesome,” he says. “It’s not really a hustle and bustle place, it’s really mellow and I think it’s good for students who work on campus.”
Assistant manager of The Met Kathy Kimminau says they don’t treat students any different than other residents but admits they do give them more noise complaints notifications if other residents are voicing complaints.
“The studious student would prefer to live here because we are strict about noise complaints,” she says. “We still want people to have fun and have people over and party, just not late at night. We’ve never evicted someone for too many noise complaints but we would if we had too.”
Kimminau says she thinks students would want to live at The Met because of the proximity to campus, as well as the availability of Wi-Fi.
“We’re also located right next to a lot of places to eat and entertainment, like the movie theater,” she says.
Roosevelt Square
Quick Stats: Phone number: 602-258-7678 Light rail stop: Roosevelt Street and Central Avenue Amenities: 24-hour gym, pool, on the bus line, dog-walking area, 24-hour sky terrace, local businesses on property, four restaurants, dry cleaner Furnished: No Pet friendly: Yes, except for larger, aggressive breeds of dog Price range: $563 – $1,500
Three separate buildings make up Roosevelt Square, its own small community where assistant manager Wes Carmichael says many residents have referred each other.
“We have a mixture of young professionals and students,” he says. “A lot of students move here after their first year or two on campus because it’s cheaper to live here than on campus.”
He says some reasons students might enjoy living at Roosevelt Square is the proximity to First Fridays, a monthly art walk, as well as plenty of local shops and eateries to walk to. He says they are also extremely pet friendly.
“We have almost as many pets as residents I think,” he says.
Sustainability and journalism senior Lexie Runge lives at Roosevelt Square with her dog Maverick and says she loves living so close to the light rail.
“I almost never drive anymore because I can walk to my journalism classes on the Downtown campus and take the light rail to my other ones on the Tempe campus,” she says.
Runge says she feels the complex is for students who are respectful but like the urban life.
“Most residents here really do respect each other,” she says. “It’s a lot of young people and young couples and everyone has this understanding that this isn’t for cranky older people and there’s no underclassmen who want to party constantly. I think it’s a place for people who have their priorities straight.”
Carmichael says if students are looking to rent in the fall, they should begin the process about 75 days in advance. He says the Phoenix Mercury are already inquiring about renting apartments there again. Last year the team leased 14 units, he says.
Tempe
Apache Station
Quick Stats: Phone number: 480-659-2600 Light rail stop: Price 101 Freeway and Apache Boulevard Amenities: computer center, family room area with kitchen, dance studio for fitness classes, two pools and hot tubs, sand volleyball court, picnic areas, dog-walking areas, fitness center Furnished: No Pet friendly: Yes Price range: $449 - $695
Melodie Raab, a representative from Asset Campus, the corporation that owns Apache Station, describes the complex as the value alternative, not the shiny new pebble on the block.
“We’re more geared for the budget-conscious student who wants to still live at a nice place,” she says. “We rent by the apartment and by the bedroom which gives residents some flexibility.”
Raab says sewer and trash is included in the rent, but utilities aren’t. She says it gives residents the option of choosing which company they want to use for their cable as well Internet.
“We’re the no-frills property, but the good thing is you can get what you want,” Raab says.
Communications junior Jessica Kasl says she chose to live at Apache Station because of the pricing and the proximity to the light rail.
“I really wanted to try to drive less and having the light rail right outside my door makes it so I don’t have any excuse,” she says.
Kasl says she also appreciates the affordable rates and hasn’t had any problems since she moved in during June 2010.
“I also really liked the roommate matching program they have so I didn’t have to find a roommate and it’s someone I’m compatible with,” she says. “I think it makes students here more social because they live with people they like.”
Block 1949
Quick Stats Phone number: 480-894-1949 Light rail stop: Dorsey Lane and Apache Boulevard Amenities: fitness center with iPod docking stations, media room with plasma TV, game room, TV with Wii gaming system, foosball, pool table, shuffleboard and ping pong, internet cafe with lounge area, coffee bar, computer center with study rooms, party deck and grilling area Furnished: Yes Price range: $695 - $899
Located slightly off the light rail line, the literature for Block 1949 boasts a life style for the extremely social student. Human communications junior Claire Sideras says she’s not sure she agrees with their ads.
“If I knew it was going to be like this, I would have moved elsewhere for this academic year,” she says. “I feel like the way they presented this place was a little misleading. They made it sound like because it was off-campus it was a hands-off sort of place but that’s not how it is.”
Sideras says she wanted to move out almost as soon as she moved in, and she won’t be renewing her lease. Rent is going up, she says, and the complex is going to start charging for parking.
“It really appealed to my family and me to have free covered parking but now they’re getting rid of that,” Sideras says.
Since she moved in, Sideras says Block 1949 has gone through five security companies and thinks some of them have been too forceful.
“One company had their guys wear cameras on the front of their shirt with visual and audio and I think that’s just going overboard for an apartment complex,” Sideras says. “Once some friends and I were walking around the complex going to parties and they literally followed us from unit to unit.”
Sideras says she also thinks some of the policies, such as having to register parties with more than eight people with management, are also going too far.
“If you don’t live here, they aren’t very guest friendly,” Sideras says.
Mostly Sideras feels the management focuses a lot on the landscaping and not so much on the needs of residents.
“They pay attention to the things that don’t matter and fall short on all the things that do,” she says.
Property manager Aaron McDonnell declined to comment for this story.
Campus Suites on the Light Rail
Quick Stats: Phone number: 480-966-3300 Light rail stop: Dorsey Lane and Apache Boulevard Amenities: 24-hour gym, clubhouse with wet bar, furniture and speaker system, business center, game room, lounge area, leisure pool and play pool with a volleyball net, hot tub, tanning beds Furnished: Yes Pet friendly: No Price range: $635 – $745
Property manager Barbara Steinke says Campus Suites on the Light Rail is a place that caters to students. Sitting in the furnished model apartment, she gestures to the parts of the apartment she thinks are useful for students.
“One of the things that I think is really nice is that each bedroom comes with a bathroom for just that resident,” she says. “Utilities are also included in the rent so you don’t have an extra charge you don’t know about. It includes Internet and TV.”
She says they rent to students by the bedroom and allow residents to either sign up to live together or to be matched through their roommate-matching program.
Tourism development and management senior Ryan Gaynor has lived at Campus Suites for two years and says he has really enjoyed his experience there.
“I like the size of the bedrooms because a lot of the other places are really small,” he says. “If you’re going to be a day or two late on your rent, management is also willing to work with you which is cool.”
Gaynor says he gets most use out of the business center where he studies, but says he thinks the complex is not for the more studious students.
“There are a lot of frats that live here and lots of loud music on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays,” Gaynor says. “The study rooms are nice but it’s pretty social here.”
The Lofts at Rio Salado
Quick Stats: Phone number: 602-685-9000 Light rail stop: Center Parkway and Washington Street Amenities: underground parking, two pools and hot tubs, barbeque areas, private on-site movie theater, fitness center, business center Furnished: No Pet-friendly: Yes Price range: $875 – $1,360
Human communications junior Kori Skurja says she thinks the Lofts at Rio Salado are for more studious students who just want to live there and go to school.
“It doesn’t seem like a party place and it’s more expensive to live here than a lot of other places,” Skurja says. “You have to pay for safety and for a well-kept property.”
Skurja says she gets the most use out of the fitness center because it’s open 24 hours. She doesn’t have time to go to the pool with her schedule, but likes that she can still work out.
“Even if I get home late from work or class or even just want to work out late at night, the fitness center is always open and always clean and ready for use,” she says.
Skurja says being from Northern Arizona she wishes the complex had more actual greenery than the copper-colored shrubbery that’s around the property.
“Once you’re in the property, it can kind of feel like a cave and so I wish it was more open too,” she says.
Skurja says she recommends Rio Salado for students as long as they are comfortable with a more relaxed life style.
The Lofts at Rio Salado declined comment for this story.
Reach the reporter at sheydt@asu.edu
