7 Tips for Apartment Hunting at SJU

Keep reading for 7 tips for apartment hunting at SJU!

1. Don’t rely on JumpOffCampus.

It’s honestly the least helpful website when you’re trying to find a place near St. John’s. EVERYONE at the school uses it but there are only about 15 listings. Good luck securing one of those places before someone else does.

2. Use Craigslist.

I found my amazing apartment on Craigslist, as can you! Craigslist can be the most helpful website when you know what you’re doing and know what you’re looking for, but don’t ever send money to anyone over the site!

3. Don’t limit yourself to a certain street or area.

Listen, don’t take the mindset of, “I’m going to live right outside Gate 6″ or “I’m going to live on 170^th street.” If that’s all you look for, odds are you won’t find a place and if you do, it’ll end up being $1000 a room.

4. It’s okay to live below Grand Central Parkway.

A lot of people talk about it being “unsafe” or “too far” once you go below the Grand Central. It’s not. There are so many places available over there and if you get a place near Henley, Public Safety will be patrolling around there anyway.

5. Don’t pay over $800 per room.

My sister pays $1200 a room in the Upper East Side for a really nice apartment, so you should not be paying anywhere near that. I found a single room for $530, so it’s possible. Even $800 a room is pricey for a place in Queens, let alone the St. John’s area.

6. Look at the neighborhood statistics before you sign a lease.

If you’re scared you’re living in an area you don’t want to live in or you simply just want to see who lives in your neighborhood and how they act, look up statistics online. It will save you the headache later.

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7. Make sure there’s public transportation close by.

If you don’t have a car, this is a must. Even if you do have a car, you’re going to want to take the subway places; so look for a nearby bus stop, since subways don’t go that far out into the St. John’s area, besides the F train.

What’s your biggest tip for apartment hunting? Comment below and be sure to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram!