The Next Step to Off-Campus Living
College Park has plenty of options when it comes to living spaces. From apartments, houses, and townhouses, the choice is yours! Before you know it, it will be time to have a conversation about where your student may want to live next year. This conversation will be brought up in October or November of your students’ freshman year. Yes, this may seem early, but it is necessary planning if you want your choice of an apartment or house. Before you sign that lease in December or early on in the following year, it is important you check out all your options. Some students prefer certain buildings, cost of rent, locations, amenities, and policies, so knowing all about each location is imperative.
Apartments and Townhouses
Landmark Apartments– In my opinion, this would be my first choice in apartment buildings. Located right above the Target on College Avenue, directly across from campus, this apartment building is very common and has a great location. Yes, it is on the pricey side, but it is a prime location and its amenities are excellent including a Dunkin’ in the lobby, study lounges and individual study rooms, health and fitness center, tanning beds, an on-site parking garage, and many more helpful additions.
Terrapin Row– Terrapin Row or T-Row, is a lovely place to live and offers both apartments and townhouses. Located on Knox Road, this complex is a great area to live and especially close to the business school. Under T-Row, there are many food options, including Dunkin, The Spot Mini, Wings Over, SEOUL Spice, and more. They also have desirable amenities such as a volleyball court, swimming pool, study hubs, spray tanning, fitness center, and sauna, and plenty more attractive amenities.
College Park Towers– An older building in College Park, but still a good option for students. This is one of the cheapest off-campus apartments, so if you are looking to live in an apartment and want the lowest rent in a central location, this could be the place for you. These apartments do not come furnished, so make sure you bring furniture.
The Alloy– One of the newest apartment buildings in College Park, The Alloy is located a couple of blocks from campus on Baltimore Avenue. This is a pet-friendly apartment, so perfect for all pet owners. In addition to this, The Alloy has a pool, rec room, courtyard with a fire pit, and several other convenient amenities.
The Varsity– Located on Baltimore Avenue, a little past campus is The Varsity apartments. It is not the most convenient location in regards to Central College Park where a lot of restaurants and bars are located, but they have nice rooms that come fully furnished and all have their own private bathroom.
University View– Located right next to The Varsity on Baltimore Avenue, U-View is another good choice in apartment buildings. U-View offers fair rent prices and has amenities including a pool, shuttle bus service, fitness center, entertainment spaces, etc.
Houses
Many upperclassmen choose to live in houses. Whether it be a house that’s that is shared between some new friends or a Greek life house, these are great affordable options for students. If you are interested in living in a house with friends, off-campus houses are often listed on websites such as Zillow or the UMD OCH Database. If students are interested in a particular house, it is best to talk to the current landlord or residents in hopes of taking over the house the following year. Certain houses tend to get passed down between friends and sororities and fraternities, so make sure you talk to your upperclassman friends if you are interested in their house.
A great aspect of Greek-like at the University of Maryland is being able to live in Greek housing. UMD owns a good amount of sorority and fraternity houses. These houses are located on either Fraternity Row along Route One, or houses on the “Graham Cracker” down College Avenue and Knox Road. Living in a Greek house is once in a lifetime experience and comes with many amenities. Most houses have chefs that make lunch and dinner during the week, which is excellent for those students who don’t love to cook or don’t have the time. In addition to the proximity to campus, it is not likely your student will ever have the opportunity to be living with 40-60 of their closest friends again. My daughter currently lives in a sorority house off-campus and loves it and would not choose another living option.
One important thing that members of sororities and fraternities must know is when each member is given the opportunity to live in the house. Some chapters choose to give sophomore preference, while some give junior preference, so make sure you know your situation and plan living accordingly. It is also common that you can live in these houses for half of a year. In this case, your student will need to find rent for the semester that they are unable to live in the house. Most times, if this is the case, students are able to get a one-semester lease in New or Old Leonardtown. These are residence halls that are apartment-style, located within walking distance from the sorority and fraternity houses. If students want another option of one-semester living, the next best thing is to sublease an apartment, then move into the house the following semester.
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