These last few days I've been hearing a lot of my classmates discuss their search for off-campus housing or news that people have been signing leases and I just kept thinking to myself why the hell is everyone looking for housing now? It's been barely a month since we started school here and yatta yatta. But then I overheard a few upperclassmen telling a first semester student that they should find and sign a lease by the end of THIS WEEK. Of course fear crept in me and I was suddenly afraid I'd be missing out on some prime real estate.
For all those wondering why I have to find an apartment:
Unfortunately for us AUC students, after living first semester in the dorms with all day AC, generators, and relatively fast/reliable internet, everyone gets kicked out, never to return. I suppose 5th semesters used to be able to come back, but I'm pretty sure AUC has just started implementing a new policy where only new incoming students and their RA's can stay in university housing. So I need to be out of my dorm and into a new place by April 24th.
Yesterday might have been my least productive and yet also my most productive day on the island. Not only did I manage to sleep through MCB (I swear this is my first absence of the semester), but I hardly studied at all yesterday save for the one hour at 8-9 pm. I spent my 2.5 hour break between class and lab visiting the following residencies: Cupecoy Beach Club, Rainbow Beach Club, and The Cliff and then spent the evening initiating the leasing process with my soon-to-be landlord. I'm happy to say the very first one-bedroom apartment I saw at Cupecoy Beach Club was absolutely gorgeous and I fell in love right then and there, however I didn't feel like committing without seeing at least a couple of other places first. I visited the studio at Rainbow and it didn't have a kitchen and was pretty much any generic, clean, nice hotel room and I don't really want to feel like I'm living in a hotel room for 16 months. I also found out it was $1400 a month for no generator, no gym access... no thank you . Boo. I also looked at a two-bedroom apartment here as well, and I liked the space much better. It was fully furnished with a full kitchen, long hallways, huge bedrooms with king size beds, all for $3000 a month. In case you struggle with math, in the event that I get a roommate to share this place with, I would be paying $1500 a month and that is a bit out of my price range since it doesn't include utilities.
Next stop was The Cliff. There is no entrance I could find for people on foot so I awkwardly went up to the voice box thing in front of the gate for cars and pushed the button for assistance. After explaining my situation, they opened the gate for me and I met with someone who then told me there were only TWO singles in the entire building and this place is huge. It's beyond me that they can have only two single bedrooms out of hundreds of rooms. Of course both singles were occupied and after inquiring about the price, I realized this place was way out of my price range.
I returned to campus for anatomy lab and mulled over whether I should visit some more buildings tomorrow and then I thought screw it, I found a place I love and for $1350 a month for that fantastic space, I'm doing it. My single bedroom is fully furnished (It has 3 TVs for whatever reason, and both couches pull out into beds), a king size bed upstairs, my own washer/dryer, full kitchen, generator, balcony, gated 24 hour security, maid service once a week, access to the Beach Club private beach, the workout room, and pool. My adorable Canadian landlord said she will pay for my cable (Dish Network) all year around, but I will have to pay $175 a month for electricity/water/internet. Whew Done
PICTURES!!
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Kitchen and dining area which seats 8. I may need to do
some dinner parties next semester. |
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| Up the stairs we go and I'm totally replacing that TV with my flatscreen! |
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| King size bed and TV pretty much make up this floor |
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| View from top of the stairs |
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| Picture of my loft, I'm standing out on the balcony |
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| View from the balcony |
For housing information around AUC, the following list is updated pretty often. Check back at this link for new listings:
http://www.aucmed.edu/pdf/Current-Housing-Availability.pdf
Wow, party @ ur crib
ReplyDelete-aman
hahaha aman what's the point of being anonymous when you write your name anyway?
ReplyDeletelol didnt feel like loggin in
ReplyDeleteso nice!!! I CANT WAIT TO COME VISIT <3<3 Jaimie
ReplyDeleteI KNOW! Let me know when you figure it out, dear
ReplyDeleteThat is the crazy landlord, the one everyone warns under semesters to stay away from. She doesn't let you have guests for more than two or three nights a semester and doesn't let you use the washing machine more than once a week. There is a ton more stuff that she does, and the reason her apt is always available is because she drives people away and they break their leases.
ReplyDeletewell i guess im not doing too bad with her so far since she's letting me keep a guest here for a month. And laundry? I do it every two weeks so that shouldnt be a problem. People have been warning me about her and if it's terrible, I'll leave, but so far everything has been smooth. I'm a pretty easy tenant
ReplyDeleteHi I randomly found your blog, i am going to be attending AUC in September. What is your advice on where to live? I have been told the dorms for the first semester then off campus. I have also been going back and forth on if I want a single or double bedroom place. Any advice?
ReplyDeleteHi Haileigh, Congrats with your acceptance to AUC and as for housing definitely go for the dorms first semester. I know some first semesters living off campus who were really bummed by their place here once they arrived because you don't really get to see what you are paying for until you arrive to the island. As for whether you should get a single or a double, it all comes down to personal preference. Throughout college I always had a roommate or 5 (this was the case senior year) and as much fun as I had living with all my friends I didn't get much done. I opted for the single and I've been really happy with it so far. I like being able to get away from people sometimes and just do my own thing. I'm also a clean/neat person so I don't have to worry about anyone making a mess out of my kitchen or bathroom.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice. I know I need to get my dorm stuff in asap I have just been going back and forth about living alone or with a roommate. I have always had a roommate in college and I have been saying I want to live alone for the past year because I am a neat freak as well. Thanks again!!
ReplyDeleteDam I am impressed... life in med school doesnt look to shabby Steve NJ
ReplyDeleteHi, We're angsting a little with our daughter heading down there shortly & starting during the May term. It sounds like everyone stays in the dorm the first term and then must line up an apartment. We've been looking at the different apartments via the link on your site, and a few students posted youtubes of their apartments. Presumably there is security there as well? thnx
ReplyDeleteSo I am def coming to visit you, I just decided it now when I saw your apartment pictures, then looked outside at the snow, then looked back at your pictures of amazingness. I'm coming, I'm dibsing that pullout couch-bed and I will distract you from studying. Good day
ReplyDeleteSome of the apartment buildings like Cupecoy Beach Club and Rainbow Beach Club are gated with 24 hour security, and the other buildings that most students live in are literally 2-5 minutes walking from the school, which also has security. It's very safe right around the school and you shouldn't have to worry.
ReplyDeleteMost students do live in the dorms for their first semester, and I think if given the option you should try to find on campus housing. If it's not available, however, I suppose signing a lease now will end up saving you time in the end because it is going to be a hassle moving out of the dorms here in April.
Hi Andrea. Can you tell me what unit you saw at Rainbow? Because they tell me that it does have a kitchen.
ReplyDeleteMay I ask a [probably] stupid question?
ReplyDeleteIf I go to school at AUC and wind up renting an apartment a few miles away, what is the situation with regard to buying a car to commute? Can an American just buy and register a car on SXM (or do you need to have some sort of permanent immigration status?) And if you can, is insurance real expensive?
Thanks so much! Love your blog!!!!!!!!! :)
Andrea: really enjoyed reading about your trials and tribulations in finding medical school housing on St Maarten. We own a house at Pelican Key with a 1200 sq ft 2 bdrm apartment that we used to rent to medical students. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of where I might receive the best response from Med Students looking for housing with an easygoing 'landlord' ?
ReplyDeleteOh boy, i clearly havent visited in awhile...
ReplyDeleteanonymous one, i saw a "studio" at rainbow, not a one or bedroom apartment. the studio does not have a kitchen but the one and two bedrooms do and very nice kitchens at that.
anonymous two, you can definitely buy a car here on the island. insurance isnt bad at all and i know plenty of students who live further away from campus and drive in every morning. i think the majority of people live around the airport... im not sure how loud it can get there during the day however with all the planes landing and taking off.
David stern, a lot of students go onto the AUC forum on ValueMD. you can definitely post there or you could contact the school and they can include your listing with all the other listings they provide the students on the AUC site.
Hi Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to ask what apartment number do you have? It looks really nice, I wanted to hopefully one day be able to rent it when I come down to SXM.
Thanks
haha ill be happy to tell you once i no longer live here
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete217!
DeleteHello Andrea,
ReplyDeleteI'm an incoming first semester student and I'm considering moving into Cupecoy Beach Club. Were you happy living there?
Thanks!
Amy
I loved living there. it's a 2 minute walk to campus, right across the street from the casino (easy food and drinks access), has it's own security guards, pool, beach, generators. It's the best place to live in my opinion
ReplyDeleteHave you experienced any blackouts during your stay at the apartment? Is the A/C only in the rooms?
ReplyDeletei have a generator so i only experience blackouts for about 20 seconds. and there is an a/c to the upstairs part of the loft as well as in the downstairs area.
Delete