Kate22

Would love to hear what you all have to say :) Also, what should I have for breakfast?

Meredith, do you know when we'll get info on books and such?

Too funny.. :-)

Oh wow, thanks for the info!!! You know, it's been quieter.. did the cicadas leave? haha

Everyone is sooo nice here, you'll love it! Fun fact, not sure if you guys are familiar with secadas (sp?) but they are everywhere... and they are loud.. and they tend to smash into my windshield when I'm driving... I think they do get snow here... though probably very little. What specialty are you? :)

Hey guys! I am officially all set in Nashville!! For those of you who come from up north like myself.... it's HOT in here... it's been ~ 99 for the past three days... so yea :)

There's a commuter train that goes to Vandy... Music City Star. Fare is discounted with your Vandy ID. I know that some students take that when they don't have clinicals. I think that even going 2-5 miles away will bring prices down substantially. I don't want to get too repetitive, but do give Apartment Selector a try... they made my life a lot easier. Padmapper is also helpful -- you type Vandy's address and it puts all the ads for apartments on a map.. that way you can compare prices, distances and all. Hope this helps!

I've seen anything from 900 (tiny, studio apts) to well over $2000. Be aware that most apartment complexes charge a pet fee (not a deposit, a fee) of 350-500 per pet, and some of them also charge pet rent, that can go anywhere from 10-40 extra a month. The area right around Vandy... uhm, I don't know if it's suuuper dog friendly, as it's more city-like, but if you walk a little further there's a bunch of parks and stuff like that. Some complexes also have "pet parks", where you can go and walk your dog. If you decide to live a little further out you can get something a lot bigger for much less... just a thought. Good luck and congrats ^_^

sent ^^

Hey, just emailed you :)

hey guys, I officially compiled a list of apartments and a brief review of each. If anyone is interested, PM me and I'll send it to you! :) Good luck everyone!!!

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for so long. Last few weeks of school are getting crazy. I highly recommend using Apartment Selector for finding a home. I dealt with someone named Candi, and she was amazing. They are a free service, and basically you tell them everything you're looking for and they send you a list of places that fit your needs. As far as areas goes, the closer you get to Vanderbilt the higher the rent gets, and the smaller the apartments are. So if you don't mind the drive and want some space - I'd suggest going a little further out. There are also lots of apartment complexes, so if you're driving around and see a place you like - by all means go in and check it out. Also, do know that rent and fees (particularly pet fees) can be negotiated, easily. Most apartment complexes waive the application fee for Vanderbilt students, so make sure you ask about it. Other questions to consider are: 1) Is there a pest policy? Is that included in the rent? 2) Are there any utilities included? What's water like? (some complexes average the water consumption between all the apartments, others have a flat fee, and on others its metered and you pay what you use). Also, if you know your apartment number, call Nashville Electric, give them the address and apartment number, and they will tell you the highest and lowest bills on the last 12 months. 3) Ask if there is maintenance on site, and if they have an emergency maintenance service. 4) This was important for me -- I asked about the noise policy. Some places have a courtesy officer on site that can help with this. 5) Check crime maps. I use this: http://services.tennessean.com/services.aspx/crime-watch?address=461+21st+Avenue+South%2C+Nashville%2C+TN&radius=1&startDate=2%2F1%2F2010&endDate=3%2F1%2F2011&width=640&height=390&goo.x=18&goo.y=17&goo=goo -- basically you put the address and it tells you what crime is like around there. You can also call the local police department and ask them. 6) About apartmentratings.com.... take that with a grain of salt. Apartments can pay to have bad comments removed. What I did was drive around the complexes I liked and asked people how they like it... this is the best way to find out. I'll think of more things later. Hope this helps!

hey mammac, do they send you out far on your second semester? where do you usually stay when that happens? and also, where are you right now, if you don't mind me asking? thank you so much!!

hey guys, i'm driving down next week to look at apartments again... i'm going to be making a list with everything i see and what not... if anyone wants it when i'm done, let me know :) and eva, my bf is moving down there with me, along with our two kitties :)

thanks nikki!! will look into that.