The University of South Florida, unlike other collegiate neighbors, is located in the heart of a very large city. Tampa is known for its many qualities such as the beach, its weather and tourist attractions. However, Tampa is also home to thousands of proud students who are annually accepted into the University where they will be a Bull for life.
Contemplating where the best place to stay throughout your college experience is definitely stressful and overwhelming. However, a few vital factors can be helpful when determining where the best location for you to live may be. These factors can range from location preferences, student housing opportunities, budget, community features, and even social surroundings.
If you are attending South Florida and hope to remain close to campus, your best bet may be looking for USF apartments on or just off of campus. Considering how you may wish to get to campus whether it be public transportation or your own vehicle, is a great way to start your search! In the event that you prefer to be walking distance or a very short drive to class, I strongly recommend to first look at student-living options.
When you first hear "student-housing" you may immediately think of dorm-like living units, warn out furniture and minor luxuries. However, due to the expansion and rapid growth to the University, the school has developed brand new college living communities designed specifically to enhance and enrich their student's collegiate experience! These USF apartments can come fully furnished with granite counter tops, stainless steal appliances, and even modern coffee lounges and twenty-four hour fitness and business centers! Student center options are also fantastic for those who are looking to meet new friends, become involved in the student community or prefer to live with a roommate.
If living in a college-community zone is something you cannot consider, the USF area is also flooded with comparable living areas similar to student focused luxuries. Living outside of the student world can be convenient for students with a family or for those who enjoy a separate and more tranquil life outside of the University. Keep in mind that the school area can be quite dense and populated. Searching outside of the student-housing area can become over bearing for those who prefer limited options. Try to select an area near Fowler, Fletcher, Bruce B Downs or the major roadways near the school such as I-75. Searching for an area only miles from school will really help to narrow down your search! You can use our map to help aid you throughout this process.
Staying in budget will help ease the stress when searching for USF apartments and can help limit your search options. Always remember to stay within your budget in order to avoid financial instability. That is the last worry you want to have on your mind when going through a rigorous school curriculum. You may believe that spending less money will lead to you bring stuck inside a minimal living community. However, because USF living areas are accommodated to its students, the residential properties tend to have very reasonable rent prices. You may want to consider searching for your new home by budget first. To do this, all you have to do is use our budget number line to select the monthly spending range you would like to stay in. A list of possible communities will appear on the page in which meets your criteria. You can then filter out your searches by your previous preferences.
By the time you have determined what area you prefer to live in, whether you wish to live in a student-housing area or not, and what budget you plan on spending, you can then move on to the fun part of your search! This portion of your search, which is completely up to you, consists of community features! Some go-getters have strong preferences and ideas of what they hope for their new home to come with. These features can be twenty-four hour fitness centers, designated parking areas, washer and dryer, tennis courts, and even dog walking areas. We have an entire list under our "Community features" tab that can assist you in your search to find the perfect palace just for you!
For many college students, being close to entertainment or social structure is highly valuable. Most students lean towards living next to restaurants, malls, movie theatres, and beaches. Luckily, the college area is surrounded by these attractions. The University Mall is within walking distance or a very short drive from campus. The area is also implanted with your favorite chain restaurants such as Chili's, Applebee's and Moe's. The closest beach from school is Clearwater Beach, which is only just a twenty-minute drive! Living only miles from school can leave you in a great distance from all that Tampa has to offer.
Living in apartments near USF can certainly be advantageous for its students who are seeking affordable living areas, with luxury features, quite spaces, and an entertaining social atmosphere. Whether you choose to live on or off campus is completely up to you! Either way, you will still get a tantalizing taste of Tampa!