Guest MikeD Posted July 3, 2005 Report Share Posted July 3, 2005 Hi everyone, I'll be starting MS1 next year, moving out from Ontario, and have a couple of questions. I aplogize in advance because I know most posts around here have been about apartments, but I don't think this has been asked before. I've done some apartment hunting and I think I'd be happy to live at any of what I call my "proven 5": Park Victoria, Somerset Place, 5845 College, Garden Park, and Springrose Manor. I've heard positive reviews of all of these (from other posts) and they seem okay from the few random outdoor pictures posted on the web. My girlfriend, who's moving out with me, raises some good points like: what if the apartment smells, what if there's a weird vibe, what if we're missing out on a really nice smaller place, etc...questions that could be answered with a visit. The problem is we're both totally committed to things all through July, and can't make it out until early August. Is this too late to get an apartment? And do you think the trip is even necessary, or is the quality of these places pretty reliable? Thanks for any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Hey, I too am coming from Ontario this year and faced the same dilemma. Personally, I couldn't justify the cost of flying out again at this point to look at apartments when I'd been given fairly strong reviews already. I have lived in apartment buildings before, and if you go with a reputable agency/owner, there is little to worry about. It may not be a great apartment, but it will be well maintained and fairly standard. I thought of it like signing up to live in residence in first year uni - you don't get to pick where you're living and you just show up on the first day and deal with it for a year. It is only a year after all. That being said, if you are uncomfortable with that thought, it might be worth it to you and your girlfriend to take a trip out there. I got an apartment in Somerset Place for August 1, since I'll be out there mid-August. I'm not sure if looking in August is too late. Perhaps a Halifax resident can answer that one. Good luck! See you in August! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nby Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 The two places i've lived in halifax I found in the first or second week of july (with a september 1st start date though). You can definitely find a place in early august, but it will likely be in one of those large apt buildings like park victoria. And on all those "proven five" - they are decent, but there is really nothing great about them, and the rent has generally been skyrocketing lately. Definitely take a place there for a year without flying to see them first with confidence your place will be alright, but know that you'll want to move after a year to find a nice (not just decent) place for the same amount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MikeD Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Thanks for your really helpful posts. We both really don't like moving so much we've been idealistically hoping to find a dream place and stay there for 4 years. Not too realistic. Thanks again and see you in August! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JewelLeigh Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Hi Mike, This is "ask a med student" julie...I sent an email to your waterloo email address. JL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michca Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Hi Mike. That's funny- I am almost in the same situation as you (well, except for the fact that my boyfriend will be staying in Ontario to finish his Masters ). I was planning on going at the end of July/early August to find a place. Hopefully I will be able to find something for late August/September 1st (and just staying in a hotel if need be until I can move in). I too, was hoping to find something I would be willing to stay in longer than 1 year, so I kind of want to see the place before I move in. Nby, do you have any recommendations for "nicer" places? By the way Mike, what did you decide in terms of moving cross-country? Just curious, as I will probably be just flying out to Halifax and buying things as needed (particularly since my boyfriend will be holding onto most of our furniture here in Toronto ) Does anyone have any recommendations for places to buy furniture in Halifax (preferably places that deliver)? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest k2278 Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Hey there fellow Ontario people! I'm also pretty much in the same position. I'm trying to make it up next weekend to look at places so I'd love to hear recommendations. Also, if anyone knows any buildings that are pet friendly please let me know. I have two cats and most of the buildings I've seen seem to say no pets:( ....poor little furry creatures, they get no love!! In terms of furniture, I'm doing the same thing as Mich...it seems way too expensive to ship everything...although I hear they have no Ikea in Halifax. One of my friends who went to Dal ordered from Ikea in Montreal and said it was fairly cheap to get it delivered. Guess it's a possibility Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michca Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Hey K2278, Yes..I was very(!) sad to see on the IKEA website that they don't have a store in Halifax. But I could have sworn that at least one of the couches in the med lounge at Tupper was from Ikea (maybe it too was shipped from Montreal??). Apparently, there is a Brick store opening up in Halifax soon, and they also ship to anywhere in Canada. BTW, I have been trying to get an idea of what chain stores there are in Halifax. I know there is a Future Shop, Costco, Home Depot- anything else anyone knows of? All of these seem to be located on Chain Lake Drive- is that anywhere near downtown? Is it easily accessible by bus? Anyway, k2278, I'll keep my eye out in my searches for pet-friendly accomodations for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest k2278 Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Thanks Michca! I will be sure to let you know if I come across any good furniture stores next weekend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nby Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 First off, the trouble with alot of the things you want is that you are looking at large apartment buildings. I have never heard of an apartment building in halifax (and very few apts in houses) that allow pets. To be honest, in all the buildings I don't know of any that I'd want to live in for more than a year, anything nice is always in a set of townhouses, or an apt in a house. So really, if you want a place you can get and keep your whole stint, fly down and check the classifieds and dal and smu's off campus housing sites. (places around/past smu or daltech would be better for med students than the general dal area). Even this is a gamble, in my five years here I've lived in a few alright places and never a place I really liked, but I'm a cheap bastard too. With all that said, there are cheap (<=$500/mo incl util.) beautiful places out there, I've seen them - they are just a rare find. If you don't mind commuting, you can get a nice place within a 15 min drive for almost half the cost of a hole in the south end. The bus system is good too, and I think all students get a unlimited bus pass with their tuition next year, so Clayton park would be a good option for any of you students looking for a nice, quiet, cheap place (but for those of you looking to party in meds, you want to be in either the south end or central hfx - the buses mostly shut down at midnight). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MikeD Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 That's funny...a whole lot of similar situations here. Michca: I'm still really thinking about how to make the move. We've got a bit of furniture we've inherited along the way (bed, couches, dinner table, tv, bikes, guitars, microwave, + a whole whack more). Plus my girlfriend teaches primary school, so she has a massive collection of books and supplies and hard work that pulling away from her would be cruel, so we've got to ship. We're hoping not to use UHaul because in my times using them I've noticed they have the worst trucks possibly ever to hit the road, plus if you make a one-way move they give you the absolute worst truck on the lot since they won't ever see it again. In the past few days I've tried to convince Enterprise to let me rent a large cargo van one-way. If we attach a big trailer to the back of it we might be able to cram our stuff...and the price would be right (I'll let you know the price if it's a go in the next few days). Otherwise we're stuck looking for a UHAUL alternative, or else going with the dreaded UHaul. Well, good luck to everyone still apartment hunting. I'm gonna make it my after work job for the next few weeks and I'll be sure to post any great finds. And k2278, let us know what you can scope out next week! Thanks again nby for your insider info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 I've decided to just keep all of my stuff and go with the dreaded one-way Uhaul move. :x My parents are also moving, so I'm having to bring ALL of my belongings from home too. Luckily, I've managed to get those down to a few boxes and some small pieces of furniture. In terms of getting the other essentials from Costco etc, if the stores aren't easily accessible by bus maybe we can rent a car or share a taxi one day as a group in late Aug/early Sept to go and get that stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Oh, and I was also going to add that there should be a Sears Home in Halifax...or at least I think you can order from any Sears and have the stuff shipped anywhere in Canada. A lot of my friends who moved across the country for undergrad shopped there for furniture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MikeD Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 Oops...didn't mean to rant on UHaul...sorry 007. I'm sure I'll end up going with them in the end...just still mad about some of my misadventures with them in the past. Hopefully things run smoothly for ya. Costco adventure sounds good...hopefully I'll have a car by then and I can help us out (also doing car shopping with the house/move shopping as well). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest k2278 Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 I'd be up for a little Costco trip...If my little tercel ever makes it to Halifax I'll pitch in!!:lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JewelLeigh Posted July 4, 2005 Report Share Posted July 4, 2005 From what I've heard, a lot of places that say "no pets" actually mean "no dogs" - so I'd ask each place specifically And yeah - getting a large amount of stuff from IKEA is pretty cheap to ship - several people from my class got together to order a bunch of stuff and they paid some sort of flat rate that I remember being cheap. Maybe go and look at stuff before you leave Ontario and then order it when you get here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Did anyone read the article on Uhauls on the front page of today's Toronto Star? Just thought it was funny given our discussion yesterday. Hopefully none of us have any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MikeD Posted July 5, 2005 Report Share Posted July 5, 2005 Good find 007, I knew it'd be a matter of time before UHaul was investigated a little bit further. Funny thing is I think I might have to go with them again...having trouble finding anyone else to handle a one way move. Blahhh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 So, my Mum (who was going to be helping me move out to NS) got scared by the Toronto Star articles so I'm now having my stuff moved out there by a company instead. It actually ends up being cheaper too. For the movers to do it it will only be $1500....so with flights etc for me the total cost will be about $2000. Renting the UHaul was going to run us in that amount anyways once you factor in gas, and then there were also accomodations and meals to worry about on the road. Just thought I'd put it out there for others to consider...I didn't think getting movers to do it would be the more economical option, but it is in the end. AND I now don't have to worry about the UHaul breaking down on me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mosquitoba Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 Just browsing the Dal forum seeing as I love Halifax, Haligonians, and lived in Halifax last summer (I’ll be heading to U of M or Queen’s in the fall)… I lived at the Park Vic, and it was a great experience. Granted, it is a larger block with not much of that “small place charm”, but it would definetly be a secure, convenient place to live (very close to shopping, grocery stores, the harbour, nice parks... oh yah and the med school!). Its clean, in good condition, and when I was there rent was pretty reasonable ($1100/mo for a 2 bedroom). Mike D, it sounds like you already got some good advice from Haligonians (Halifaxers? ) but feel free to PM me, I have pictures of my apartment from when I lived there if you’d like to take a look. Have fun in Halifax!!!!!!!!! Mosquitoba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MikeD Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 007, I think I've come to the same conclusion as you. UHaul has a total monopoly on these one-way do it yourself moves. Enterprise wouldn't let me borrow one-way without paying an extra $2500 (ha! - $100/hr is the rate they said they'd have to pay to get it back). Same with Ryder, Budget, Discount, Thrifty, Avis,... Can I ask which movers you went with? I've been filling out some online estimates from a bunch of different companies, but it seems like you were able to really speed up the process, and we're hoping to move early August, so I've got to get moving as soon as possible. Mosquitoba, thanks for offering up some pictures. I've PM'd you my email address. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest michca Posted July 6, 2005 Report Share Posted July 6, 2005 Hi mosquitoba: I have also PM'd you with my email address. Would you mind passing along pictures of your Halifax apartment to me as well? Thanks! Michca P.S. Costco trip- sounds good to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 7, 2005 Report Share Posted July 7, 2005 Hey Mike, I'm going with AMJ. The best way to deal with movers is to actually phone them (that's how I've been so speedy). Also try to go with a place that does cross-country moves that has a branch in your city (or as close as possible) and phone that branch directly. That will mean they can easily come and look at your place to decide on the size of truck AND when it comes time to actually move you, they have the trucks in the city you're departing from already. That way you don't pay for them to bring the truck to you to start with. Between me and my family I think I've gone through about 15-20 moves and so far I think we've found AMJ to be the best in terms of service (i.e. they didn't scratch the piano etc and they didn't take 4 hour lunch breaks). Good luck with the planning! Katy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest taos77 Posted July 11, 2005 Report Share Posted July 11, 2005 Any female needing a place to stay--I am renting out a room in my house (fully furnished)--less than 1.5k from school or any of the hospitals (Robie/Quinpool intersection). Walking distance to grocery store, can tire, video store, timmy's, etc. Awesome location and a good chance to live with a fellow Med1. No restrictions on duration of lease period. Sharing a whole house with me, a dog, and a cat. Email me at taos77@gmail.com for more info and pics of room and house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest k2278 Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Just a heads up. They've added a new housing document on medix...(although I've been in Halifax for the weekend so they may have added this days ago . ) To be honest, most of the places I saw this weekend were pretty nice but some, like the Park Victoria at 960 a month, are just not affordable for me as a single person living alone! For a couple on the other hand, they'd be perfect (and so close too!) My advice is to walk around a bit and look for those lovely orange "apartment for rent" signs. That's how I found my place....which by the way takes cats in the end (yay!)..as do most places:) Also there's a mall with a Wall Mart/Sears/Bay etc not too far away (another possible car trip for those interested)...although maybe someone from Halifax could recommend better furniture options Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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