f.b.kal Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 Can current Queen's students shed some light, for us Med 2011ers, on the places that we should avoid living? For example, I have heard that some Queen's students stay in Heritage Court, but it is North of Princess (on 179 Queen St.), what many people call a sketchy area. Is Heritage Courts fine? It does seem a little far from campus. Are there any other places that should be avoided? What about places that we should look for? Some say An Clachan is great, others disagree. It is all a little confusing and some help would be much appreciated. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unknown user 7 Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 This may be helpful. The first actually has more links. http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21730 http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21920 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayervillager Posted June 9, 2007 Report Share Posted June 9, 2007 You may want to avoid a landlady named Daphne Dean. Some people tends to have problems with her. However, her places are really nice and cheap. so if you are willing to put up with a landlady that does cleaning inspections insisting on an unusual degree of cleanliness and won't mind being restricted to a 1:1 guest ratio (ex. if you live in a 4 bedroom place you can't have more than 4 people there after 9:00pm), then you should give her place a look. She's got a couple more of these rules but I guess it's a tradeoff if you want a good place for cheap. I think that she has some 1 bedroom and 2 bedrooms still available and she puts up the ads on the Queen's Accomodation Listings. There are a couple of "for rent" signs up on houses close to the intersection of the Bagot and Lower Union (92, 94, 96 etc. those houses on the side of Bagot farther from the lake). I might suggest avoiding those houses because someone who lived in one of those houses before told me that because they are all electric heating and the insulation in them is really old, he was paying something like $200/month/person just for heating in the winter! And An Clachan is my opinion isn't bad. It's a little bit far (30 - 40 minute walk), but it's not sketchy or anything. Good luck with the housing hunt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugs Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Hey guys, I went to Queen's for my undergrad (and am now continuing on to Western for meds), but here are some tips I picked up: 1. STAY AWAY FROM DAPHNE DEAN. I had her as my landlord for 3 years. She liked me and my housemates, but ended up charging us sooooooooo much for damages (we're talking about stupid things, i.e. wear and tear fr the past 3 yrs). She also, in a way, forces you to hire a maid for summer cleanings. Her houses are nice, and she's quick to fix problems, but the hassle of dealing with her is just not worth the house. (plus, her houses tend to be older, so you'll lose a lot of money b/c of bad insulation). 2. NOP is not so good. It is really sketchy as there have been numerous reports of break-ins and even assaults. You can get a pretty nice place closer to campus for the same amount of money. If you do decide to go this route, then make sure you are near a bus stop. 3. If you don't want to live in the student ghetto, then check out the houses closer to the lake: Bagot, West, Gore, Johnson, Earl, etc. It's more residential and equidistant to campus. I really like Sydenham. It has all of the bed and breakfasts, super close to campus, and less than 5 min from downtown. On that note, I suggest looking at houses b/w campus and downtown. You want to be able to stumble home from the bars in less than 10 min. If you live on or near Bagot, you can take advantage of the main bus line (buses come every 15 min during the day. time to campus is about 3 min. walking time is less than 10 if you're SOP). Also, if you're close to Hotel Dieu Hospital, there's a free shuttle that comes every 10 min and takes you to main campus. 4. Use this site: http://www.queensu.ca/dsao/housing/alist1.htm Make sure you view the house! Ask about heat (Kingston is super cold and wet... don't lose money b/c of shady insulation) and water pressure. Most houses are from the 1800s!! 5. Finally, invest in some bug spray. You will run into "limestone bugs"... a cross b/w centipedes and silverfish. Good luck! Let me know if you have questions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCanuck Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 I pretty much agree with what Hugs wrote. Here is an earlier post I made in another thread copied and pasted: Here's a list of some links that may be helpful for those looking for a rental place. I went to Queen's for undergrad so I'll also give my two cents about the housing scene in ktown: If you want something that is a combination of quiet, close to campus and pretty clean/nice places, try the Sydenham Ward (the triangular area surrounded by Barrie - Princess - King St East). Mapquest it! A similar, but smaller area is that to the west of campus between Earl and King St West. Princess Street itself has a different vibe than the Sydenham Ward and there are some nice places there and it's downtown. The locations outlined in this paragraph are by far the most popular for grad/professional students. If you want the true ghetto experience, that I would recommend to any undergrad or person who likes to party like it's 2005, then that's the area north of campus with borders: Collingwood - Princess - Clergy. FYI: Aberdeen St is the base camp for the infamous homecoming parties. North of Princess (NOP) is the area that has a rep of being sketchier than the others. Mainly because it's largely low-income housing where the majority of residents aren't Queen's students. However, you can find some really nice places NOP for a really good price...just make sure you buy some mace. Queen's Accommodation Listing Service (very helpful): http://notes.queensu.ca/ALSWeb.nsf Queen's Society of Graduate and Professional Students: http://www.sgps.ca/housing Medshouse: http://www.medshouse.com Qmed: http://www.qmed.ca/forums Keystone: voted #1 landlord company in ktown by Queen's students (they have some really nice places with great tenant support): http://www.keyprop.com Not Queen's Affiliated: http://www.kingstonrentals.com http://www.thestudentconnections.com http://www.homes4students.ca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f.b.kal Posted June 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 We appreciate all of the posts so far. Just a quick question. Is it true that because Queen St. is not too far North of Princess it is not too sketchy, or should all of NOP be avoided? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCanuck Posted June 11, 2007 Report Share Posted June 11, 2007 Queen Street is pretty decent actually. It has a lot of similarities to Princess St I would say. If you take a quick stroll/drive NOP you'll see what specific areas are actually sketchy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medhopeful Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 Anybody has any comments on this place I came across? http://www.sgps.ca/housing/viewdetails.asp?z=4961 It looks nice from the pictures, and it's nice that it's furnished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayervillager Posted June 13, 2007 Report Share Posted June 13, 2007 Hey Medhopeful! Looks good to me! It will be a 10 - 20 minute walk to Botterell Hall where we have our classes and the pricing is good too. Since it's on the bus route (2, 6, and 3), you can also get around easily too. You might want to ask the landlady whether this place is in the top unit/attic of the house (because it mentioned a skylight). Attic units in these old houses becomes like an oven in the summer months and are expensive to heat in the winter due to the lack of insulation on the roof. I lived in one for two years and it was scary how hot it was in the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carebear15 Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 The only thing is, the Union St. area isn't totally convenient for med students.. it's relatively close to KGH but far from Botterell, and there are no nearby grocery stores. You will have to be trekking everywhere, which is not so great in the winter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medhopeful Posted June 23, 2007 Report Share Posted June 23, 2007 Yeah, ended up passing on the place because the lady sounded like another Daphne Dean landlad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webshy Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 If you don't want to live in the student ghetto, then check out the houses closer to the lake: Bagot, West, Gore, Johnson, Earl, etc. It's more residential and equidistant to campus. I really like Sydenham. It has all of the bed and breakfasts, super close to campus, and less than 5 min from downtown. On that note, I suggest looking at houses b/w campus and downtown. You want to be able to stumble home from the bars in less than 10 min. If you live on or near Bagot, you can take advantage of the main bus line (buses come every 15 min during the day. time to campus is about 3 min. walking time is less than 10 if you're SOP). Also, if you're close to Hotel Dieu Hospital, there's a free shuttle that comes every 10 min and takes you to main campus. Do most students live east or west of campus? Other than the proximity to bars, are there other advantages of living closer to downtown? I'm trying to pass the time between now and May 15, and looking into housing options in each of the cities where I interviewed. Likely, I will try to buy rather than rent. I've been comparing condos east of campus with small houses west of campus. I will have a car for grocery shopping, travelling to my part time job, etc. However, I want to live close enough to walk to school. Thanks for your help! Elaine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Do most students live east or west of campus? Other than the proximity to bars, are there other advantages of living closer to downtown? I'm trying to pass the time between now and May 15, and looking into housing options in each of the cities where I interviewed. Likely, I will try to buy rather than rent. I've been comparing condos east of campus with small houses west of campus. I will have a car for grocery shopping, travelling to my part time job, etc. However, I want to live close enough to walk to school. Thanks for your help! Elaine Hey elaine. If you have a car west campus is not an issue. What students hate the most about living in that area is a) far away from all the shopping stores/A&P,etc all their friends are at the 'hub' (Princess and division) so they feel isolated Car solves both. There are some v nice condos just a little beyond west campus too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastalslacker Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Most live between Queen's and downtown so, east of campus, I guess. You won't be able to buy anything in that area unless you're loaded, or, go "North of Princess" (further north and east), which is a less desirable and sketchier area. If you want to live close enough to walk, you will be paying a hefty premium to buy. Personally, I bought a townhouse in the west-end, out towards the airport. I pay less for my mortgage than many classmates pay for rent. That said, I lived a block from Queens in first year and the proximity to downtown and school was great. It really depends what you're looking for. The big negatives of living out here are getting in in the mornings and parking. I can ride my bike in 20-25 min, which I did and plan to continue in residency when the weather's amenable. Parking passes are tough to get, so when I drive I play games with the meter maids trying to find spots they seldom go or grab one of the non-pay spots close to campus. There's also free parking at the west campus and a shuttle, but I find it a pain in the ass. I don't think living out here has a huge effect on social life if you have a car. Instead of walking 10-15 minutes to friends' houses we drive 10-15 minutes. On the odd occasion I still get silly I crash at a friends' if the wife heads home or cab it for $10. As a final point, the last poster said the west campus is far away from shopping/A&P, but there are much better grocery stores close to it than downtown. There isn't much "shopping", but I don't think many people do much shopping shopping in Kingston.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolvenstar Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 won't mind being restricted to a 1:1 guest ratio (ex. if you live in a 4 bedroom place you can't have more than 4 people there after 9:00pm) I am assuming that this isn't a university dormantory being run by this danphe so I must ask if such a thing is actually legal in Ontario, as I know you can't do that in Alberta. (there is a difference between "can't" and "getting away with it") Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaysersoze Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 i noticed most ppl opt to live in houses...i'm a high rise man myself...i like appartments...what's the haps on that front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alastriss Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 arent the apartments close to the lake close to confederation park pretty popular with the med students? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastalslacker Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 arent the apartments close to the lake close to confederation park pretty popular with the med students? Very popular. I would guess 1/3 of my class have lived in one of those buildings for at least a year of med school. Great location, average digs, pricey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaysersoze Posted April 30, 2008 Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 define pricey in terms of a range and i'll owe you a cookie...two if you're thorough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KennethToronto Posted April 30, 2008 Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 I am assuming that this isn't a university dormantory being run by this danphe so I must ask if such a thing is actually legal in Ontario, as I know you can't do that in Alberta. (there is a difference between "can't" and "getting away with it") Daphne Deane does a lot of things that are considered illegal, but most students who rent from her put up with it. I think she's terrible and I almost (but thankfully didn't) rent from her in 3rd year. The only reason someone like her still operates is because there's a dearth of good Queen's accommodations in the "prime" areas. Personally, I would never touch anything north of Princess. It's infinitely more sketch and burglaries/break ins are frequent (I swear there's a bike theft ring running out of ktown). West of campus is also something I'd avoid. I lived for a year west around where Johnson/MacDonnel is, and the walk to campus was miserable. For med students, this is especially so since the medical building (Botterell) is on the east edge of campus. Kingston weather sucks 90% of the year (if it isn't cold rain, it's snow) so a 20 minute trudge isn't something I'd envy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaegwon Posted April 30, 2008 Report Share Posted April 30, 2008 West of campus is also something I'd avoid. I lived for a year west around where Johnson/MacDonnel is, and the walk to campus was miserable. I'd have to disagree a little bit with this opinion. I would recommend not ruling living west of campus out of hand. There are some really nice neighborhoods near St. Mary's on the Lake hospital. There is generally a mix of young professionals, retirees, and students, so its atmosphere is about as far from the student ghetto as you can get. If you are looking to buy a place, its definitely an area to consider. Also, I don't really find the walk miserable...just a bit of an inconvenience (its about 15 min from my house...which for most cities other than Kingston would be considered pretty short Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webshy Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 I'd have to disagree a little bit with this opinion. I would recommend not ruling living west of campus out of hand. There are some really nice neighborhoods near St. Mary's on the Lake hospital. There is generally a mix of young professionals, retirees, and students, so its atmosphere is about as far from the student ghetto as you can get. If you are looking to buy a place, its definitely an area to consider. Also, I don't really find the walk miserable...just a bit of an inconvenience (its about 15 min from my house...which for most cities other than Kingston would be considered pretty short What streets are you referring to? Can you give the boundary streets of the area you are referring to? MapQuest doesn't show where the hospitals are located, so I'm not quite sure what are you are recommending. Thanks! Elaine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webshy Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 define pricey in terms of a range and i'll owe you a cookie...two if you're thorough Are you referring to the Homestead apartments close to the water downtown? Here is a link for the different apartments available: http://www.homestead.on.ca/kingston/waterfrontarea/waterfrontarea.htm 32 Ontario (Lord Sydenham): 1 bedroom - from $905 including utilities 2 bedroom - from $1160 including utilities 33 Ontario (Shipyards): Bachelor - from $658 including utilities 1 bedroom - from $898 including utilities 2 bedroom - from $1049 including utilities 3 bedroom - from $2045 including utilities 64 Ontario (Caravel): 1 bedroom - from $875 including utilities 2 bedroom - from $1075 including utilities 91 King St E (Simcoe): Bachelor - from $564 plus hydro 1 bedroom - from $971 plus hydro 2 bedroom - from $1055 plus hydro 3 bedroom - from $1352 plus hydro 85 Ontario (Locomotive Works) New building - no prices posted 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom + den, 2 bedroom and 2 bedroom + den available Utilities not included Hope that helps! Elaine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostintime Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 I'd have to disagree a little bit with this opinion. I would recommend not ruling living west of campus out of hand. There are some really nice neighborhoods near St. Mary's on the Lake hospital. There is generally a mix of young professionals, retirees, and students, so its atmosphere is about as far from the student ghetto as you can get. If you are looking to buy a place, its definitely an area to consider. Also, I don't really find the walk miserable...just a bit of an inconvenience (its about 15 min from my house...which for most cities other than Kingston would be considered pretty short Omg 15 minutes is considered miserable for some?! Lol....I would LOVE to walk for 15 minutes rather than commute for hours and hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolvenstar Posted May 2, 2008 Report Share Posted May 2, 2008 Daphne Deane does a lot of things that are considered illegal, but most students who rent from her put up with it. I think she's terrible and I almost (but thankfully didn't) rent from her in 3rd year. The only reason someone like her still operates is because there's a dearth of good Queen's accommodations in the "prime" areas. Personally, I would never touch anything north of Princess. It's infinitely more sketch and burglaries/break ins are frequent (I swear there's a bike theft ring running out of ktown). West of campus is also something I'd avoid. I lived for a year west around where Johnson/MacDonnel is, and the walk to campus was miserable. For med students, this is especially so since the medical building (Botterell) is on the east edge of campus. Kingston weather sucks 90% of the year (if it isn't cold rain, it's snow) so a 20 minute trudge isn't something I'd envy. Wow I am surprised that she gets away with it. All someone would have to do is ignore the rules that are illegal and when she tries to evict them, take her to court. Gods you can get a years worth of rent out of such a situation, which is a plus for pulling down someone who thinks they can impose whatever they want. As for the weather, it reminds me of British Columbia, which sounds absolutely brilliant to me. Weather here in Alberta is topsy turvy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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