Utc / La Jolla

The closest to UCSD you can be
Price: 500 - 850 USD

The majority of UCSD students choose the convenient option: living close to campus. While it's not the cheapest choice for housing in San Diego, there's some added value to being near campus, namely the transportation options. The UCSD Cityshuttle runs throughout the UTC area, which allows many students to leave their apartments and board a shuttle that takes them right to the center of campus. Considering the cost of a parking permit (and the hassle of finding parking on campus), the pricier rent may be worth it. Metropolitan Transit System buses (30, 41, 48/49) also cover much of the La Jolla area, so check all of the different routes to see if your prospective housing has easy access to public transportation.

As most kids on campus already know, there are a lot of places to eat nearby, with several different plazas within walking distance of most complexes. Vons, Ralphs, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Bristol Farms are the main grocery stores, and there are a variety of restaurants in the area to break up the monotony of your own cooking.

There are different options throughout the UTC area, such as large apartment complexes, condos, townhouses and houses. On the whole, most of the complexes are relatively modern and in very good conditions. Here's a look at a handful of apartment complexes.

  • Costa Verde - Shell out for the top story, because you can hear your upstairs neighbor sneeze through the floor. You can use the tennis and basketball courts at the Towers across the street, but the poolside cabanas are off-limits. Corporate control means that the leasing office staff is basically impotent, but at least they try to be helpful. The complex's failed attempt at a condo conversion last year demonstrates its attractiveness to buyers, but it has basic UTC apartments (laundry, fitness center, parking garage) in a convenient location on the bus and Cityshuttle lines.
  • La Regencia - Adjacent to the Vons shopping center, Doyle Park, and several stops for both MTS and the Arriba Shuttle, La Regencia is has a convenient central location in the UTC area. The complex has one- and two-bedroom apartments (patios in most), covered parking, two pools, in-unit laundry machines, gas barbecues, a playground and a fitness center. Rent is moderately steep, and the complex's large size means limited privacy and parking.
  • Torrey Pines Village - Nearly on the top of the busy UTC mall, Torrey Pines Village is still surprisingly tranquil. The complex is older than most of the area, but the one- and two- bedroom units are less expensive than most. Assigned parking in very tight, but at night the mall's lots serve as overflow parking; the mall is also a main transfer hub for MTS, making bus transportation very easy. Torrey Pines Village has a pool / spa, a central laundry room and a mostly symbolic fitness room, but the management is very helpful and friendly.
  • Verano - The walls are thin and the plumbing was rushed, but the privately owned complex is one of the few to allow pets and is a three-minute walk to the last Arriba Shuttle stop. The complex has one- and two-bedroom apartments, in-unit laundry machines and assigned, though tight, parking and boasts a 24/7 gym, a two pools, and whirlpool spas, a sauna and soon-to-be 24-hour Internet cafe with free coffee.
  • Nobel Court - This complex, with one- and two-bedroom apartments in a four-story building, is extremely close to the Nobel Shuttle stop, and within walking distance to Vons and Ralphs. The rent is high, but the proximity to campus, covered parking and in-unit laundry machines justify its cost.
  • International Gardens - A relatively inexpensive and tightly packed community, conveniently located between the Nobel and Arriba Shuttle stops, International Gardens has a gym, swimming pool, laundry room, and more than sufficient grounds keeping. Most units don't have balconies and are dark during the day, ceiling tend to be low and appliances are old, but double-master units are well laid out and most bedrooms are spacious.

From UCSD - The Guardian, Monday, April 30th 2007 - www.ucsdguardian.org

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