Sure, on-campus housing comes with perks, but what if you need a break from campus food? What if you like biking to school? What if you can only take so much of the busy Cal Poly atmosphere?
That’s where the San Luis Obispo Off Campus Student Housing Association comes in; it is a group of eight housing facilities that accommodate a variety of students who wish to live near, but not on, campus.
The housing facility most closely resembling dorm life is Stenner Glen, which comes complete with resident assistants and required meal plans at its cafeteria. Located at 1050 Foothill Blvd., Stenner Glen consists of 13 three-story buildings that house approximately 600 residents, according to stennerglen.com.
The upside? The on-site study hall offers free tutors five nights at a week. The downside? There is only one floor plan to choose from.
But tenants have access to a pool, recreational center, laundry room and fitness center.
Mustang Village I (located at 1 Mustang Dr.) and Mustang Village II (located at 200 N. Santa Rosa St.) offer the same amenities and more. Combined, there are three fitness centers, two pools, six laundry rooms, a basketball court, a convenience store, barbecue pits, a computer center and a two-acre park.
Mustang Village I consists of studios and shared one- and two-bedroom apartments, while Mustang Village II tenants live in private rooms in three- or four-bedroom apartments.
Tenants choose from four different floor plans in Mustang Village I and 11 in Mustang Village II. They also sign individual leases, which, according to leasing agent Brant Nelson, helps out in case a roommate flakes out on rent.
“It’s just a really nice place to be at if you’re a college student,” he added.
Valencia Apartments, located at 555 Ramona Dr., only offers one floor plan for its 160 three single-bedroom townhouses, but the amenities more than make up for this. There is a fitness center, heated pool, computer lab, game room, study center and TV lounge. The facility also offers good student discounts.
Click here to see an interactive guide to student apartment housing complexes.
“It’s a good incentive,” said Cesar Pimentel, an assistant in the fitness center, who went on to explain that students should choose the facility because it’s clean and gets remodeled frequently.
Murray Station, another remodeled complex, is located at 1262 Murray St. Its one- and two-bedroom flats and townhouses come with access to three new laundry facilities, a new study room, a pool and barbecue areas. There are two floor plans to choose from.
Czech Chalet Apartments, located at 572 E. Foothill Blvd., offers 31 two-bedroom units, laundry facilities and free parking.
California West Inc. manages the final two facilities: El Dorado Apartments, located at 555 Westmont Ave, and Garfield Arms Apartments, located at 738 Grand Ave.
El Dorado Apartments offers primarily one- and two-bedroom units, a pool, free parking and laundry facilities. Garfield Arms & Triangle Apartments offers one-, two- and three-bedroom units and laundry facilities.
According to Property Supervisor Ellie Malykomt, a list of prices and available units will be released April 1 to prospective tenants. She encourages anyone who is interested in either property to visit www.california-west.com.
All facilities are located within walking or biking distance to Cal Poly and most offer on-site management and/or security.
For more information, visit the general housing information Web site at housing.calpoly.edu.