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Moving to Van for grad school at SFU downtown. Got an offer for grad residence on Burnaby Campus.

Cilia_Moss
edited June 2013 in General

Should I live in residence if my program is at Waterfront? I'm somewhat torn whether or not I should live in residence.

I like that I won't have to share a place with roommates and that I
can enjoy all the wonderful campus amenities (gym, special talks and
events, student community, library, etc.).

I don't like that I have to commute a distance during days that I
have class. Is transit reasonable to get to downtown campus? I know
there is a bus that goes from residence to Waterfront....I also have a
motorbike which might be a good transit option?

Any advice? Would you do it? I'm really looking forward to moving to your city and going to SFU!

Comments

  • ezc
    Where are you coming from?  I've never been to the Vancouver campus, but I'm guessing it's at least an hour bus ride each way.  I always like to avoid that kind of commute, but if you're used to it or think you can handle it then I'm sure it can be done. 

    My advice would be to get a place near Hastings in the west part of Burnaby, or even parts of East Van.  That way you're in the middle between the two campuses.  This would work, if you're only planning on being at Burnaby 1-3 times per week.

    Just my advice, don't know what you're looking for.
  • Whydoihavetoregister
    Well unless you can afford the ridiculous rental prices that is Greater Vancouver, I would suggest living in res, the quickest way to get to Downtown is actually to take the 145 and then the Skytrain to Waterfront station (Habour Center is just across from Waterfront Station).   In the summer you can ride your bike to school but parking is again ridiculous.
  • ezc
    ^the graduate rooms are $775/month.  You can get the same or a bit cheaper in Burnaby, especially if it's a basement apartment.  It's not like SFU is giving a killer deal, it's just the convenience.  
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    Lol, motorbike. Pretty cute.
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    Little pink helmet and stuff. 
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    Honestly though, SFU community especially res stuff is like non-existent. If you're expecting sick parties and stuff SFU is not the school. So that doesn't really matter. My advice is to get a place within walking distance to any Skytrain station and you will be set. You will never miss a bus and it takes you right to Waterfront. There are a ton of cheap places you can get like this that are fine with just one tenant. 
  • Cilia_Moss
    Thanks for the responses. Pink helmet on my cute motorbike..haha. Far from it. It runs on the blood of Vespas ;)

    I'm not expecting sick parties at all...got that fill during undergrad. I'm seeking a more academic slant for community. As I'm coming from your neighboring province, the idea of residence is appealing because it is convenient, especially as an out of towner. I know 775$ is pricey, but I like that everything is included in rent (furnished, utilities, etc.), and it's going to be more stable than alternative types of housing (no rent increases, slumlords, etc.). But I don't know what the Van housing situation is like.

    An hour bus ride isn't such a bad commute. But a 10 minute Skytrain ride is pretty appealing...
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    edited June 2013
    Got your "fill" form undergrad huh. Sounds dirty.

    If you're a badass biker you should probably live in East Van and join the Hell's Angels and they will provide. 

    But uh honestly like you said the skytrain is fast as hell and convenient so even if you found a place in Surrey close to the skytrain it would only take you like 20mins. to get to Waterfront. So check out some places close to the skytrain first. There are a lot of already furnished places specifically meant for students out there that only require on tenant. Most likely shared kitchen but isn't that also in res. 
  • gladyswe
    It really depends on what you're after. Hamilton Hall, the grad res, is pretty good now, and Residences just hired a bunch of community advisors to help build more community feeling.

    About half of the university's free public events now take place downtown so living closer to downtown wouldn't exclude you from academic lectures.

    Also, check with your grad program assistant -- they've got a pretty good handle on where others in your program are living, and pros and cons of where to live.

    If you're on facebook, there's a semi-private grad student facebook group that you can ask your questions on -- https://www.facebook.com/groups/sfugradstudies/ (SFU email ID required) -- and other grad students will hopefully have a good answer for you.

    The commute is 45 minutes to an hour depending on waits for bus and skytrain connections. The longest part is the wait for the bus at the top of the hill.
  • ohdeery
    It's about a 50 minute commute from downtown Vancouver up to the Burnaby campus. I take the 135 to go up to the school from the Waterfront station on Granville, which stops up at the Burnaby campus, so it's not too bad of a commute. Rent around the downtown area is quite ridiculous but you can get some pretty good deals if you look around east Vancouver area around Victoria and Fraser. 
    For me personally, getting down from the mountain would be the biggest hassle seeing as not much goes on on the Burnaby campus. 
  • Cilia_Moss
    Thanks for all the input everyone. I decided to go with res, and am very excited for it! See you in the fall!
  • Whydoihavetoregister
    20minutes from Surrey to Waterfront? Sorry but translink couldn't even afford to repair skytrains to keep them running on time let alone install jet engines.
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    You can always move in with me, if you're hot.

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