2655 Hampshire Rd

Affordable apartments on the shuttle route (Blue Link and Heights AM) which can be accessed from the SpartanRide App. My apartment is a triplex where we live on the middle floor. Coventry is a very walkable area close to campus. However, a lot of the buildings are old so the windows can be a bit drafty in the winter if you don't add extra insulation. I really enjoy the affordability of my apartment and how convenient it is to take the shuttles to and from lab.

My landlord is a long time Cleveland Heights resident who lives about 2 blocks away from my house. He's very responsive and fixes a majority of the problems we encounter on the same day, which is lovely. Our heat once went out at 6 pm on a Sunday and he was here within an hour to fix the furnace. We have free laundry on site, which is a wonderful time and money saver. I love the property we live on, the floor plan is very big and there are a ton of windows to let as much sunlight in as we can. We also get to park two cars in the back yard for free, which was a huge draw-in for us!

A lot of the houses in Coventry have old windows that are leaky and require some additional sealing in the winter. We use the duck brand roll-on stuff to keep our home a little warmer, and it really makes a difference. Another thing about Coventry village is that there is a convenient shuttle service that takes me down to campus everyday and it cycles through every half hour, so it's nice not paying for parking on campus. I really like how walkable our neighborhood is and there is a ton of beautiful green space to enjoy when the weather is nice.

My main complaints are that my floors are a little thin, but we get along with the neighbors and it's very manageable to tune out the white noise that comes across. Another thing that is a little rough living in a duplex/triplex is that we are responsible for our gas, electric, water and sewer bill which compounds an additional $200 onto the rent every month. I honestly recommend buying a starter home if you're a PhD student. That's what I wish I would have done, more privacy and I'm assuming most of us are eligible for an FHA loan. I would still try to live around the neighborhood that I do, but a starter home in Cleveland Heights is cheaper than rent with all of the other odds and ends stacked on top.