Before you rip each other’s hair out and declare the end of your friendship, understand that moving off campus is absolutely going to bring out the “crazy” in some people. Every person involved is going to want something different in terms of living. Some will want to be close to campus, some won’t mind being across the Boulevard, others will demand a porch or a backyard, free laundry, a big room, closet space, you name it. Most likely you and your future roommates will also disagree on it. My first hint of advice is to step back and look at the big picture; remember that you will not always get your way, and most importantly adapt to and learn to love the concept of compromise.
Now here are a few names that you will most likely become familiar with along the house hunting process. One is Bob (last name: irrelevant)—he’s the big man on campus—however, you will be paying for your laundry, but on the flip side, his subsequent service team of construction workers and maintenance men are readily available to fill any holes in your walls or unclog a sordid toilet post party season. Next is Jamil. Jamil owns houses on the few ideal streets that most every upper classman fights to get—Meyran (running parallel to and in between Atwood and Semple) and also on Bates Street, which connects S. Bouquet, Atwood, Meyran, and Semple, housing hot spots like Campus Deli and Bootleggers. Jamil is a great landlord, always available to come over and fix a problem. However, he may propose, and implement, the idea of putting a washer and dryer in your kitchen. Another great landlord is Keith Bradley, the fire chief of Pittsburgh and an all around nice guy. A house full of girls means that he will be acting as your father figure and often say, “Yinz are just like my daughters you knows, but you can’t lose another garbage can,” a true Pittsburghian.
The contact numbers for the aforementioned landlords are floating amongst most all off-campus residents’ cell phones and will be easy to obtain. However, the houses under contract of these landlords tend to go quickly or are already occupied by students that plan to resign their lease, so it is suggested to call these contacts as early as October for the next school year. Another option is the Craigslist website that Pitt has created for all Pitt housing. This website is not as eminent amongst the student body, however it is a great resource with an abundant repertoire of living spaces in Oakland. The housing guide is also a great place to look for landlords in Oakland and more often than not, each landlord will have more than one house or apartment to show. It may also be beneficial to check out the classifieds section in The Pitt News which is updated daily—so keep an eye out for new listings to appear!
The housing process is stressful, but don’t let it dictate the direction of your friendships. Remember, not all best friends can live with each other. Sometimes, the closest of people simply cannot live together under one roof, and that is okay. Also keep in mind that your group of friends may have to split up under the restrictions of bedroom availability respective to the size of your friend group. That too is okay! My greatest bit of advice would be to get a head start on the housing hunt, go to see as many places as you can with all members of the future household, and discuss the pros and cons of each place before dropping a deposit. Now, it’s about that time to start looking for next year, I wish you all luck!
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