Campus West

I know the website photos and location (right next to the law school) makes this seem like a great option for someone new to the area or who just doesn’t want to drive to campus everyday. DO NOT BE FOOLED. This apartment building is NOT what it seems online. Similar to dorm housing, you rent a bedroom in the apartment, not the entire unit. I lived in a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment on the top floor. (I was very lucky to live on the top floor as opposed to some of classmates who were assigned rooms in the basement. The entire basement smelled like mildew and natural gas.) I cannot express how disgusted I was with the apartment. Every surface, from the doors, the walls, the flooring, ceiling, vents, blinds, windows, shower, toilet were covered in layers of grime. The complex claims to “professionally clean” each apartment prior to new tenants moving in (especially important during Covid), upon walking into the apartment it was obvious it had not been cleaned. The HVAC returns in the kitchen/living area were covered in a layer yellow grease topped with half an inch of dust. Upon closer inspection it was clear that the entire kitchen was covered in a layer of sticky, congealed dust. There were even solidified beads of grease on the overhead kitchen light. I have to believe that no one even bothered to go into my apartment prior to my move in rather than the alternative that the management hired a “professional” cleaning company that failed to clean any surface. You might wonder why I would move into an apartment this disgusting, that is because you do not get to pick which apartment you move into or see the apartment prior to moving in. Had I been able to inspect the apartment prior, I would have noticed some of the broken and unusable appliances in the apartment. There were no vent fans in either of the 2 bathrooms, no filters in any of the hvac vents, the sink in one bathroom did not drain, the handle was falling off the door of the kitchen closet, the washing machine leaked, the provided desks would fall over if moved. The bed frames were missing legs, after washing dishes the entire under sinkcabinet flodded, and both toilets would routinely run low on water and need maintenance. Due to these numerous issues, my roommate and I became VERY well acquainted with the maintenance staff. The maintenance staff was always very friendly, helpful, and prompt in responding to any problems, the exact opposite of the front office staff. CampusWest is the 4th apartment complex I have lived in, and I have never had a front desk/building management office that was so unhelpful, disrespectful, and rude. Consider the astronomical rent prices (which change based on the week) I would expect the staff to act with some semblance of customer service. Additionally, the rent. My roommate and I paid a combined $2600 per month for this apartment. A quick search on apartments.com or Zillow will show you that $2600/month is an absurd amount to pay for the area. Speaking of the area, it is bad. Reports of “suspicious persons,” care break ins, and robberys were common. This apartment is located on the very outside of the SU campus at the bottom of a step hill. My apartment faced the back of the building. From my bedroom I was close enough to the highway to see license plate numbers on cars stuck in traffic. in addition the to highway noise, there are train tracks and a local road directly behind the building, resulting in a symphony of noise 24/7. I could continue to list reasons this apartment building was the absolute worst place I have ever lived but it would take an hour. I hope this gives you an idea of what it is actually like to live here, as opposed to the colorful photos on the website.

I personally do not like being as close to campus as I thought I would. That said, it is still very convenient and might be better with less online class. No real problems with the complex community. Rooms are small and not much area to move around. Decent spot for a graduate student - quiet and easy to stay away from distractions if you so choose.

I enjoy the gym services and such. My stay there was limited because I ended up staying at my home in CA for the Spring semester because the classes were online. However, for in-person classes, CampusWest would've been amazing since it's close to SUCOL.

The management company sucks. They charge you a full months rent for your first month even if you move in in the middle of the month. If you ask to move in before they say you can, they charge you per day even though you paid a full month already. The plumbing sucks and it’s pretty poorly built for how new it is. It’s very quiet and conveniently located. It’s also very safe.