Copeley Hill Apartments

Cheap, fully furnished, and close to the law school. Not as up to date in terms of interior and appliances and all that but is honestly the best deal an incoming student could find. Since it’s not full of law students like Pav is you lose out on the community aspect.

Copeley Hills Apartment

I really enjoy living on-Grounds at the Copeley Hill complex! The rent is really great for the area and is all inclusive. I love that you can choose to have a furnished unit, that UVA Facilities takes care of all repairs, and that the complex is really close to the law school so I can walk to class. You do have to buy a parking pass for the year, but it is much cheaper than buying a permit for the year at the Law School. It is a pretty neighborhood, especially during fall, and very quiet, and though the units are a little old (no AC in bedrooms and can get a bit stuffy without regularly opening windows) the appliances are all totally fine, as is the bathroom. Though the complex itself does not have a gym, it is walking distance to North Grounds Rec Center which has a gym and pool and is accessible to all UVA students. It is exactly what I need to be comfortable at home during my three-year program, and I will be staying for all of law school.

I know some people look down at Copeley Hill among the common options for North Grounds grad students, but it's a pretty solid option if you're okay with living simple and interested in saving a few hundred bucks a month. All utilities, including on-site laundry charges, are included in the rent, and units come furnished. Parking is an additional fee each academic year, but remember that you aren't paying for the law school parking lot, which is more expensive. I've lived in two different units and I will say that the 3-person units are semi-basements and suck for subterranean reasons, but the 2- and 1-person units are all above ground and much better. There's some variation in furniture and updated-ness from unit to unit, so the assignment process is a bit of a lottery, but if something is broken maintenance is very responsive. Even the furthest units are a 10-minute walk to the Law School or Business School, and it's a pleasant walk through the tree-filled complex. Socially, everyone kind of just does their own thing and you don't see your neighbors a lot, but there's a wide variety of grad students represented, some having small families too.

Living on grounds while in law school keeps things easy. The apartment is furnished and updated, all utilities are included in rent, and we use UVA's wifi network. Maintenance is easy to contact and they keep everything up to code. My only qualms are that we cannot control our own heating units and the laundry is in the basement of the building. The heating units turn on and off without our discretion (I believe they're controlled by residence life), so it can get warm. But in terms of location, safety, affordability, and ease, Copley cannot be beat.