Northwood

Poor sound insulation also the rent is pretty high for a PHD. Also no central AC is a big problem.

Great for graduate students

Great for students with children, especially ages 0-10. There are two childcare centers in walking distance, a bus for school aged children, multiple playgrounds and sand boxes, a library and grocery store in walking distance as well. Safe community with many children to play with.
There are UM bus stops throughout the neighborhood as well as a few city bus stops.

Northwood has relative cheap rental fee, and it includes electricity, gas, water and internet. If the equipment has problem, the fix team will response very quickly to fix it. The environment is nice and safe. Besides, it is close to campus and stores like Kroger and Way 1 supermarket. It will be warm inside the house at Winter, which is very good. The cons are the old furniture, especially the wood floor, when you step on it, it will produce noise.

Conveniently located

3 floors, in a kid-friendly, safe neighborhood

I've enjoyed living at Northwood V so far. It's extremely family oriented and everyone has been nice. Management is very hands on and if you need a repair they'll often fix it same-day. I'm also a 30-second walk from a bus that goes straight to central campus. The Bus comes every 10 minutes and gets you to campus in <20.

The major downside is it definitely feels old and our floors are super creaky, but you can't beat it for the price.

Convenient, spacious, affordable. Great neighborhood for couples and young families. Parking is ~$80/car for the year. Located on North campus close to several grocery stores. Free U-M bus to hospital and medical school. Utilities included. Private basement with laundry. Repair services are responsive.

I haven’t had any unsatisfactory experiences while living in Northwoods. When I lost my mailbox key, the community center was quick to assist me with obtaining a new one. When my kitchen sink clogged, the utilities staff promptly came to my residence and unclogged the drain. All around, an amicable environment that even has a playground for my four-year-old to play on. I would recommend Northwoods to a graduate student with a family.

The Northwood apartments are a great option for students wanting more space than a typical Ann Arbor apartment would provide, but at a comparable price. The landlord is the University, which is great. Apartment units can be shared among a family unit, among friends, or among roommates who previously did not know one another but were placed in an apartment together by the University housing staff. Many units are currently empty, but the application process is slow, so you should apply as early as possible online. Also, move-in dates are often weeks after the lease signing, so applying early is important. The UM bus system runs every 10 minutes right from Northwood to North Campus and Central Campus, and back again, for free. It's also relatively close to the North Campus Recreation Building, which is free for students to use.