Apartments close to OU – International Student’s Guide

I’ve gotten lots of calls and emails from international students about different things they should know as they gear up for their first year at the University of Oklahoma – What are some apartments close to OU? What are the best places to eat? Where can I get groceries? How do I get around town?

So, let’s start with an easy one that might also help you determine the some other factors as you get ready to move in, and that’s how to get around. OU has a really great transit program that they call CART (a.k.a. Campus Area Rapid Transit). It helps students and staff alike, make their way across campus and to surrounding areas quickly. Knowing the bus routes can be important because it may help you determine where you want to live (like in apartments close to OU) and where you might like to eat. If your goal is to cut down on driving, then having a place close to the bus routes is going to be a must.

Want to get more familiar with the OU campus? Check out this OU Walkthrough Tour!

Bus Routes

There are 5 different year round bus routes that OU offers free of charge to students, staff, and faculty. They run from 7am – 10pm Monday through Friday, with the exception of the Late Night Flex route, which continues until 11:30pm Monday – Thursday and until 9:15pm on Fridays.

I’ve included photos of each route below and you can click the link to see the specific bus schedules and bus stop locations. There’s also a video that OU put together on how to ride CART busses and lots of other information, so be sure to visit that for specific details as well. As you can see from the maps, the different routes will travel to the different apartments close to OU and I’ve categorized the list I made for you to reflect the different routes, when you keep reading.

Now that you know what routes you can take, we’ll dive into some different apartment complexes nearby, which is something that we get asked about a lot.

Apartment Rental Process

Below I’ve put together a list of different apartments close to OU and better yet, apartment complexes along the CART routes. Now, just because I’ve included these apartments, doesn’t mean that I’ve given them all a stamp of approval – it’s important that you reach out to “interview” each complex you’re considering. Some complexes might have different vibes and you’ll want to make sure that you’re comfortable with where you’ll be living. For example, some complexes might be known to have a party crowd. Would you be okay with the extra noise? Some places might have strict policies on pets, which probably isn’t a huge concern for international students, but you never know! Aside from knowing the cost of rent, it’s important to also ask the property manager other questions to make sure that you find the best off campus living arrangement to fit your needs. You might also reach out to some returning students to get a better sense of what apartments close to OU they might recommend. See some of my question suggestions below. For my list, I did however, filter the results to show complexes that had 3.5+ star reviews, and that narrowed it down a bit.

What should I look for in an apartment?

Okay, so not only do you want to look for apartments close to OU, but you’re going to want to make sure that they have the amenities you’re looking for. Thinking about the things that you like to do in your spare time might help you out here – are things like having a gym or pool important to you? Or is a community room where you can go for a quiet place to study something you’d really like to have? Is the place clean? We always recommend being able to walk through the apartment complex on your own to see what it’s really like, but sometimes this isn’t always possible. Can you take a virtual tour or can you read reviews from previous tenants. Doing those things might give you a good idea for how the place is kept up and also how the staff and property manager(s) are.

What’s the rental process like?

Now you’ve done your homework and interviewed several apartment complexes and decided on one of the apartments close to OU. Then when you go to rent an apartment close to OU or not, the process will generally be the same. You’ll first need to fill out an application and turn it in with your application fee (this usually covers the cost of the background/credit checks they complete). And it’s normal that they do a background check on you and may even call previous places you’ve rented and your personal references to make sure you’re a good fit for them and that you followed the policies and how well you kept your apartment. They’ll also likely do a credit check to make sure that you are a person who doesn’t fall behind on their payments and in addition, they’ll verify that you’ll be able to afford your monthly payments. It can all seem kind of invasive, but they need to know these things to reduce their liability. They don’t want any “bad” renters in their complex and neither do you! Once all the questioning is over and the information has been verified, you’ll be able to sign the lease, get the keys and receive your move-in date. A word to the wise – READ YOUR LEASE (before you sign it)! You’ll want to make sure you understand what you’re signing so that you’ll be able to hold up your end of the contract and keep the apartment accountable for their commitments as well. Then, you’ll be able to move in to one of the apartments close to OU!

Apartments close to OU – Per Bus Route

Other apartments close to OU

Here’s a few other apartment complexes that are in the vicinity of OU, but not neccesarily along any specific bus route. They are still within a few miles, so doable if you’re biking, and certainly a quick, easy drive.

• The Collective
• Twin Creek Village Apartments
• Scottsdale Terrace
• Sterling Park
• Classen Crossing Apartments
• Millennium
• The Edge at Norman
• Walden Court Townhomes
• Plaza West Townhomes
• Norman Creek
• Rock Canyon Apartments

Grub & Shopping

Okay, so probably the most important thing and definitely my favorite – where to eat and shop for the best food?! Now, as a student I know you’re not only going to want to find apartments close to OU, but also some great food places nearby too! That way if you need to grab a quick bite between classes or can’t go out somewhere too far because you’re cramming for an exam, you’ll know where to go. In the list of restaurants below, I know the top few are Halal, but the rest of them just came up on a google search and I haven’t eaten at many of those myself, so you may have to do some digging on your own for those. As for the grocery stores, not all of those are right in Norman, so you do have to drive a little bit to a couple of them.

Hopefully you found this post on apartments close to OU helpful! If you have any additional questions, I’d love to help. Feel free to book a call with me – https://calendly.com/marciebillen

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