In addition to its dorm network, Rutgers operates several on-campus apartment buildings. College Avenue is the primary campus for New Brunswick and is convenient to academic facilities, university transportation and downtown New Brunswick. Options on College Avenue include University Center Apartments, which offer a prime location on Easton Avenue, just a block from the train station and various restaurants, bars and shops. Rockoff Apartments are a newer on-campus housing facility, located in the middle of downtown New Brunswick within walking distance of the city's theaters, bars and restaurants. Rockoff is roughly halfway between College Avenue and Douglass/Cook campuses and is convenient to university transportation.
Many apartments, rooms and rental homes are available for year-long leases on the private market. These properties are governed by the lease agreement between the owner or landlord and the student tenants. According to the Rutgers Off-Campus Housing Office, one bedroom apartments averaged about $953/month as of this publication. Multi-bedroom apartments and houses offer students the opportunity to live with friends and roommates and save money on monthly rent. For instance, the average rent for a five bedroom house was $3,060 as of May 2011, breaking down to $612 per room.
There are many neighborhoods in New Brunswick and neighboring towns. Look at the apartment in person and get a feel for the neighborhood. Rutgers' College Avenue academic, dining and extracurricular facilities are concentrated between George Street and Easton Avenue, and Somerset Street and Huntington Street. The area between those streets offers some of the most convenient apartments for campus life. Consider streets such as Mine Street, Hamilton Street and Stone Street. The closest blocks to Voorhees Mall, such as Hamilton Street between College Avenue and George Street, and College Avenue itself have limited or no apartments and housing.
Douglass and Cook campuses are located on the southern end of New Brunswick. There are plenty of housing opportunities convenient to these campuses on streets like Jones Avenue, Nichol Avenue and intersecting streets. The Livingston and Busch campuses are located in Piscataway. In addition to on-campus apartments and dorms, students can find off-campus rentals in Piscataway and Highland Park. Neither of these towns are quite as college-oriented as New Brunswick, so the student rental market is not well defined. Both towns do, however, offer various apartment complexes. If you are looking to get away from campus, neighboring towns like Somerset, Edison and East Brunswick are residential options to consider.
New Brunswick on-street parking can be limited, particularly during the school year. When looking at apartment options, take the number of parking spots and available on-street parking options into consideration. Also, consider how close you'll be to your classrooms and transportation. While you will be affiliated with a certain college campus, your classes may be spread out across College Avenue, Douglass, Busch and other campuses. Finding an apartment within walking distance of Rutgers transportation system is helpful when your classes are spread out. If you tend to do a lot of drinking and partying, consider an apartment within walking distance of bars on Easton Avenue and in downtown to avoid having to drive.