Affordable Downtown Apartments?

[just_like_new]

I recently got a job downtown, and I would love to live downtown.  However, I can't really find anything affordable (Tribune, Philtower, etc. are out of my price range).  Is there anywhere affordable to live?  

I ask this question not just because I want an apartment.  I am a young person, the kind of person that downtown development is targeting I think.  If I can't afford housing, then lots of other people like me can't.  Shouldn't a crucial part of developing downtown be apartments that are in the $500-$600 range?  Any ideas?

[TheTed]

Here are a couple downtown apartments that aren't quite as expensive.
Renaissance Uptown
Blair

There are a lot of places in your price range just outside of downtown but still within walking distance.

[OurTulsa]

It's not downtown but look into the Cherry St. neighborhood or around 18th/Boston Av.  You can still find some reasonable rents.  If you want real reasonable and don't mind being a pioneer look into neighborhoods around 6th/Peoria Av., near north Denver/Cheyenne Aves, or right around the Crosbie Heights hood at Charles Page (3rd St.) and Olympia/Phoenix Aves.  You can find some decent apartments also in the Gunboat neighborhood which is in the IDL between 11th and 13th just south of Home Depot.

From all of these neighborhoods you can easily walk or ride a bike downtown.  Good bus service also runs directly through all of those hoods straight through to 4th/Denver Av.

All that said, right now I'd say Cherry St. is the best bang for your buck.  There are some apartments for rent on S. Quaker Av.  Don't know how much they want but should be reasonable.  Cherry St. is in the middle of a boom that has seriously only begun.  Look at the blocks between 15th/14th - St. Louis Av. and Utica Av.  They won't look like that in 5 years.

Congrats on the new job and Good Luck.

[cdowni]

there are some good cheap places just north of downtown.

this one is north of downtown on main street

http://tulsa.craigslist.org/apa/691276966.html


this is an apartment building in brady heights, which is also just north of downtown.

http://baileyarms.com/


and then there is perry properties, who has a bunch of apartments close to downtown, but i heard the company is kinda shady. a couple of my friends rent from them. the apartments are pretty nice, and pretty affordable.

http://www.perryproperties.net/

[Red Arrow]

As downtown becomes less and less affordable, the suburban cycle will begin all over.

[waterboy]

Don't rent from Perry Properties. He is a slumlord. He buys up properties in older, stable neighborhoods, charges high rents and then lets them deteriorate. Seriously, his properties are junk.

[swake]

What is going on with the Mayo Building? The Mayo Hotel is now well under construction on hotels rooms and upscale apartments and I recall seeing that the Mayo Building as 420 Mayo was supposed to start construction on some more affordable apartments in January, has anything happened?

[SXSW]

I'd check out University Club Tower (the tall, circular building at 16th and Carson) and the Central Park towers (highrises in SW downtown).  Both would offer reasonable rents.  I once looked at an 8th floor 1 bedroom/1 bath apt. in Central Park overlooking downtown that was $800 a month, not bad at all.  

[hello]

I ran into the same problem. I found a nice little  garage apartment behind a bigger house in Riverview. I'm very happy with my choice.

[just_like_new]

Thanks for all the great advice!  I drove around this weekend looking at alot of the neighborhoods you all listed.  OurTulsa, I especially liked the Gunboat neighborhood, but I couldn't find anything available right now.  What a great place for someone to come in and invest a little bit of money to push forward development.  There are some beautiful old homes that have a ton of potential.  

I ended up finding a great apartment in a fourplex just north of Cherry Street.  The rent is reasonable, and it is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Tulsa.  I am really pleased.  

I still think my original question stands though.  I was looking in the $500-$600 range, the price range that most of my just-out-of-college friends are looking at.  There is very little that isn't managed by Perry Properties (I found what you all have said to be true) or totally falling apart.  It would be great to see someone develop an older building right in downtown that would have a comparable price to apartments in other parts of town.  I wish I had a couple million dollars sitting around.

[John Redcorn]

I rented at Central Park for 5 years, ending 5 years ago.

I paid 650 or 700 can't remember for a 15th floor 1 bedroom (big, 900 sq ft maybe) free electric, basic cable, gas and water.

Then moved into a central park townhouse (not in the tower) 3bdrm, 1800 sqft  $950 all bill there too.

They have also have studios in the towers too that are cheaper.

Central Park is condos and they don't themselves rent but there are usually lots available for rent.

[cks511]

Oh come on...everyone should have at least ONE perry property experience LOL...NOT!  It disgusts me that he has been able to scoop up some great properties and then let them rot.  Scum.

[SXSW]

quote:Originally posted by just_like_new

Thanks for all the great advice!  I drove around this weekend looking at alot of the neighborhoods you all listed.  OurTulsa, I especially liked the Gunboat neighborhood, but I couldn't find anything available right now.  What a great place for someone to come in and invest a little bit of money to push forward development.  There are some beautiful old homes that have a ton of potential.  

I ended up finding a great apartment in a fourplex just north of Cherry Street.  The rent is reasonable, and it is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Tulsa.  I am really pleased.  

I still think my original question stands though.  I was looking in the $500-$600 range, the price range that most of my just-out-of-college friends are looking at.  There is very little that isn't managed by Perry Properties (I found what you all have said to be true) or totally falling apart.  It would be great to see someone develop an older building right in downtown that would have a comparable price to apartments in other parts of town.  I wish I had a couple million dollars sitting around.

It's happening, albeit slower than many of us want.  When the Mayo Bldg. Lofts are complete (not the Mayo Hotel) that will provide some more affordable housing.  There is also 120 Brady that will most likely be reasonable near where the new ballpark will be, and I expect to see more developments like that sprout up once construction begins.

[CRZ]

My wife and I have lived in Bailey Arms over six months now and absolutely love it.  It is affordable(less than $500 for 1000 sq. ft.) and located close to everything we need. The Albertsons may be gone from N Tulsa but the Sand Springs WalMart is close enough.

[kylieosu]

I have lived at the aforementioned Blair Apartments at 7th & Elwood for about a year, and have really enjoyed it for the most part. Very affordable, neat older building - no one apartment in the building looks the same. It will be even better once all the damn construction on Denver is complete.