UAB students and Samford students doing CaRES should ideally retain the housing they have had this academic year. Students from other universities far from Birmingham need to find summertime housing at or near UAB.
General guidelines on finding housing:
- If you are lucky enough to have family or close friends living in the Birmingham area, explore this option first! Maybe you can live with them for free, or at a very low cost.
- The Student Association at your university may set aside money to support off-campus student housing for summertime research. Ask your academic Department, School or University if any such grants are available.
- In general, housing is cheaper if you share a room or a suite, rather than live by yourself. You may want to share living space with other CaRES students to save money.
- Some of you may want to access “bed and breakfast” websites, apartment guides, or newspaper classified ads, for opportunities to rent a room, an apartment, or a house in the UAB area (e.g., Southside, Highland Avenue).
- You may live wherever you wish, but we suggest that you consider UAB Student Housing (if available!) or the University Place Apartments, as described below. Another option is to sublet a room, also described below.
- UAB Student Housing (Victoria Coman-Jackson, Student Housing Services Coordinator, 205-996-0404, or vcomanja@uab.edu): One or more UAB dormitories will be open in the summer for students who will be on campus for academic programs, research, or sports camps. UAB dormitories are walkable from the UAB buildings where most CaRES projects are based. We understand that once you sign a dormitory contract, the UAB Parking office will give you a pass to park on campus, but please verify this. You may be able to keep your car parked all week (other than for shopping and errands) and walk to the building where you do your CaRES research project. However, demand for UAB dormitory rooms is high in the summer and you may need to get on the waiting list via the UAB Student Housing and Residence Life website that also lists available off-campus housing options for you to consider:http://www.uab.edu/students/housing/
- “University Place” (Property Manager, manager@theplaceapts.com or 205-933-2822; and see the website https://www.theplaceapts.com/ for general information):this could be your best bet if relatives or friends don’t take you in! Located on the edge of campus at 951 18th Street South, University Place had been a motel called “The University Inn.” Several years ago it was converted into a combination motel and apartment house, catering to UAB students and employees. Rooms of various sizes (studio, one BR, two BR, etc.), are available. You can sign a lease for as little as 2 months if you state that you are in town to do a cancer research project at UAB for only 8 weeks. The rental rates range widely, depending on what you want: furnished or unfurnished space, number of roommates and number of bedrooms (if you plan to share space), and number of weeks or months. University Place has its own parking lot, so you could keep your car parked all week and walk to and from your CaRES building. Advantages include an outdoor swimming pool and proximity to 5 Points South where numerous restaurants (including Waffle House!) and nightlife can be found.
- Sublet a room or apartment: There are websites that list sublets for as short as 4 weeks for medical students doing “away” electives. Please access https://rotatingroom.com/University_of_Alabama_at_Birmingham_(UAB) to see what may be available for the weeks you will be working at UAB. You can also use this website to find a roommate to move in with you and share expenses.
- UAB medical student guidance: You may want to contact a few UAB medical students for guidance on where to find summer housing, as sometimes word-of-mouth works best!
One more suggestion: While at UAB this summer, you may want to join the beautiful UAB Campus Recreation Center at 1501 University Boulevard (http://www.uab.edu/students/campusrecreation/, 205-934-8224). The cost has been ~$80 for the summer term; check with them for the latest rate. This is a spacious facility open long hours each day, including weekends. There are yoga classes, treadmills, weight rooms, an indoor track, a climbing wall, and a great indoor swimming pool! The Rec Center is a short walk from UAB dormitories and just a few blocks more from University Place.
November 24, 2019
