A few weeks ago, The Aggie analyzed the pros and cons of living in East Davis. This week, with lease-signing season in full swing, we move north in our quest to provide you with an accurate and thorough look at Davis’ housing options in the area known as North Davis.
Informally defined as the area north of West Covell and west of F Street (and mostly east of Highway 113), North Davis is home to an ample amount of housing options for students, with a diverse surrounding community and a close proximity to campus.
Located at 2689 Sycamore Lane, a little north of the intersection between Sycamore and Alvarado Avenue, is Chapparal Apartments. Chapparal, owned and managed by Tandem Properties (which also owns many other complexes such as Adobe, Russell Park and The Colleges at La Rue), offers a variety of housing options from studio to four-bedroom apartments.
Price ranges vary depending on the size, with a one-bedroom one-bath for $895 per month, a 2-bedroom one-bath for $1250 per month, a 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath for $1550, and a 4-bedroom 2-bath for $2000 per month.
The apartment complex includes features such as quiet study rooms, a pool, hot tub and free internet. The complex also allows cats and small caged animals, with prior consent from management.
Alyssa Parsons, a senior psychology major, lives in a four-bedroom townhouse at Chapparal. She said she has been living in North Davis for three years and loves the area and Chapparal.
“Chaparral is great! Their study rooms are really nice and their maintenance staff are terrific and quick to respond,” Parsons said.
The location of Chapparal was also a driving force for Parsons, and notes the Davis Greenbelts, the near-continuous stretch of biking and walking paths that string together small parks and span the city of Davis, to be particularly attracting.
“I’m close to the Greenbelts, which is a nice alternative to the Arboretum. And, the back of the complex borders Highway 113, so it’s really nice to go out and watch the sunset,” Parsons said.
A little further down Sycamore on Alvarado Avenue is Fountain Circle Apartments, located at 1213 Alvarado Avenue. Located directly across the street from The Marketplace shopping area, it offers one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments and features such as private patios, study rooms, a pool, spa, fitness center and barbecue area.
Elana Thoms, a junior art studio major who lives at Fountain Circle and has lived in North Davis since moving out of the dorms, said she really enjoys living at Fountain Circle.
“The prices here are very manageable and it’s far enough from campus that you feel like you are getting away from school, but not too far away,” Thoms said.
Other apartment complexes in the area include Drake Apartments, which is located at 919 Drake Drive and offers two-bedroom one-bath flats and two-bedroom 1.5-bath townhouses, and Almondwood Apartments, which is located at 1212 Alvarado Avenue and offers one to four-bedroom flats and townhouses.
Both Elizabeth Wood, a senior food science major and Drake resident and Alejandra Arguelles, a senior international relations major and Almondwood resident, agree that these North Davis apartments have everything one could need.
“It’s so convenient. I don’t have a car so the location is perfect. I live near two supermarkets and am close to the Yolo County bus lines to get to the airport when I go home for the holidays,” Arguelles said.
Wood added that Drake Apartments in particular have some nice features.
“We have a brand new study lounge that is amazing and offers free printing to residents. And our apartments have split bathrooms which, in an apartments of four girls, is amazing,” Wood said.
Getting around seems to be no trouble for North Davis residents due to the close proximity to campus and the convenience of the Unitrans buses. North Davis is conveniently located near the Davis Bike Loop, which leads to campus, and the bike lanes on Sycamore lead to University Mall and the southern edge of campus.
“I always bike to campus in nice weather since it is only a couple of miles away and only takes me 10 minutes or less,” Wood said.
Depending on the location within North Davis, students can take the P, Q, J or G Unitrans lines. They often stop directly in front of the apartment or within a close walking distance.
“It is extremely easy to use the buses here because there are multiple lines and they come by about every 15 minutes during the busiest times of the day,” Thoms said.
Parsons agreed.
“I’m not very much of a biker, so I definitely take advantage of the buses. They are very easy to use and come frequently,” Parsons said.
Residents of North Davis also agreed that having The Marketplace and Anderson Plaza shopping areas within walking and biking distance makes getting groceries and eating out easy and convenient.
“I visit Savemart and Safeway all the time because both of them I can get to by walking across the street. For restaurants, I love living across from Dos Coyotes, Panda Express, Papa Murphy’s, Togo’s and Quickly’s,” Wood said.
Unlike areas closer to Davis that have newer apartment complexes such as The Ramble, The Colleges at La Rue or Adobe, North Davis has mostly older complexes, which Parsons said is one of the only drawbacks.
“I’d rather be in North Davis and in an older apartment. All in all, it’s a great place to live,” Parsons said.
CLAIRE MALDARELLI can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
