Housing
Most VCU Brandcenter students live in off-campus housing, which is plentiful around the Brandcenter. VCU provides information about housing options on their Residential Life & Housing site.
Once accepted into our program, students have the option of joining the Brandcenter housing list - a resource to help our students connect with each other to find roommates and places to live.
In January 2008, the VCU Brandcenter moved to the Monroe Park Annex section of VCU’s Campus, east of Belvidere Street between Main and Canal Streets. This new section of campus, just east of the Monroe Park Campus, also houses new construction buildings including the business school, the engineering school, a parking deck and two residence halls.
One of Richmond’s predominant residential areas is called The Fan, which surrounds much of the VCU Monroe Park campus. The area is named for its fan shape that extends outward from the campus and is filled with hundreds of houses and apartments, many of which were built in the late 1800s. Real-estate companies and private owners rent the apartments and many homes, usually on a yearly basis. The architecture in the area is diverse, and one to four-bedroom apartments and houses abound. We would definitely suggest looking in this area first, as it is large and fairly easy to find a safe location. And, it’s close to the Brandcenter building.
The city is also in the process of renovating many of the downtown warehouses for residential use in an area called Shockoe Bottom. Most of the apartments in this area are loft-style, located above dozens of restaurants and shops. Like many of the other neighborhoods in the city, Shockoe Bottom houses a mix of graduate students, medical students and professionals. This area is about a mile from our building.
In addition to these areas, there are countless apartment and condominium complexes immediately surrounding the city.
Richmond is an energetic town with a great mix of museums, festivals, and historic attractions. There are several colleges in town and a lot of young people. You should have little trouble finding housing and having a great time in the city. As when living in any city, use good sense and be aware of the surroundings of any housing you choose.
A walk around campus will turn up many notices from students looking for roommates and apartments. Another way to find housing and get to know Richmond is by bicycle. Many realtors place “For Rent” signs in front of their units, and it’s a great way to learn the area.
Current students of the Brandcenter are another great way to find housing. They can give you names and numbers of landlords, tell you which areas are safest to look in, and may know of second-year students that already have housing and are looking for roommates.
Rent in Richmond can be fairly cheap. There are plenty of one to four-bedroom apartments and houses available, with monthly rent ranging from the $300s to the $1500s. Utilities vary from place to place, with many apartments including utilities in the cost of rent. You can expect to pay about $400-$600 per month, on average, for rent and utilities.
(Tip: Always check with the leasing agent for notification requirements in order to sublet or move out of your apartment in case you get an out-of-town internship opportunity during the summer.)