I lived in Stratford Heights my first year of college and it was terrible.

First: the price is ridiculously high for the tiny little rooms you get. At that time, rent was $415 per person for a 3-person room. That's $1275 for a small room. I am currently renting an entire house with 4 bedrooms in Clifton, from a private landlord, for $1050 per month.

Second: Stratford Heights advertised their rooms as "apartments" when they are, in reality, dorm rooms. You share a kitchen with everyone in the house, and if someone does something stupid, everyone in the house loses the "privilege" of using the kitchen. Management reserves the right to move you from one room to another, or even from one building to another. They did this to me between fall and winter quarters. I did nothing wrong, but they moved everyone from my building into other buildings in order to separate the troublemakers from eachother. Also, they have the right to inspect your room at will. This is a glorified dorm, not an apartment.

Third: They treat you like children. They disabled the thermostats in my building and set the building-wide temperature to something around 68 degrees. In the middle of winter, my room often got much colder than this, and it was often too cold for me to make the effort to get out of bed and go to class. When people complained about their rooms being too cold, they said "too bad." When it got too hot, they sent everyone a letter stating that they are not allowed to open their windows in order to cool down their rooms.

Fourth: Parking rates were pretty ridiculous. Most other apartments and houses in the area either have parking included or decent parking on the street. My roommate's car was towed from the Stratford Heights garage because they put up a "reserved parking space" sign AFTER he was already parked there. Stratford Heights said "too bad" and made him pay for the tow.

Fifth: I did not know a single person that was satisfied with their experience living there. Everyone I know moved to either off-campus housing or University Park after their first year living in Stratford Heights.

In summary: Stratford Heights might try to justify their high prices, small rooms, and poor customer service by telling parents that Stratford Heights is safe and Clifton is dangerous. This is total nonsense. You can find a house or apartment in a safe area, within walking distance of campus, for much less that what Stratford Heights (or University Park, or McMillan Manor) would charge. Ask UC about their landlord accreditation program if you are especially worried about your child's safety.

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