Apartments Near AUC

I’ve put together a photo tour of apartments within walking distance of AUC that students usually choose to stay, in hopes this would help those who are looking into apartments as well. There are several places one can start when looking for housing:

1. Check out AUC Housing Department’s list of the available off-campus apartments close to campus, complete with offer price and contact information. The price ranges I have provided in the photo tour come from information in this list, as well as my own inquiries to real estate agents. The list is constantlyf updated.

2. Contact Solutions Management. They have a bad rep on ValueMD, but the truth is, if you are looking for somewhere to stay close to campus that is affordable, you’ll most likely have to go through them. Remember that ValueMD is often an outlet for those who have complaints to complain, but there are also lots of people who are fine with them who you don’t hear about. I personally haven’t had any problems with them thus far. When I had a leak, they fixed it right away. They gave me new drip pans immediately when I asked for them. The Solutions office is a few steps away from campus, which makes paying rent and power/water bills convenient. They have an online brochure of their properties here. The people working in their Cupecoy office are Bernard, Celine, and another lady whose name I don’t remember right now. Their office is a few steps away from school. See location on the map below. You can contact them at solutionsabc@hotmail.com or call them at 011-599-545-3717 or 011-599-545-3382 or 011-599-544-3927.

3. Contact Century 21 Sint Maarten. Their Cupecoy office is not far, just past the casino, up the hill on the right. See location on the map below. They offer a lot of real estate as well in the area, but they are usually a little more pricey than Solutions. The guy in the office is Kevin, who many students are happy working with, and you can email him at kevin@century21islandrealty.com or Kevingannon41@aol.com, or call at 011-599-526-8280 or 011-599-544-2401.

4. Contact Premier Real Estate. Their office is right inside Cupecoy Beach Club. See location in the map below. They manage places in Cupecoy Beach Club as well as places in Cote d’Azure. Their staff have been very nice as well when I talked to them and I’ve heard they have good service from students. Their real estate is a little pricier than Solutions Management.

5. Contact The Summit Resort. Although they are considered a hotel, they also rent a lot of studio bungalow apartments long term to students. Each bungalow has its own porch, and they are one of the more affordable accomodations around the area. Weekly maid service is included, and they have a generator so you don’t have to worry about power outages. However, from what I’ve seen, they do not have a full kitchen (i.e. they have a hot-plate-style stove). This is OK if you don’t intend to cook a lot but for me, I need a full kitchen. They have a pool with a really nice view of the lagoon as well as two restaurants on the resort grounds. There is security. My friends who live there have all said they really like living there and that the office staff are nice to their residents (i.e. having a free dinner get-together by the pool for all their residents and guests at the beginning of the semester).

6. Contact Rainbow Beach Club. This is one of the nicer places to live within walking distance from campus. It has a private beach, pools, fitness club, as well as 24-hour security. There is a generator so you don’t have to worry about power outages. It is, however, pricey, so it’s better if you find a roommate to share the apartment. You can contact Nikki at nikki@rainbowbeachclub.com or call at 011-599-545-2478.

7. Contact Remax Island Properties. They manage several studios, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom apartments around Cupecoy, Maho, as well as Beacon Hill areas (Maho and Beacon Hill require driving). One of the agents that students often work with is Karen Larmony and you can contact her at KLarmony@gmail.com or call her at 011-599-520-1402.

8. Check out St. Maarten Immo‘s rental listing. They often have a few places available in the Cupecoy area, and for a good price too.

9. Contact Ocean Club. While they are further away, they are still within walking distance if you don’t mind walking about 8-10 minutes to get to school.  Most of their units have multiple rooms, so it’s a good place to get if you want to live with several housemates. They have a private beach, swimming pool, security, and restaurant on site.

There are also other apartments and neighborhoods further away from campus that you may consider, but they would require driving, biking, taking the bus, or walking for more than 15 minutes. Other further places to consider:

• La Terrasse in Maho
• Aquamarina in Point Pirouette
• Porto Cupecoy in Cupecoy
• Beacon Hill Towers in Beacon Hill
• Caravanserai in Maho
• or housing in the French Lowlands (Terre Basse).

I don’t recommend living anywhere further than these places (like Simpson Bay or Pelican) because it would be too far to drive and traffic in Simpson Bay can get really bad. Another tip: remember, you can always save money by sharing apartments with roommates!

Also check out this great post written by McKenzie, another current AUC student, about her experiences looking for apartments: http://medschoolinthecaribbean.blogspot.com/2011/10/place-to-call-home_07.html