Every morning, Amy Franzen wakes up to the sun shining into large picture windows in the bedroom of her Okemos apartment. A big screen TV, small keyboard, dining room table, couch and armchair are spaciously arranged in the room that serves as both a living and dining room, with a narrow kitchen attached.
Franzen, a third-year veterinary medicine student has lived in Knob Hill Apartments for a year and a half. Franzen said she loves living in Okemos because of its location and price.
"We wanted someplace a little quieter," Franzen said. "We don't really have to fight with the neighbors about noise or anything."
Franzen pays $720 a month for an unfurnished two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in Okemos.
Though Franzen doesn't have any pets, her neighbors, also veterinary medicine students, have two cats.
"There are quite a few pets around here — there's always cats in the windows," Franzen said.
Matt Socia, a music education senior, chose to move to Okemos because Campus Hill Apartments allows cats. Socia said his place was the cheapest apartment he could find.
"The farther away you get from campus, the cheaper the apartments get," Socia said. Socia pays $625 monthly for a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment.
Socia said he was glad he wasn't living as close to loud partying as he would be in East Lansing.
"I can go to a party instead of having one on my front step," Socia said.
Lauren Simpson, a first-year veterinary medicine student, said she likes not having "to worry about drunkards knocking on my door."
"For an undergraduate, living north of campus is a really good place," Simpson said. "You don't have to drive your car to campus, and you're going to have fun, but you can go home to your peace."
Simpson's parents purchased a condo at Chateau Condominiums in Okemos so Simpson and her roommate could rent it from them for less than the cost of renting an apartment. Simpson said she likes living near a broader range of people.
"The population is better and I feel the interaction I have with someone, that they won't say something ridiculous or inappropriate," Simpson said. "For the most part, it's young married couples that live at (Chateau Condominiums)." Simpson said the ages of people living in her neighborhood range from people in their early 20s to people in their 70s. She also said students living in Okemos are treated differently by their neighbors than students in East Lansing.
"In Okemos, I think residents give (students) a little bit more respect than in East Lansing," Simpson said.
Both Simpson and Franzen said they noticed more parks and nature trails in Okemos than in East Lansing.
"There's a lot more green space out here. It makes me very happy," Franzen said with a smile.
However, the downside to living in Okemos, Franzen said, is the distance from campus in comparison to East Lansing.
"I do miss walking to class every day," Franzen said. "We like the location because it's right off the highway and my roommate and I travel a lot."
