I have been living in a studio in University Bay (UB), owned by Goldleaf Development management, from the beginning of my graduate career at UW-Madison. I chose to live in UB because of its convenient location to the hospital and other buildings where I have classes. The rent was decent when I signed my lease in 2010, however, the rent has gone up $10 to $20 each year making it expensive for the size of the space. The management claims to increase rent each year in order to stay competitive but
...they can definitely afford not to do so given the large turnover with students. The building and the studio are fairly old. However, the management has begun renovating apartments (mine included) and keeps the building clean. The building does not have an elevator, which makes moving in and out very difficult. The studio is pretty small but comfortable. For example, I was able to fit a full sized bed, a chair with an ottoman, a TV stand, a small table with two stools, a computer desk and chair, and two small side tables. The kitchen and the bathroom are small. The closet is very spacious. You have to pay for electricity and the management has recently begun charging a water charge (an additional $8 to your monthly rent). Each studio has a window air conditioner which is wonderful but it is very difficult to control both the heat and the air because there is no thermometer and both the air and the heat run continuously. Parking is available both outside the building in a surface lot as well as an inside garage for an extremely expensive rate. Parking is paid in 3 installments (August, November, and February) which is nice but it ends up feeling very expensive (about $480 per installment for the garage parking). The area is quiet and I have not had any issues with noise inside the building. Overall, UB has been a fairly comfortable place to reside during my education. It is expensive but very comparable to other apartment complexes. The staff is fairly friendly and maintenance calls are answer in a timely manner.
