If you haven’t already heard of The Vista located in Turlock, CA, it is home to many students attending Stanislaus State. This apartment complex provides students with a feeling like home away from home. With it being directly across the street from campus and located in the heart of Turlock, there are a plethora of food options in the local area.
Floor plans are as low as $585 and have a max capacity of up to 4 bedrooms. The Vista hosts weekly resident events, they have a resort-style pool, an outdoor TV lounge, a game room, a fully loaded clubhouse, a large TV room, and many more amenities.
Aside from all of the fun activities and spaces you can find here, The Vista also provides private study rooms for residents, a computer lab with free printing, and a cyber café with coffee (for those late nights of studying). You can find the full list of amenities here.
Hannah Ender (senior, Liberal Studies) currently lives at The Vista and spoke about her experiences and time here so far, “I love the environment at The Vistas. Everyone is so welcoming and tries to accommodate your needs. They also keep it as clean as possible with as many college students living here.”
She talks about how it is convenient that the campus is within close proximity to her apartment, and how it has made school a lot less of a stressor in her life.
Ender stated, “My most memorable times here at The Vista have been meeting my roommates and all of the pool parties we have hosted here…But aside from all the fun we’ve had, I do appreciate how much living across the street has helped me with getting to my classes on time and having such easy access to places like the upstairs study area in the library. Not to mention, we have private study rooms at our apartment complex as well.”
“While my time here at Stanislaus State is coming to a near end in the spring, I do want to push other students to consider living in off-campus housing. The Vista has given me the chance to learn a lot of independence skills and has taught me that it’s okay to step out of your comfort zone.” Ender shared.
“Despite my hometown only being 30 minutes away, just a change of scenery has been great and makes my college experience feel like a college experience. One tip of advice I could give for incoming students exploring off-campus housing is to make sure you actually read the lease when signing it,” added Ender.
One of the perks for residents at The Vista’s is that each unit is fully furnished.
With all of the costs involved while being a student, having a move-in-ready unit can help lower the costs of some of these expenses. Each bedroom has a full-sized bed, and an end table so students do not have to worry about the hassle of moving their furniture. Students will also have a bed wherever they left it for their trips home, since The Vista provides one.
The Vista also offers double occupancy options with twin-sized beds. The living area is furnished with a couch, chair, coffee table, end table, and TV stand. The kitchen comes with energy efficient appliances, a refrigerator, dishwasher, and washer and dryer in each unit.
You can see the full package and perks here on their website.
In comparison to other units in the area, The Vista offers a plethora of amenities for first-time independent students
Drake Metal, another resident at The Vista, shared his thoughts on the complex.
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Image of Drake Metal, resident at The Vista, lounging in his apartment, taken by Riley Villalovoz 10/10/24.
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Image of Drake Metal’s fully furnished living room, taken by Riley Villalovoz 10/10/24.
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Image of The Vista interior taken by Riley Villalovoz 10/10/24.
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Image of the hallway outside of Drake Metal’s apartment showing close proximity to neighbor, taken by Riley Villalovoz 10/10/2.
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Although Metal is not a student attending Stan State, his sister is currently enrolled. Metal lives with two roommates, and pays $950 for his portion including utilities.
“My main reason for choosing to live at The Vista was the fact that my sister, Hannah, already lived here and it was a no-brainer after seeing the price you pay for what you’re receiving,” said Metal.
Metal shared that his rent is not a huge bill to him, especially for the living expenses he sees nowadays.
“I work full-time so it’s not a drastic expense in my life right now to be living away from home. With rent and my car payment, my overall bills come out to about $1200 a month. For other students considering living here, I would definitely recommend it if you feel you can afford it even while having school most of the days,” Metal shared.
Metal explained that aside from the idea of living in off-campus housing, you do need to take into consideration the costs. While The Vista is one of the more budget-friendly complexes near campus, there are still some amount of fees involved.
“If you’re unable to work full-time to support yourself, there are resources like Stan’s food pantry weekly and the fully-furnished units which definitely give you a nice jumpstart. Just keep in mind that you will have to budget your food costs, free-spending, and overall living expenses. I still think it’s a great price for the amenities you’re getting for your money,” Metal advised.
Metal also shared his experiences on how he has spent is free time at The Vista and the enhancement of his everyday life, “My overall experience has been great so far and there is really nothing to complain about. There are events every week filled with tons of people in your age group which definitely makes living here something an incoming student would enjoy.”
Metal mentioned how he loves that his home is close to basic daily necessities, “I know that I especially enjoy that everything is so close to where I live. Shopping centers, fast food, and there’s a Mister Car Wash right outside of the complex’s gates. I actually have an unlimited membership which is really good especially if you’re trying to save some money for other things like gas or other living expenses.”
Ender and Metal both shared their positive experiences living at The Vista, but also acknowledge there will still be some uncertainty within the mind of a young resident.
The Vista provides various options and amenities for students to transition and feel at home since there are many necessary items to take care of when enrolling in college.
Metal also shared what it’s been like to live on his own for the first time away from his parents, sharing similar thoughts to Ender’s, “Living away from my parents has helped me learn the basics of real life. Things you don’t even think about while living at home, such as making your own food, managing your funds, keeping up your household.”
Metal talks about how he has adjusted to moving away from his friends in his hometown and how the change hasn’t been too drastic or negatively shifted.
“I lived in Ripon basically my whole life and went to high school there. I’ve made all of my friends in Ripon and it’s only about a 25 minute drive home so it hasn’t been bad at all to see my loved ones. Although there have been endless possibilities to make new friends at The Vista as well. I walk past students everyday just to get to my room or I’ll see them in the clubhouse or game room. Definitely nothing to be worried about,” expressed Metal
The Vista is an apartment complex targeted for younger individuals who are enrolled in college, but they also rent their spaces out to non-college students.
Additionally, you do not have to attend Stan State specifically or have a mandatory meal plan that must be followed, unlike the campus dorms.
The Vista caters to students from various nearby colleges and is also home to students from other colleges like MJC and Merced College.
Another CSU Stanislaus student, Olivia Sanchez (senior, Agriculture), has been a resident at The Vista since August of 2023.
Sanchez shared details about her experience, “I pay $1,784 a month with utilities and WiFi included, and it’s really hard. I work part-time and full-time hours depending on what my work can offer me and what my school schedule allows. One thing that I recommend as a budgeting tip is to open a savings account and each paycheck deposit $50 to $100 into it if you can.”
Sanchez stated that by taking the right approach financially, living at the Vista is doable. She noted how she appreciates the proximity to campus and how utilities are included.
Safety is also a big thing for Sanchez, “The thing I appreciate the most about The Vista is that it’s gated. I also really love the in-unit washer and dryer.”
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Image of Olivia Sanchez smiling in her apartment, courtesy of Olivia Sanchez, 11/15/24.
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Images of Sanchez’s apartment kitchen, courtesy of Olivia Sanchez, 11/15/24.
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Images of Sanchez’s apartment decor, courtesy of Olivia Sanchez, 11/15/24.
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Images of Sanchez’s apartment decor, courtesy of Olivia Sanchez, 11/15/24.
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Image of Sanchez’s apartment decor, courtesy of Olivia Sanchez, 11/15/24.
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Image of Sanchez’s cozy apartment for the holidays, courtesy of Olivia Sanchez, 11/15/24.
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Sanchez recommends The Vista as a first apartment away from home, “I feel that it’s a good start to living on your own and getting used to paying your own expenses. I would say that it’s fairly affordable for students, but still feel it could be slightly cheaper because other apartment complexes in the area have similar pricing. As long as you’re strong and don’t let them take advantage of you, you should be fine.”
While other apartments offer similar pricing, students can take advantage of proximity to campus and the same-age community around them in terms of their social life.
The Vista can be contacted for an in-person tour via their phone number which can be found on their contact page on their website. There are also virtual tours online if preferred, which you can also find on their virtual tour page on their website.
Their leasing office is open from 9 am to 6 pm on Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, and 12 pm to 5 pm on Sunday. The Vista is located at 900 W Monte Vista Ave., Turlock, CA 95382.
