Apartment tours, rent and leases — oh my! With the 2026-27 housing process already underway, it’s officially that time of the year when students with off-campus housing approval must find a future apartment. This task can be daunting. There are so many apartment buildings to choose from, and so many factors to consider. How much space do you need? How far can you commute to campus? Do you want access to a gym?
If you are lost, confused or overwhelmed by your apartment search, do not worry. This guide will give you a list of some of the best apartment options near Vanderbilt, including all of their features, pros and cons. With the proper knowledge and resources, apartment hunting does not have to be so scary.
Aertson Midtown
The Aertson has a reputation among Vanderbilt students for being lavish, perhaps overly so. The building is easy to remember because it is located just behind Wilson Hall, which many students pass by every day, and because it is absolutely huge. The building covers an entire city block, includes its own hotel and shares its space with multiple restaurants. It has two towers and tens of floors, meaning there are many units to choose from.
Despite its opulence, the Aertson is not as expensive as some assume it to be. However, it is still one of the pricier buildings on this list, with rent for studio and one-bedroom apartments being similar to Vanderbilt’s housing fees of $7,380 per semester, or around $1,800 per month, assuming four months of residency per semester. Residents will find the Aertson’s units are much bigger than what they would likely find at Vanderbilt, with one-bedroom apartments of 700 to 900 square feet.
The building includes many fancy amenities, including a large gym, pool access, a sky lounge and a dog park. The building’s garage offers valet parking, and the lounge space has many cute study spaces. The Aertson is modern and chic, but be warned that you may get turned around in your first few weeks due to the building’s size and maze-like layout. In my experience, even finding the leasing office to take a building tour proves a struggle.
Twenty & Grand
Located just behind the Aertson, Twenty & Grand is a small, unassuming building that is easy to pass by without noticing. Although it is easy to overlook, Twenty & Grand offers one of the best living experiences on this list. Second-year graduate student Bella Norman has lived in the building since July.
“Compared to other places in the area, it’s the most bang for your buck,” Norman said. “The location? Amazing. The management? Incredible. I think it feels like a home and less like a dorm, which I think is hard to find sometimes.”
Twenty & Grand is a very short walk from campus. However, its residents are a mixture of Vanderbilt undergraduate and graduate students, as well as non-Vanderbilt students. Norman noted that this has allowed her to escape the Vanderbilt bubble, which she felt stuck in during her undergraduate years at Vanderbilt. Additionally, rent tends to be significantly less than Vanderbilt’s housing fees, while still offering spacious apartments of over 700 square feet for a one-bedroom.
Norman notes that the residents of Twenty & Grand are very friendly, striking up elevator conversations, helping neighbors carry in heavy groceries and returning lost wallets to their owners. She also explained that Twenty & Grand’s apartment managers are some of the kindest she has met.
“The people here care so much about you, and they’re so responsive. And I really appreciate how much they go above and beyond,” Norman said. “I think highly of the management.”
Twenty & Grand has a variety of modest amenities available for residents. The building is pet-friendly and offers a covered parking garage at a flat monthly rate, as well as a small gym. The managers leave out a variety of snacks in the lobby and a Keurig machine with coffee supplies. Norman stated that the largest issue with the building is that it is located very close to 21st Avenue, so noise from nearby construction and traffic makes the living experience rather loud.
The Broadview
The Broadview is one of the more well-known apartment buildings to students, as it is operated in collaboration with Vanderbilt. The building is new and very large, offering many units with a modern, clean feel. Norman lived in the Broadview for one year prior to living in Twenty & Grand. She did not enjoy the Broadview as much.
“It’s not long-term housing. It really is made for a one-year-maximum stay. It feels much more like a dorm,” Norman said. “If you’re wanting to escape campus life with that dorm feel, it’s not for you, because it’s all Vanderbilt people.”
Rent at the Broadview is high, about the same as Vanderbilt housing fees, and the units are small, at about 400 square feet for a one-bedroom. However, at that high price, the units come furnished, and utilities like electricity and WiFi are included. Additionally, there is a coffee house on the bottom floor, a large gym and several high-quality study spaces. Norman mentioned that the building is very loud due to neighbors, and that the managers were not as helpful as in Twenty & Grand.
“They did not seem that knowledgeable of the property,” Norman said. “I found that oftentimes a problem would arise and I couldn’t get it resolved.”
2010 West End
2010 is another underrated apartment find. The building is just off the West End side of campus, about a block behind Kissam. This building offers a variety of quality amenities and a large range of floor plan options for a moderate price. Additionally, it provides easy access to all of the West End Avenue restaurants, many of which are included in Taste of Nashville.
Senior Sophia Koss has been living in 2010 since the beginning of this academic year.
“Everyone has been friendly while I’ve been here. The staff has been incredibly kind to everyone, and I think the facilities are also really nice to use,” Koss said. “I like it a lot more than living on campus right now.”
Units in 2010 are moderate in size. Many studio apartment floor plans are cheaper than Vanderbilt’s rent but still provide sufficient space, while traditional one-bedrooms are similar in price to Vanderbilt’s housing fees. Additionally, Koss noted that her side of the building offers stunning views of campus and of the sunset.
2010’s amenities include a rooftop pool and spa, a gym and yoga studio and a dog run. The building also provides many quiet study spaces, co-working spaces, a game room and a party lounge where residents hold birthday gatherings and Super Bowl watch parties. They are even building a golf simulator within the building.
Koss stated that the management at 2010 are incredibly welcoming and helpful, and that maintenance requests are resolved quickly. The residents in the building are just as kind as the staff.
“Most people, if you give them a happy face and you see them with a dog, they’ll let you go pet their dog immediately,” Koss said. “It’s definitely wonderful to go pet a dog.”
Elliston 23
Elliston 23 is known for its luxurious apartments and high-quality amenities. The building is large and very modern, with a lobby decorated to feel expensive right when you walk in. It is located one block off West End Avenue, right next to I Love Sushi.
The rent for this building tends to be pricey; studio apartments are similar in price to Vanderbilt’s housing fees, while one-bedroom apartments are somewhat more expensive. However, Elliston 23’s units are large, with the smallest studios at 550 square feet, and the largest one-bedroom apartments at over 900 square feet. One added perk of Elliston 23 is that they offer flexible leases; while most buildings require you to sign a 12-month lease, this building allows you to pick the length of your stay.
A downside to Elliston 23 is the management. In my experience trying to tour the building, the staff were not particularly kind, welcoming or helpful.
Elliston 23 is hard to beat in terms of amenities. Perhaps most impressive is its resort-style pool with private cabanas and TVs. The building’s rooftop space includes seating areas, grills and a dog park. It has a large 24-hour gym, a coffee bar, a music room and a variety of working and conference spaces, as well as a covered parking garage. If you are looking for luxury, Elliston 23 delivers, although it may be somewhat over-the-top for the average college student.
Wesley Place
Located right above CVS Pharmacy on 21st Avenue, Wesley Place is about as close to Main Campus as you can get. The building offers a wide range of large one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans. Some floorplans include large balconies, if you are into outdoor living spaces. However, the Wesley apartments tend to be pricey, often at slightly higher prices than Vanderbilt’s rent.
Sophomore Bethel Derege lives with one roommate in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit in Wesley Place.
“I get my own room. I get my own bathroom. We have our own laundry, and we also have our own full kitchen so we can make whatever we want and a balcony,” Derege said. “It’s really hard to get those types of amenities at school on campus.”
The Wesley offers many amenities to its residents, such as a large parking garage, a variety of lounge areas and a rooftop terrace that has grills and an outdoor gaming space. The building is pet-friendly, and although it does not have its own gym, residents receive access to the Village at Vanderbilt gym and pool.
There are a variety of benefits to living off campus, as well as a variety of drawbacks. Different people have different housing needs, and there is no one perfect spot.
“You are a bit disconnected when it comes to school life, just because, even though I live across from Central [Library], I don’t really walk home with my friends at the end of a night,” Derege said.
As you prepare to choose an apartment, keep in mind your budget, location, amenities, and roommate preferences. Remember that splitting rent with roommates for a two-bedroom or larger apartment often works out cheaper than paying alone for a smaller unit. Additionally, be aware that in most buildings, residents pay a 12-month lease; paying for summer months when you are not on campus can raise yearly costs above Vanderbilt’s housing fees. There are so many different buildings in the area that you are bound to find a good match.
