Bay City, MI 45 Apartments for Rent

I always dream about a unified scene / I always dream about a unified scene / There's James King and King James and James Dean / At a table in the corner of my unified scene." (-- The Hold Steady, "Sweet Payne")

Payne Avenue, located in Bay City, Michigan, speaks about a unified scene in this small town. Near the base of the Saginaw Bay, Bay City forms the Tri-Cities region, with Midland and Saginaw. Geographically divided by the Saginaw River, this picturesque city is steeped in history. A famous port, Bay City was once called the lumber capital of the world. Timber! And this riverfront suburb has experimented with it all -- from ship-building to manufacturing and agriculture. With a spectacular waterside community bursting with riverside walkways and parks, you won't run out of things to do in Bay City.

A Guide to Renting in Bay City

You will most likely not have to spend endless hours house hunting in Bay City to land the rental property of your choosing. The average vacancy rate in Bay City is 11 percent, and the city streets are chock-full of rental houses of various types, right from single-family homes to row houses and high-rise apartments.

Before you start your search for apartments in Bay City, make sure that you have all the necessary documentation. Most landlords will ask for your social security number to look into your financial history. Also be prepared to fill out a background check, wherein you will need to submit your bank account information, possibly the addresses of your previous residences, and personal and professional references. Hopefully, not your mother or twin brother.

Check to see that all of the utilities you will need once you rent a studio apartment are in place prior to signing the lease and moving in. If you have a car, you will also need a parking spot. Many apartments do not have specific parking spots for residents, so make sure to look that over before you commit. Otherwise, maybe ditch the car for a skateboard.

Once you sign the contract, you will have to pay the security deposit as well as one or two months' rent. So be prepared to do without the fancy wine for the next couple of months.

Neighborhoods in Bay City

Bay City is home to stately mansions that were built in the 1800s by rich lumber barons. Yes, they existed. Whatever those were exactly. These mansions blend into the city landscape with equal ease as the newer high-rise apartments and give this city its unique old-world-meets-new-world charm.

Saginaw Valley/Glen Eagle Drive: Most of the residences in Saginaw Valley were built between 1970 and 1999. However, if you like your architecture fresh and modern, there are a number of newer residences. Saginaw Valley is a peaceful suburb that has a range of housing options to suit every taste and wallet capacity. Also, don't be surprised if you find a friendly brewery at every other street corner. If you're into that sort of thing.

City Center: The neighborhood of City Center has an average vacancy rate of 15.7 percent, which is way above the national average. So finding a rental apartment of your choosing will not be a problem. Just close your eyes and point--there, that's probably vacant. A high proportion of the homes here are relatively old, having been built before the 1940s, so once you've decided on a rental property, make sure to check out the rental from the inside out! Just in case there's any leftover buried treasures.

Killarney Beach/Lagoon Beach: This neighborhood has been rated among the top 10 percent of college-friendly neighborhoods in Michigan. Sweet. Killarney Beach has proximity to several colleges as well as a welcoming beach make it a popular community for students despite the high rental costs. With a very short commute to work and high walkability, there's nothing stopping you from strutting your stuff along the suburban Killarney Beach streets.

Living in Bay City

Bay City is famous for the numerous festivals that are celebrated with pomp during the summer months. Popular with the locals of the city, most of these events take place along the banks of the Saginaw River, often in the Veterans Memorial Park or in Wenonah Park. The River Roar Boat Race and the Fireworks Festival, along with the Labadie Pig Gig Rib roast--oink, oink--and the River of Time living history reenactment, are the most famed among these. The people of Bay City belong to a number of different ethnicities and celebrate their heritage with great vigor. This is a city that exudes a feel of big city life with the friendly feel of a small town.Indeed living here introduces you to a non-stop cultural extravaganza -- something definitely not to be missed!