New on-campus housing complex “The Strand” opens to students for fall semester 

As record numbers of students enroll at Pitt, the University has been forced to get creative when it comes to offering both traditional and apartment-style housing options to its students. 

The University converted former apartment and retail space into The Strand, a 20-unit apartment-style complex on Forbes Avenue available to upperclass students who are guaranteed housing, to accommodate Pitt’s growing student body. 

The Strand is located at 3609 Forbes Avenue above the Supercuts hair salon and houses sixty upperclass students in 3-bedroom apartments on floors 3 through 5, with the first two floors being used as retail and office space. 

The apartments feature many built-in amenities, including a fully-equipped kitchen with a refrigerator, stove, microwave, and dishwasher, as well as WiFi and cable access, heat and air conditioning, a dining table and chairs, a sofa, twin beds and wardrobes. Laundry facilities are located within the building, and the complex is just a short walk to the heart of campus. 

Fia Manalo Kwaterski, a sophomore psychology major, decided to live at The Strand after losing her suite-style housing bid back in the spring. She said her top priority when looking for housing was a unit with a kitchen.

“While I was looking through the general housing options, I saw one that said [it had] three bedrooms with a kitchen,” Kwaterski said. “I visited the building, and it was in a great location right on Forbes, so I decided to choose a room. Surprisingly to me, there were a lot of spaces open.”

Although the University now offers The Strand as student housing, the building was not always used for this purpose. University spokesperson Jared Stonesifer said the building has had many different functions after its construction in 1898, most notably as the former Forbes IGA market and Club Laga, a popular nightclub for Oakland residents.

“According to an internet search, it was once a Turkish Bath House and Swimming Pool, and articles also reference it as the Oakland Natatorium building,” Stonesifer said. “In 1922, the Strand Theatre opened and was operated by the Rowland and Clark Theaters chain.” 

Stonesifer said most recently the apartments and retail space within The Strand were “privately owned and operated” before being converted to student housing.

“The University approved the acquisition of the building at the April 2022 Property and Facilities Committee meeting,” Stonesifer said. “The University honored the tenants’ leases during the 2023-2024 academic year and transitioned it to be student housing for the 2024-2025 academic year.”

Isabell, a sophomore nursing major who asked not to use her last name for privacy, said she received an email from Panther Central offering additional housing options after she got a high bid number during the housing lottery process.

“[We], like a lot of other returning sophomores, received an email from Panther Central offering new housing to those who didn’t get a good bid number,” Isabell said. “We could put our number towards The Strand or Bridge on Forbes. We hit The Strand, as we were excited for new housing, [and] we fortunately got it with our bid number. We were very lucky.”

Kwaterski said she would recommend living in The Strand due to its spacious rooms, kitchen space, and close proximity to campus. 

“There is no more gross blue carpet that I had in Holland Hall, [but] smooth wooden floors,” Kwaterski said. “The kitchen and living room area is huge. Like, it’s scary big. It has super high ceilings, probably 20 feet, but I don’t know if it’s just because my apartment is on the highest floor.”

Isabella Ricciardi, a sophomore finance major, was also among the students offered alternative housing after losing the suite-style bid in the spring.

“I was pretty upset, since my lottery number was pretty low so the chances of getting housing with my roommate in the general lottery were low,” Ricciardi said. “My roommate and I had to apply separately for The Strand lottery. Although I wasn’t very familiar with the new housing option, I thought it was worth a shot given our very limited options.” 

Stonesifer said growing student enrollment numbers, coupled with an already large pool of upperclassmen students in need of housing, influenced the decision to convert The Strand to on-campus housing. 

“There is a constant and increased need for additional on-campus housing, and the acquisition of The Strand gave us additional capacity,” Stonesifer said. “Within our 25 locations in both residence halls and apartment-style housing units, we provide housing for approximately 8,500 Pitt students for the 2024-2025 academic year. In addition, Pitt guarantees on-campus housing for three years for students who meet the deadlines, which also adds to the increased need for reliable and safe housing.”

Ricciardi said while she is content with her choice to live at The Strand, it is more costly than many other campus housing options.

“I love it here, but I’d say a con is that it’s one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, on-campus housing [option],” Ricciardi said. 

The current rate per term to live at The Strand is $5,545, making it the second-most expensive apartment-style housing option after The Bridge on Forbes, which costs between $5,840 and $6,075 per term. Students who choose to live at either The Strand or Bridge on Forbes agree to a 3-term housing commitment that requires them to retain their housing for the fall 2024 semester and both the spring and summer 2025 semesters. 

Ricciardi said The Strand is a good housing option for students who want more autonomy than dorm life offers while still having the cushion of living in university-owned housing. 

“I would definitely recommend The Strand if you’re looking for the freedom of having your own place with friends, but without the full responsibilities that come with living in a house,” Ricciardi said.

Kwaterski said while she enjoys living at The Strand, the recent heat made for difficult living conditions, with the thermometer in her kitchen reading 87 degrees. However, she said will be receiving box air conditioning units soon.

“The biggest con is that the central air is not working at the moment,” Kwaterski said. “For next year’s students, this should not be a factor in whether or not they want to live there, but it is just annoying that this brand new building’s central air is broken.” 

Isabell said while she is concerned about limited and missing appliances on her floor, living at The Strand has been “an amazing experience” so far due to the convenient layout of the apartment.

“A couple things were missing, like a dishwasher, which it stated on the website we were expected to get,” Isabell said. “Something that may become an issue is only having one washer and dryer per floor, but other than that, the pros are amazing. [It was] just what we needed when [looking] for a place this year.”