University of St. Thomas is in Montrose, which means off-campus housing options are legitimately close — not “college-town close” where close means a 20-minute bus ride, but actually walkable. UNITi Montrose at 701 Richmond Avenue is 0.5 miles from campus, a 3-minute drive or about a 10-minute walk. For UST students figuring out where to live after freshman year, that proximity combined with a by-the-bedroom lease structure makes it one of the most practical options in the area.
What 0.5 Miles Actually Means Day to Day
Half a mile sounds close on paper. In practice it means you can leave your apartment 12 minutes before an 8am class and still have time to stop somewhere. It means forgetting your laptop isn’t a catastrophe. It means you’re not budgeting time and gas money for a commute every single day.
For UST students with part-time jobs on or near campus, the walk home at night is short enough that it doesn’t feel like a deterrent to picking up extra shifts. That matters when you’re managing a budget built on financial aid, family support, and whatever hours you can get.
By-the-Bedroom Leasing: How It Changes the Roommate Situation
The standard problem with off-campus apartments for college students: you find a unit you like, but you’re all on the same lease, which means one person’s financial instability or mid-year transfer becomes everyone’s problem.
At UNITi Montrose, 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom units are leased by the bedroom. Your lease is yours. If someone in the unit leaves, that’s between them and the property — not something you’re responsible for covering. For students who’ve watched friends get burned by joint leases, this is the detail that changes the risk calculation.
Every bedroom also has its own private bathroom, which sounds like a luxury until you’ve actually shared a bathroom with three other people during finals week.
If you don’t already have roommates lined up, the property does roommate matching, which takes some of the pressure off finding people through GroupMe or the UST Class Facebook page.
Spaces for Studying Outside Your Room
One thing that separates UNITi Montrose from a standard apartment complex is the volume of non-unit space built for studying and working. There are meeting rooms on every floor — not one shared conference room in the lobby, but multiple rooms spread throughout the building. There’s a coworking space, a business center, and a podcast studio for anyone doing research, content, or media-related coursework.
For pre-med students especially, having quiet spaces to spread out for MCAT prep or study groups without leaving the building is a legitimate advantage over a one-bedroom or a standard dorm setup.
The craft room is useful for design, art, or any coursework that requires table space and supplies you don’t want to store in your bedroom.
The Neighborhood Around UST
Montrose is what you get when you pick a neighborhood that developed around residents who actually wanted to be there rather than one that developed around a parking lot. Richmond Avenue and the surrounding streets have restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and independent retail within a short walk or drive of campus.
For everyday meals and coffee: The Doshi House is 1.7 miles out and consistently good for a sit-down session with a laptop. Barnaby’s Cafe (1.6 miles) is reliable, inexpensive enough for regular visits, and open long hours. The Breakfast Klub (1 mile) has the kind of reputation that means people drive across Houston for it — the fact that it’s a mile from your front door is worth noting.
For nights when you’re not studying: 13 Celsius is 1.2 miles away, a wine bar with a relaxed atmosphere that works well for a low-key evening. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck (2.4 miles) does live music regularly and has been a Montrose institution long enough that it shows up on lists that predate Yelp.
If you need books or a physical study resource, Barnes & Noble is 2.5 miles out. Not the cheapest option for textbooks, but useful for supplementary reading.
Getting to Rice and UH from the Same Address
One advantage of being in Montrose specifically: if you have friends at Rice or you’re taking cross-registration courses, Rice University is 2.1 miles away, about 8-9 minutes by car. University of Houston is 5.6 miles, about 13 minutes.
That matters for students whose academic lives touch more than one campus — research collaborations, elective courses, or just social connections across schools.
Other Amenities Worth Knowing
Beyond the study-focused spaces: pool, rooftop deck, fitness center, yoga studio, theater room, BBQ grills, and a dog park. In-unit washer and dryer means no laundry room scheduling. Garage and covered parking with EV charging. Gated access and controlled entry throughout the building.
Bike storage is on-site, and with UST being a 10-minute walk, biking is a real option for warmer months rather than just a theoretical one.
Current Specials on 3 and 4-Bedroom Units
Right now, 3×3 and 4×4 floorplans come with half a month free on a 12-month lease. Split across three or four people, that reduces the first month’s cost by a meaningful amount at exactly the point in the semester when setup expenses stack up.
If you’re a UST student looking at off-campus options for next year, UNITi Montrose is worth touring before you commit. Reach out to the leasing team directly to check what’s available — unit mix and pricing shift throughout the semester, and availability at 0.5 miles from campus moves faster than listings further out.
