I stayed in a 1 bedroom 1 bathroom for 6 months as a graduate student. I've lived at other IU…read moreon-campus housing before they were demolished (BBHN, and Redbud Hills). Here is my review of 3rd & Union:
Pros - Very clean, air-conditioned lobby and hallways. The staff is super nice and accommodating. Great natural lighting in the apartments. Very close to campus buildings within walking distance. This complex is about 10 or so years old, so compared to other on-campus options, these are nicer.
Cons - More expensive than other options on campus. These are nice apartments, but there is a sterile, office-y feel to them that I don't like--not the most "homey". In other words, it's like a glorified dorm that is overpriced. The kitchen is nice, but obviously designed for economic use, making it hard to fit pots/pans in very small cabinets; kitchen drawers are also a tight squeeze; carpets are like what you would find in an office; if a storm messes with the water pressure plant, it can disable the central AC. These apartments have non-operable windows (which is highly questionable in and of itself), so if the AC does not work after bad weather hits town, the temperatures get unbearable. There are also AC/heater temperature range limitations put in place by housing, so you do not have the ability to turn it off. There is also no bathtub--just a small shower. The design of the bathroom is HUGE but it is mostly wasted space. Obtaining the correct parking pass (CH spaces) is a royal pain--try to get on the waitlist ASAP for proper parking because everyone in student housing tries to get these passes, but you have to wait your turn and it could be weeks or even months. Even once you finally do obtain a parking pass to park around here, parking during the academic year is also a royal pain because there are limited spaces available (there are CH 1 and CH 2 spaces around, and I was only able to obtain CH 2 to which there are very limited spaces around). Summer parking is fine, however. If I were staying in Bloomington, I would find another place to live with a larger kitchen, a full bathroom, full control over AC/heat, windows that actually open, and an overall a cozier space--for cheaper. Although the cheaper on-campus housing that I used to live in were much older, the space that those apartments offered were actually livable.