lovescornell

To the poster above--I pay 178 a month for heating...I live in a 1250 square foot duplex, to give you a basic idea of what that price covers. Now, that price is based on a thing NYSEG does where they let you pay the same amount every month, no matter what actual heating costs amount to, so that there is some stability in your bill amount each month. At the end of the year, they supposedly (and I haven't been here quite a year yet) do the math and either pay you back for the amount you went over, or have you pay the difference. It seems that 178 is a bit high for our gas/electric usage, and so we will probably be getting money back in a few months because we can turn off the heat permanently soon. Electricity is usually 25-30 a month, if that. Our dryer, stove, hot water, and heat is powered by gas, which is why the price is so high. Because of the free (and mandatory) recycling program, my trash is really cheap (only put it out once every two or three weeks) and my water bill is about 60 dollars every three months (I do laundry at home). All-in-all, utilities were a bit higher than I expected (our landlord said it would be about 200 a month altogether) but it's worth it to have such a big place. One more bit of useful info---I pretty much walk most places or take the bus, so the amount I thought I would be paying for gas (I'm from a busy metroplex originally where every destination is at least 20 minutes away) has been drastically reduced to about 28 bucks every 2 or 3 months. Hope that helps!

So, I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned it yet, but South Hill is a lovely area to live and houses many grad students who like the quieter atmosphere! I rent a duplex here in a beautiful old home, and LOVE having the creek to one side, and one of the hiking trails behind me. I am a 1 minute walk to the Commons (great restaurants) and a mile and a half from the Arts Quad on campus. I walk most days, but catch the bus on the Commons during inclement weather (free rides for the first year, cheaper than getting a parking permit on campus after that). The bus arrives every ten minutes, which is excellent!!!! Consider this area if you're looking for the best of both worlds (nature/culture)--the walk to campus (20 minutes) is a great workout, and if you're like most grad students who are constantly holed up inside, working on various projects, you'll appreciate the time outdoors and the exercise. Around here there is street parking for the most part, but finding a spot has never been an issue for me--I only use my car for Wegman's runs (grocery store) for the most part. Only a mile down the way is a waterfall and a wild flower preserve that is just gorgeous.