Princeton, NJ

[samaasl]

On 4/3/2019 at 10:11 AM, PaoloC said:

Glad to see you're leaning Princeton/WWS

I'd love to hear from anyone familiar with Princeton how pet-friendly it is? I'll be bringing my two dogs along, so trying to get a sense of what that would look like.

Hey there! I will move to Princeton for my PhD and planning to bring my dog. I am worried that I will not get pet-friendly graduate housing which would be amazing. As I am in Europe, I cannot visit other housing options... do you already know where you will be staying?

[PaoloC]

On 5/4/2019 at 7:35 PM, samaasl said:

Hey there! I will move to Princeton for my PhD and planning to bring my dog. I am worried that I will not get pet-friendly graduate housing which would be amazing. As I am in Europe, I cannot visit other housing options... do you already know where you will be staying?

I'm in EXACTLY your same situation, and panicking mildly about what I'd have to do if pet-friendly graduate housing wasn't available! I started scouting around for accommodation elsewhere as a backup, but it's really hard as an international student.

[samaasl]

3 hours ago, PaoloC said:

I'm in EXACTLY your same situation, and panicking mildly about what I'd have to do if pet-friendly graduate housing wasn't available! I started scouting around for accommodation elsewhere as a backup, but it's really hard as an international student.

I didn't realize you were an international student as well.

I am panicking, too. In addition, if I do get graduate housing, I would have to move in the same day when I arrive. How does that work without furniture and a dog who has just travelled 8+ hours? And I will need a check for the deposit, so I will have to pass by the bank to open an account first? I am making myself half crazy about it.

I have started checking in Trenton, simply because Princeton is very expensive and a lot of the options with roommates do not accommodate dogs, but so far no answer. I can just pray and hope that I will get the pet-friendly option. If I don't, I think I will try to move earlier without the dog and find a solution on the ground before getting her, but that will be very expensive. Oh man. When you thought the hard process was over

EDIT: maybe we should stay in contact and meet up with our dogs

Edited May 6, 2019 by samaasl

[HardyBoy]

Has anyone gotten a result on graduate housing yet? The incoming students page says "Housing offers are being issued on a rolling basis over the next few weeks to all on time applicants." The wait is driving me bonkers.

[muchstress]

On 11/18/2016 at 5:10 PM, Bleep_Bloop said:

Sorry, I should have mentioned my field above. I'm in the humanities, in a language department. I've taken classes listed in various language departments, comp lit, english, history, art history, etc. The period I study (20th and 21st century) might also be relevant.

Living in Princeton is not great, nor is it awful. I have mixed feelings. Princeton is a phenomenal place to work. Firestone (which I'm assuming you'll have at least limited if not full access to) has absolutely amazing collections and will get you whatever you need. Princeton is quiet and cute and there aren't many distractions. This makes my time here EXTREMELY productive.

At the same time, Princeton gets stressful and lonely and tiresome. It's the price you pay, I suppose. There isn't much to do in town, there's no community outside your home department, the food is pretty bad, everything is expensive (think NYC prices without any of the fun or excitement of the city). Also, don't underestimate how awful of a state New Jersey is.

That said, I don't necessarily regret coming here to study. It can be a cozy place, though difficult to get to know people or find things to do besides studying. It's what we're here to do, after all, but you really do feel like you're living a monastic life as a graduate student here. I'm leaving Princeton at the end of this semester for Philly or NYC because I'll finally be done with my coursework and teaching. I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, though I can't say I don't have a few fond memories of the place. Do you have specific concerns?

As a current PhD student here I think this is a really good description of what grad life is like here. It works out nicely for me because I am kind of a homebody anyway and am pretty used to NJ from having lived here for many years prior to studying at Princeton. But I can see how this is really boring for people who enjoy a bit of night life and going out to eat. There aren't many bars, and all the food accessible near-ish to campus is too expensive for me to want to go to on my stipend. And this is even taking into consideration the relatively generous stipend we get here. At least there's the Wawa which is nice because it's open 24 hours and has reasonably priced food/snacks, so I do appreciate that.

People often tell me you don't *need* a car to live here, but personally I would feel very trapped without one. NJ is not the easiest place to get around without a car. I've spent time on campuses where you can get by pretty much fine with just the public transit system, a bike, and just walking around, but I would not personally consider Princeton to be one of those places. The bus system is actually pretty nice around campus, and there is a shuttle available for late-night transportation, but if you ever want to leave the university then you'd have to look beyond the complementary TigerTransit (to my knowledge, at least). PhD is soul-crushing enough as it is, so I would recommend a car to anyone who feels that it help them feel even just a bit more like a real human.

All that said, I really do overall enjoy studying here. My home department is really nice and the office/lab/study spaces avilable are really pleasant. There are tons of opportunities for seminars from really influential invited speakers, an absurd abundance of free food pretty much daily around campus if you know where to look, and the campus is beautiful to walk around. The proximity of the train station is definitely convenient for people who need to travel frequently. So the work day is generally an enjoyable experience - at least as far as the roller coaster of PhD life can be enjoyable.

[muchstress]

I'm wondering if anyone on this website has some insight on off-campus housing for someone who is trying to not live without roommates?

Specifically, are there any nearby towns/neighborhoods that I should avoid or that graduate students tend to gravitate towards? I've heard many live in Plainsboro, but I'm seeing a lot of options in towns as far as 15 minute drives away like Pennington and Hamilton.

Also, when is the best time to start looking for off-campus housing in Princeton? I've found some decent options price-wise nearby but I have heard that housing goes quickly here.

[eprenrem]

How nice is graduate housing here? It seems like the only reasonable place to live with a grad student stipend. Does it have a dorm feel or an apartment feel? Is it the option that most graduate students choose?

[Vivasmm]

Can anyone help me about renting an apartment? How much will it cost?