State College, PA

[curlyq177]

Thinking about doing my masters at Penn State. I'm moving from NYC and am nervous there won't be much to do around me. I know parts of PA are super rural and I'm nervous I'll have difficulty entertaining myself for the next two years. What is it like??

[jmaginary]

Does anyone have suggestions for housing?  I'm looking for a 2BR house to rent.  I'm moving to town with my wife so we've had to rule out a good number of options because of the "rent-by-room" policy that some places have.

[Halek]

On 3/26/2019 at 2:52 PM, jmaginary said:

Does anyone have suggestions for housing?  I'm looking for a 2BR house to rent.  I'm moving to town with my wife so we've had to rule out a good number of options because of the "rent-by-room" policy that some places have.

Avoid the area directly south east of downtown, this is where the frat houses are so it's quite a bit louder. I live on Westerly Parkway and I've seen some houses for rent over in this area, but that could be the "by room" situation that you mentioned. Overall, the area by the high school is nice and quite. I walk in, another member of my cohort bikes in, and several take the bus. So depending on how you like to commute you can make anything work at this distance. 

[nimsaj95]

On 3/26/2019 at 2:52 PM, jmaginary said:

Does anyone have suggestions for housing?  I'm looking for a 2BR house to rent.  I'm moving to town with my wife so we've had to rule out a good number of options because of the "rent-by-room" policy that some places have.

You can also check out the Park Forest area. It's a nice residential area with some newer townhome complexes right by Best Buy, Walmart, Panera, etc. 

[politics 'n prose]

Resurrecting this thread for 2020 to see if anyone can offer some intel on State College and the surrounding area. I’m seriously considering an MA/PhD offer from the English program at Penn State, but one of my major concerns is finding housing that’s affordable on a stipend of about $22K over nine months (or about $25K over twelve months if I’m offered summer teaching). 

I’ll be moving with my partner and our large, dopey, lovable dog—so we’re hoping to rent a single-family home, townhouse, or duplex with some semblance of a yard. (We’ll also be a two-income household eventually, but are planning on my partner potentially being unemployed for the first few months if he can’t secure a job ahead of our move in August). It looks like we’ll be priced out of most of the rentals in State College, but Bellefonte seems promising. 

So, anyone have an experience living in Bellefonte and attending Penn State? I have a car, so I’m not worried about having to drive to campus...unless the parking situation is super terrible? Can anyone shed some light on that? (I did some research on PSU’s website but couldn’t determine if the school only issues as many parking permits as there are parking spaces, or if it will be a daily struggle to find a spot.) Also, what’s the public transportation like from Bellefonte to campus?

And are there any rental sites or companies I should know about (for good or bad)? I’ve mostly been using Craigslist and Trulia, which seem relatively representative of what available housing is out there, but would appreciate any other recommendations from those who are wiser than I.

(Oh, and the typical disclaimers about Penn State being rural AF need not apply to me: I grew up in a pretty rural part of eastern PA, so I’m familiar with the usual small-town pitfalls. I’m also butting up against 30, so I don’t mind a slower-paced lifestyle. That said, any additional insight on State College, Bellefonte, and/or Penn State itself is greatly appreciated!)

[Blain Waan]

Hi, I'm an international student planning to join the PhD program at Penn State this fall (fall, 2021). I wanted to know about a few things if any generous person can spend some time answering these:

1) What is the average cost of a one bedroom or studio apartment in State College?

2) Is on-campus living costlier than the off-campus living? 

3) I don't know how to drive yet. In case I cannot learn it soon, can I survive there on the public transport? Are the buses quite regular or they come at long intervals? 

4) If I want to know a typical break down of the monthly cost (excluding tuition, health insurance, other academic fees), how would that look like? I am thinking of renting a one-bedroom apartment or studio and having a car at some point. I also imagine eating outside a lot. I can't cook very well, trying to learn it!  

5) Is it possible to find an apartment with groceries and restaurants within the walking distance?      

[dataseis]

On 2/28/2021 at 10:26 PM, Blain Waan said:

Hi, I'm an international student planning to join the PhD program at Penn State this fall (fall, 2021). I wanted to know about a few things if any generous person can spend some time answering these:

1) What is the average cost of a one bedroom or studio apartment in State College?

2) Is on-campus living costlier than the off-campus living? 

3) I don't know how to drive yet. In case I cannot learn it soon, can I survive there on the public transport? Are the buses quite regular or they come at long intervals? 

4) If I want to know a typical break down of the monthly cost (excluding tuition, health insurance, other academic fees), how would that look like? I am thinking of renting a one-bedroom apartment or studio and having a car at some point. I also imagine eating outside a lot. I can't cook very well, trying to learn it!  

5) Is it possible to find an apartment with groceries and restaurants within the walking distance?      

 Been a while since I last visited this forum. Sure I can help you with these.

1) One bedroom varies anywhere from 750 - 1200, but I'd say 850 is common.

2) Idk. I never once thought about living on campus.

3) Yes, I don't have a car in my first year, and I survive by taking the bus. Buses are regular so no worries about that. However, weekend buses are reduced but I didn't find it to be a problem. I recommend getting a car tho, it really useful getting around here.

4) Say apartment is $850, other bills (phone, electricity) = $70, car insurance = $60, groceries + food = $500 - $700. 

5) yep, I lived at a apartment which is super close to a Walmart. 

[confessionsofaphysicsgeek]

Trying to resurrect this thread just to see… I am an incoming Physics PhD student. Is it even possible to get a 1 bedroom on a graduate stipend at Penn State these days? My 12 month funding is a whopping 30,400. Maybe I’m not looking in the right places, but rent seems insane. I’m considering just buying a home instead. 

[psuwannabe]

I'm reaching out to get some insights on the housing scene in State College. I've recently been accepted as a grad student, so I'm a bit late to the housing hunt and finding that some options are already taken. If anyone could lend a hand, I'd be incredibly grateful.

 

My husband, dog, and I are on the lookout for a one-bedroom apartment in the $1000-1300 range, all-inclusive. I've come across the White Course Grad Family Apartments housing at the university, priced at $1250 with everything included, plus furniture. However, I haven't found much discussion about it and the furnitures look quite bad(?). Toftrees seems like a popular choice, but it's a bit out of my budget at $1400, and Nairo Village is already sold out. I did find Aspen College at $1039, but I'm unsure about the additional costs for utilities (eletric and water). If anyone has insight on that, it would be incredibly helpful, how much a month I'm I looking at? Additionally, I've heard mixed opinions about Aspen College's location, situated by a highway with a hill to climb to reach the apartments. However, they offer a range of amenities like a pool and games, and they're pet-friendly, which is a big plus for us.

 

While we're okay with living among undergrads and in a student-oriented complex (we're quite young ourselves), I'm uncertain if our stipend will cover the costs of a car initially (probably no). So, proximity to the university or a bus route is essential for us. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!