State College, PA

[rhombusbombus]

Looking for places without knowing if I'll be able to see them is so nerve-wracking.

I also think I'm looking too early? Stuff's only available either in April or August.

 

 

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[hippyscientist]

Hi guys! I'll be coming to State College in the fall (it's gunna be a while before the novelty I can say that wears off). Starting to look at housing now, I'd be keen to go into a 2-bed with someone for a number of reasons. Is there any dedicated website Penn State has to hook you up with roommates? Unfortunately I'm not going to be able to get to PSU until August so it's going to be a long-distance hunt. Any updated places to absolutely stay away from? I'm not opposed to a few undergrads but really not up for loud parties every night - I like my sleep. 

Any info would be great! I've contacted my department too, but I'd really like to live with someone outside of that.

[hippyscientist]

Just a quick one - any one seen the Lions Gate apartments? I've been recommended to live there by a student in the department, just wondered if anyone else had seen them/lived there too.

[Serguzzle]

I've almost exclusively heard horror stories about Lion's Gate. In fact, I've hear almost exclusively horror stories about literally every single place I've looked into, save Toftrees, which I am not as interested in as I'd like because I don't care for golf or woodsy places. Vairo seemed good, but then I looked closer and was kind of scared at what I saw, especially with people noting that lenders lowballed them on predicted heating/etc. costs, and I was told heating estimates under 50% of what I thought the average for the area was. Nittany Gardens I didn't have a good phone call with. I really liked University Terrace so far, and Fair Mount Apts. seems to have good locations.

What are thoughts on good 1br places? I've got a little cash to play with, but I'd prefer to stay under 1200/mo including heat/power, and I love the idea of having a fitness center and tennis courts.

[hippyscientist]

14 minutes ago, Serguzzle said:

I've almost exclusively heard horror stories about Lion's Gate. In fact, I've hear almost exclusively horror stories about literally every single place I've looked into, save Toftrees, which I am not as interested in as I'd like because I don't care for golf or woodsy places. Vairo seemed good, but then I looked closer and was kind of scared at what I saw, especially with people noting that lenders lowballed them on predicted heating/etc. costs, and I was told heating estimates under 50% of what I thought the average for the area was. Nittany Gardens I didn't have a good phone call with. I really liked University Terrace so far, and Fair Mount Apts. seems to have good locations.

What are thoughts on good 1br places? I've got a little cash to play with, but I'd prefer to stay under 1200/mo including heat/power, and I love the idea of having a fitness center and tennis courts.

If I could have afforded it, Briarwood looked awesome. IIRC it's within what you're talking about for budget. 

Ended up having a chat with a current student in my dept. about Lion's Gate who said it was reasonable, so that's okay by me. Seems to tick most of my boxes - as long as it's not a flea-infested place swarming with undergrads and will be warm in winter I'm cool. Don't really care about size or hearing things through the walls (although that would be nice eventually not to deal with). It seems like everyone bad mouths places in State College. I can't figure out whether the realtors are really scummy or it's just irate undergrads not understanding the adult world. 

[jlt646]

 

2 hours ago, Serguzzle said:

I've almost exclusively heard horror stories about Lion's Gate. In fact, I've hear almost exclusively horror stories about literally every single place I've looked into, save Toftrees, which I am not as interested in as I'd like because I don't care for golf or woodsy places. Vairo seemed good, but then I looked closer and was kind of scared at what I saw, especially with people noting that lenders lowballed them on predicted heating/etc. costs, and I was told heating estimates under 50% of what I thought the average for the area was. Nittany Gardens I didn't have a good phone call with. I really liked University Terrace so far, and Fair Mount Apts. seems to have good locations.

What are thoughts on good 1br places? I've got a little cash to play with, but I'd prefer to stay under 1200/mo including heat/power, and I love the idea of having a fitness center and tennis courts.

When I visited, I wandered around downtown and got a feel for some of the smaller realtors/properties that don't get as much hype online. Fairmount East is a small, family-owned management company, and their townhouses are SO CUTE. Walking distance from campus. They don't allow pets, though, so they were out for me. Continental also had some really nice spaces. I was looking for 1BR apartments mostly, and then started looking for roommates. Found a house with a person who is awesome, outside of the State College big realtor game!  Thanks, craigslist.

[asurachm]

Hi guys,

I am an incoming grad student in Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State. My classmate and I are renting a three-bedroom duplex located at 1117 South Atherton Street. We are looking for the third roommate to rent the third room (should be male). The monthly rent for the house is $450 before utilities (utilities around $50-$70/ month/ person).

We'll be spending most of our time doing school works and we are fine in terms of neatness. My friend will bring a 20 pounds friendly female dog, an Italian greyhound. If you would like to bring a pet, you have to pay an additional non-refundable deposit ($250) and monthly pet fee ($20).

Please send me a message if you're interested or would like to know more about the place. Thanks.... 

[Cat_Robutt]

Hope you all have been able to find places to live and that things are going well for you all! AETNA's dental plan for graduate assistant/fellows is now live (you can find your ID number under Lionpath: Demographics); the medical plan for non-graduate assistant/fellow graduate students is also available; the medical plan for GAs is heavily subsidized, so once we get closer to the semester starting, hopefully we'll receive updates. 

Also, if you've been having any difficulty registering for your courses in Lionpath, let me know! It's a new system used by PSU and it's a bit buggy, but I made a tiny tutorial for a few other students in my cohort.

[jlt646]

Hey PSU folks. Now that we're all getting a little closer to the move to SC, I want to throw this out there. I am a member of a Dinner Party in Philly for young folks who have experienced significant loss, and I'm already feeling feelings about leaving the monthly ritual behind. I've found that nothing else has been quite as helpful for moving through grief as getting together with a group of likeminded folks, with food and wine. If there's enough demand for something like this in the area, I'm looking to start a new table. Find out more here (http://thedinnerparty.org/), and message me if you're interested (or if you know someone who might be, pass it on!).

[scarvesandcardigans]

Hi everyone! I will be visiting Penn State later this month, and I will have some free time before/after the official program itinerary. Does anyone have any recommendations for places that I should definitely check out? I am a fan of local favorite restaurants, cafés, bookstores, local biz, the like.

Also, if anyone has any tips about housing, I would love to hear them. Thanks! 

[phdcalling]

23 hours ago, scarvesandcardigans said:

Hi everyone! I will be visiting Penn State later this month, and I will have some free time before/after the official program itinerary. Does anyone have any recommendations for places that I should definitely check out? I am a fan of local favorite restaurants, cafés, bookstores, local biz, the like.

Also, if anyone has any tips about housing, I would love to hear them. Thanks! 

If you are into burgers...Baby's has the Kraz-E burger, which is a bacon cheeseburger with a doughnut as a bun aka it's amazing and incredibly bad for you...a lot of people go to the Corner Room because it's historic. If you are there for breakfast go to the Waffle Shop...the food is delicious! A cool cafe/bookstore would be Webster's. They sell used books and records and has a kind of hipster type of vibe. 

[Worktime Calzone]

Hey, Sociology program at PSU looks like where I'll be going. That said, I'm a trans girl who will be starting hormones in May. You said PSU is to the right of most Universities... would going to PSU be concerning for me? 

[hippyscientist]

On 2/16/2017 at 10:49 PM, scarvesandcardigans said:

Hi everyone! I will be visiting Penn State later this month, and I will have some free time before/after the official program itinerary. Does anyone have any recommendations for places that I should definitely check out? I am a fan of local favorite restaurants, cafés, bookstores, local biz, the like.

Also, if anyone has any tips about housing, I would love to hear them. Thanks! 

From my experience grad students live either to the north of campus (Toftrees/Vairo Blvd) or to the south-west (near the Weis on Waupelani), or out of town in Bellefonte (altho I would leave this for another year than your first). As for places to check out - if you like coffee, try Rothrock (out of town slightly) or Saints. I second Websters, I love that place! There is a great new taco/burrito stand that's a little hidden on McAllister Alley which I'd suggest checking out too. Bars and bar food seem to be my groups scene, and we often go Local Whiskey, Zenos, Pickles and Chums (the LGTB bar). There's pretty decent food all over. For breakfast, I actually wouldn't recommend Waffle Shop which is a crime in State College! If you have time and money, Sunday brunch at the Nittany Lion Inn is the best french toast I've had. Out of town, slightly, Otto's is good pub grub and if you want to fancy it up Happy Valley Brewing Co is amazing foodwise. 

[jlt646]

On 2/18/2017 at 1:07 AM, Worktime Calzone said:

Hey, Sociology program at PSU looks like where I'll be going. That said, I'm a trans girl who will be starting hormones in May. You said PSU is to the right of most Universities... would going to PSU be concerning for me? 

Hey! The soc department seems to be a little to the left compared to lots of other parts of the university and the rest of the town. My gal and I (both cis but super "queer looking," whatever that means) have had an okay time here- there are pockets of awful, but I don't hang with undergrads, I don't go to the bars (because they're full of undergrads), and I stay away from meetings of the Campus Republicans. The student health center is decent re: queer competency, and I have heard okay things about a few of the docs and their knowledge of hormones. Our insurance is good.

I get more judgy looks from people for being heavily tattooed than for being a gay lady. It's a weird place. I'm happy to answer more specific questions if you have them- message me. (:

Edit: @scarvesandcardigans Heck yeah to Webster's. Chumley's has Jeopardy every night, and it's usually fairly empty that early in the evening, which is nice. The bartenders are great. Also check out Uncle Eli's, cute art store that has a great stationery section. If you are outdoorsy, head to Millcreek Marsh. It's my fave place in town. Chronic Town has a great music selection, and a fun monthly drag show. I second @hippyscientist- avoid the Waffle Shop. I just don't get it. For a further discussion on that point, see this hilarious reddit thread that I started (it seems that grad students are largely united on this point, unless they also did undergrad here): 

 

Edited February 20, 2017 by jlt646

[hippyscientist]

@jlt646 we must have been in chums at some point together - I'm always in there! Be great to meet up at some point this semester I'd second the weird place vibe, I like it but I do think some of that's because I outwardly don't look "different". Enjoy your visits!

[necspenecmetu]

@twocosmicfish I am an international PhD student and will visit State College in mid-March. Thank you for the info. Can I ask a few more questions? What's the whether like in mid-March? And, what do you think is the best way to get to State College from New York?

[hippyscientist]

28 minutes ago, necspenecmetu said:

@twocosmicfish I am an international PhD student and will visit State College in mid-March. Thank you for the info. Can I ask a few more questions? What's the whether like in mid-March? And, what do you think is the best way to get to State College from New York?

NYC to State College - easiest/fastest way is to rent a car and drive. That's what I did when I visited - you can get a parking permit on campus for $8. There are also buses like Megabus that will do that trip for relatively cheap. Don't bother with the train because there's not a station close. 

Weather could be all kinds of crazy - it looks to be high 30s, low 40s and either rain or snow or cloud for most of March (http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/state-college-pa/16801/march-weather/335315?monyr=3/1/2017) so bring warm things and wet-weather things. 

[phdcalling]

On 2/18/2017 at 1:07 AM, Worktime Calzone said:

Hey, Sociology program at PSU looks like where I'll be going. That said, I'm a trans girl who will be starting hormones in May. You said PSU is to the right of most Universities... would going to PSU be concerning for me? 

 

I graduated from Penn State in 2015. From what I have experienced, PSU is more open and accepting. It should not be a problem at all. With that being said anywhere you go guys are jerks by guys...specifically fraternity guys can be jerks. This is from my own experience. I am saying this as a sorority girl. For the most part, you should be fine. No one actually cares about anything other than you repping that Blue and White. As long as you don't wear Michigan or Ohio State stuff on campus...you're golden.

[BelAir4]

I will be starting at PSU in the fall, but am trying to search for pet-friendly one-bedroom apartments remotely. Has anyone heard positive or negative things about Park Forest Villas or Park Forest Apartments? Thanks!

[hippyscientist]

14 minutes ago, BelAir4 said:

I will be starting at PSU in the fall, but am trying to search for pet-friendly one-bedroom apartments remotely. Has anyone heard positive or negative things about Park Forest Villas or Park Forest Apartments? Thanks!

Not sure about either of those and don't have friends who live there but I know lions gate apts are pet friendly and relatively reasonable, and within walking distance of campus (~2 miles).  I hear good things about Toftrees and Briarwood, although both are more pricey, Vairo Village seems to be pretty decent according to friends who live there.

[BelAir4]

5 minutes ago, hippyscientist said:

Not sure about either of those and don't have friends who live there but I know lions gate apts are pet friendly and relatively reasonable, and within walking distance of campus (~2 miles).  I hear good things about Toftrees and Briarwood, although both are more pricey, Vairo Village seems to be pretty decent according to friends who live there.

Thanks! Yeah Toftrees and Briarwood both appear to be way out of my budget, and I've seen exclusively mixed reviews on everywhere else. Any idea of whether north or south or campus is generally preferable?

[hippyscientist]

1 minute ago, BelAir4 said:

Thanks! Yeah Toftrees and Briarwood both appear to be way out of my budget, and I've seen exclusively mixed reviews on everywhere else. Any idea of whether north or south or campus is generally preferable?

Either or in my experience. Generally grad students live outside of downtown which everywhere mentioned so far is, but there doesn't seem to be a monopoly on north or south. the buses CATA run relatively well but can get hugely busy, or parking passes are available so it's not the end of the world not living in walking distance, but it is nice to have a cheap way back from a night out! I'm more familiar with south campus, and as it turns out all my department live in about a 1 mile radius (including faculty). Might e worth reaching out to some grad students in your department to find out where people live. Also, check out craigslist, there's normally some decent finds on there around here, and when I was remote searching from the UK my departments grad students offered to go check places out for me to make sure they weren't scams. Might be worth investigating. 

[ThePursuit]

I will be attending Penn State's BMMB program in the Fall and I found a 1 bedroom apartment for $1,025/month about seven blocks from campus. I would get searching immediately as I was told that rooms go very quickly after spring break. The further from campus you go the cheaper and admittedly nicer the locales tend to get, but then you need to decide if you want to drive. I was told by graduate students in the program I'm going into that you'll want to be close to campus your first year. I grew up in Blair County, so State College isn't foreign to me. 

Edited March 11, 2017 by ThePursuit

[jlt646]

@BelAir4 My 1br is beautiful,  $950, allows pets, and includes all utilities. I'm in the Holmes-Foster neighborhood, southwest of campus. I walk to work/class every day, and I'm outside of downtown. I didn't find my apartment until May, also. It isn't in a complex, but rather is attached to a house!  Craigslist was good to me.

All this is to say, widen your search to outside of the big complexes, and YMMV with regard to what "walking distance" means. Good luck!

[hantoo]

Hey Everyone,

I just finished undergrad at Penn State and know State College extremely well, and had friends that lived all over the area, and I myself lived downtown 2 out of my 4 years there. If any of you have specific questions about anywhere you're considering checking out or just about what PSU life is like in general, feel free to ask on here or message me!

Just as a general comment: most of the graduate students I am friends with at Penn State live farther off campus and have a car, or just take the bus in during the week. The farther off campus you go, the nicer the apartment, generally speaking. To be honest, I would suggest that you avoid living right down town near campus, as that is where all of the undergraduate students live, and Beaver Ave. and College Ave. tend to be fairly crazy places most nights of the week, and are basically insane on weekends (i.e. if you are not interested in hearing people screaming all night Thurs.-Sun. in your building and in the streets and finding half-eaten slices of pizza and other gross things in your stairwells and hallways, avoid the close to campus living options).

The absolute nicest off campus living area in my experience is The Retreat, but it's also more expensive than other options--the apartments there resemble town houses, most allow pets, you'll likely get your own room, there's a pool, little backyards, and things that you just would not otherwise have closer to campus. Park Forest is also a really nice area with townhouse-like apartments.

Another apartment option that is slightly closer and likely more affordable would be University Terrace. It's pretty far east from campus, but if you don't mind the walk it's not terrible, and you can certainly take a bus if you need to. A lot of undergraduates live out there, but I think it's at least slightly more tame than living in the middle of downtown. There are lots of houses on West College Ave., and if you can find a solid group of roommates to live with, that could be a decent option too. White Course Apartments is Penn State's "graduate and family housing" option, but I don't know much about it and never went there.