Newark, DE

[Guest]

I've only been to the east coast once, and that was a grade school trip to Washington D.C. Excited but also sort of freaking out.

[Guest Guest]

I just finished undergrad at UDel. Newark is a nice small town. Most students just stcik around the campus area where there are a lot of shops and restuarants. Its also a beautiful campus. I frequently went to Philadelphia, which is about a 45 min car ride or 75 min train ride. Its also pretty easy to find a way to NYC - about 2 1/2 hours. The town itself is somewhat bustling during the day and the bars are alsways busy at night. During the summer and winter, however, it is very quiet, which is usually a good change of pace. There is quite a large hippie population, so if you are in to that you will have lots of friends very quickly. The school itself is pretty much all white middle upper class kids from New Jersey, New York, and Conn. I hope all of this helps.

[Guest Delyth]

I was the anon above, and I thank you

I just got back from a campus visit and I agree, the campus is lovely, and Newark is most definitely a small town. Wilmington seems like a nice city though, and it's quite close.

[tripax]

The school itself is pretty much all white middle upper class kids from New Jersey, New York, and Conn.

Is this true? I would think that the students would be from Penn, Delaware, NJ and Maryland. Why NY and CT?

[Guest skertrevir]

Schools in Maryland have students from NY and CT, too. It's not that far away.

[tripax]

of course, but "all ... kids from NJ, NY, and CT"?

[futureprof]

For an out of town student visiting the campus U of Delaware- what is the closest/best mode of public transport to get there (from about 8 hrs away). Air, greyhound, amtrack, or anything else? Just wondering if there's one that's particularly convienent. Any advice? Thanks

[evlcomputer]

Newark actually has an Amtrak station, its about a 10-15 min walk from there to the center of campus, if you are flying then your best bet would be to fly into Philly and take the septa train from the airport to Newark, you take the R2 line and it goes from Philly to Newark, Im currently a Udel undergrad, just got accepted to a Udel grad program, and ive lived my entire life in Delaware so if you have any other questions feel free to ask.

[Quarex]

Hang on, Newark Delaware! I am a-comin'!

Not that there is any way this is still a viable point to make, but it seems taking the train to Wilmington and then getting a ride to Newark might be easier, since there are trains through the Wilmington station every half hour, whereas Newark only seems to have one or two a day (though this could be wrong; I do not live there yet, after all, and am just going on what I read).

Here is my question for you, EvlComputer: What are you doing that makes staying in Delaware forever so appealing? Haha. No, I understand, I was in Illinois for my first two college degrees other than my year studying abroad. If you find a good thing, hey, stick with it!

Plus, oh man, Peace of Pizza, are you kidding me? That pasta alfredo pizza is THE BEST THING EVER.

I got lucky with my living situation; an old friend of mine bought a house right by campus there while finishing up her master's degree, and loves it so much that she is staying and wants roommates. Bonus! Now I feel bad for asking her why in the world she was moving to Delaware from Florida when she started her degree.

[oceanwave]

I am thinking about going to UD for my PhD this fall. Can anyone inform me about the life in Newark? What are the on- or off-campus options for PhD students? How much do the rents cost? Where in the city would you recommend me to live? When should I apply for accommodation? Where can I find a roommate if I need one? How much money can be enough for all expenses (including rent, food, gas, etc.) on a monthly base? Any other recommendations about the city?

Many thanks in advance

[hotlatte]

Thank oceanwave for asking all those questions that I want to ask myself. Please anyone living or going there help answer the questions. From the UD website, I can only tell that it is a very beautiful campus with great greens. Now I'm starting to think about the house hunting too. Should I live in the on-campus grad residence?

[katreese]

I've lived in the Conover Apartments (grad student/family housing) since August and can answer any questions about them. Since I was moving from relatively far away, I didn't search for apartments in Newark - I signed up directly for the grad student housing. They were all completely renovated last year and are quite nice - I was afraid they were going to be like dorm rooms, but they're a little better! There is carpeting in the bedroom, and all the floors, bathrooms, and windows are new. There is heavy-duty fire and security protection, which is nice. Parking is expensive (over $400/year) but you'd be paying to drive and park if you lived off-campus anyway. The location is convenient, as it's a very small campus. My neighbors are all very nice, but I can't say anyone here has formed a community.

Newark - well...it's extremely small, the restaurants are terrible, Main St is underwhelming, and the rest of the town is tired worn-out strip malls..but hey, we're here for education, not the quality of community life, right?! The campus is indeed pretty - sort of less opulent version of UVa.

One of the best things about Newark is its location. As I mentioned, it's small, so it almost feels like living in the country - but major cities are nearby, and there is plenty to visit within a couple of hours' drive - including the beach. There is 1 person in my program without a car, but I don't know how she does it!

Feel free to contact me with more questions!

[evlcomputer]

Hi, I am currently a grad student at UD and can answer a few of the cost of living/location questions posed above

* Rent for a 1 bedroom is between 650 and 900 on average, the big all inclusive places like University Courtyards and Studio Green are ok if you wanta to pay a high premium to have all utilities included (a 1 bedroom at University Courtyards starts at $1075). If you want to stay cheap and within walking distance of campus you should try the little complexes along Elkton Rd (A west knoll 1 bedroom runs about $685 and includes heat and gas). These are all very close to the two university bus stops on Elkton Rd and allow you to park for free (a huge advantage in newark where you have to pay to park just about anywhere)

* utilites are about $70 a month for cable/internet, $50-100 for electric (depending on if you use AC) and Im not sure what gas runs because my complex has free heat, hot water and gas.

* parking is expensive through the school, live close to campus and take the bus or walk you will save about 200 a semester by not parking on campus

* food is about 100-150 a month depending on where you shop, get the discount cards for the local supermarkets and avoid the Acme, its totally overpriced

*Newark is a college town (half the population of newark is made up of UD students)

-Newark has Main St. that has a bunch of little shops, bars, and restaurants

-Newark has Cleveland Ave where all of the undergrads live in slums and party

-Newark has Skid Row where a big music festival is held each year

-UD has a huge football following (students get free tickets)

*Newark has train service through AMTRAK and SEPTA so you can go to philly for about $5 or to NYC or DC fairly easily

Here are a few local apartment complexes:

West Knoll Apartments

260 Elkton Rd, Newark, DE 19711

302-368-7912

Victoria Mews Apartments

12A Odaniel Avenue, Newark, DE 19711

302-368-2357

Studio Green

91-2 Thorn Lane, Newark, DE 19711

302-368-7000

Apartments at Pine Brook

1314 Wharton Drive, Newark, DE 19711

302-731-9253

University Courtyard

100 Scholar Way, Newark, DE 19711

302-894-1500

Foxcroft

120 Wilbur St., Newark, DE 19711

302-456-9267

[hotlatte]

I was afraid they were going to be like dorm rooms, but they're a little better!

So it still feels like living in a dorm then? I'm thinking about taking the bus mainly, but do you really suggest that I drive my own car? Which is more convenient and cheaper? Lots of question actually, katreese.

[hotlatte]

evlcomputer, when did you start hunting for your apartment? Since I'm coming to UD from Thailand, can I make an advance booking or do I have to get there first and then go door to door checking for the vancant apartment myself?

[katreese]

The only part that feels dorm-like is that there is one cinderblock wall, and there is no carpet in the main room (it's 'tile'). Also, there are rules - you can't burn candles, you have to request a spare key from the apartment manager (and it's only for a couple of days) - nothing too onerous, but it's a little more heavy-handed than a regular apartment. It's very quiet - I never see my neighbors - and in a great location.

Well, there is a bus system, which seems pretty good but doesn't run as often as that in a major city (it doesn't run at all on Sundays). The main problems in living here without a car are that it would be difficult to get off-campus at night and on the weekends, and Newark is a VERY small town. There are 2 trains - Septa (regional rail) and Amtrak - which connect to other places, but the Septa runs pretty much on M-F 8-6. You can take a bus to Wilmington and get on the Septa there - but even then it doesn't run on Sundays.

I have never done a comparison but I imagine that not having a car would be cheaper, and less convenient.

[presquepartout]

i would highly recommend having a car for U of D.

[evlcomputer]

I started looking for my apartment in March for a June 1st move in last year, I lived in town the summer before grad school started because I was local and wanted the extra time to set up my apartment before classes started. I suggest calling the complexes you are interested in and putting down a security deposit on the one you decide on before you get here if you want to secure cheap housing. Also life is alot easier with a car, most things you need will be much cheaper outside of town and the convenience of not having to rely on the public transportation around here is worth it. UD buses only cover campus and the DART buses would take you hours to run errands that would take 15 min with a car.

[urbanchic]

Bump.

What do grad students do for fun in Newark? Or do you visit Philly or Baltimore alot?

Edited March 27, 2010 by urbanchic

[woolfie]

I was just accepted to UDel and am visiting soon. Any suggestions for things to check out? I am from a small town in the midwest and I'm excited to get back to a small college town, though I have never lived or really visited the east coast besides DC. I'm expecting to have mild culture shock because of this.

Some questions. Is there off campus housing that is affordable and within walking distance of the campus? I'm be in the English dept if that makes a difference. It's really important for me to walk places, though I'm going to be living quite frugally on my stipend. Is this going to be difficult for me?

My partner is going to be moving with me too. Does anyone have info on the job situation? Is it possible to commute to Wilmington or Philly? His background is in editorial work.

Any info or suggestions is much appreciated.

[woolfie]

Also, where are the undergraduate neighborhoods? I would like to avoid them. I want to live within walking distance of campus (I will walk far, 30-40 min walk is ok) but not in a party neighborhood. Is that possible? I'll be in Memorial hall if that helps.

[nightjars]

Bumping this up for more feedback on Newark, since I was just accepted into a master's program there. I've looked at the housing situation and am confused as to why it seems impossible to find any single-family, detached (ie: not a townhouse) houses for rent. Do most simply not advertise online and just stick out a "For Rent" sign on the property? I just happen to really dislike living in apartment complexes, but that seems to be the only option I'm finding. My alternative plan would be to find an apartment above one of the Main St. shops, but I can't find any information on these properties online.

[Nikara]

Hopefully, I'll be going to UDel, depending on the funding results. I think I'm going to send a deposit for graduate housing today. This school is my top choice, and I'd prefer to have housing taken care of. I'm from CA, so there is no opportunity for me scout out apartments in person.

On another note, I'm probably driving my car cross-country for this. Will I have to change the registration/license for my car? Thanks!

[aber_leider]

It seems that UD ain't that popular in grad cafe, judging from the number of responses this thread has had. Anyway, odds are that I will be attending UD from fall 2011, I'm an international applicant, so I will be arranging housing without a prior visit. One thing that worries me is the cost of living, I haven't received the formal financial package, but I've been told that I can expect a "generous stipend". How much money per year is needed in order to get by in Newark? I will be renting off campus. Somebody knows how much can I expect as funding from the math dept? Thanks.

[Nikara]

It seems that UD ain't that popular in grad cafe, judging from the number of responses this thread has had. Anyway, odds are that I will be attending UD from fall 2011, I'm an international applicant, so I will be arranging housing without a prior visit. One thing that worries me is the cost of living, I haven't received the formal financial package, but I've been told that I can expect a "generous stipend". How much money per year is needed in order to get by in Newark? I will be renting off campus. Somebody knows how much can I expect as funding from the math dept? Thanks.

It seems to me that while there are some newbies around for this year, there aren't any current students to answer questions. I've applied for housing through the university, which is relatively reasonable priced. Sorry, don't know anything about the Math department!