marature Posted March 1, 2016 Posted March 1, 2016 I'd like to echo the question above, but now in 2016! Is it too late to look for off-campus housing in mid-August? I'd be coming from abroad and won't be able to visit earlier.
xfigo Posted March 6, 2016 Posted March 6, 2016 What's it like to live in Amherst? I have an offer here and am considering accepting, but I do want to make sure I can live in the area. I left my last school after a master's for two reasons: 1) the research didn't really line up with what I wanted to do long term 2) I didn't like the area. I don't think I mind rural, but it was an area where rural meant "there's only corn fields around us." (Pullman, WA) Is there plenty of stuff to do in the surrounding areas? It's nice that Boston/NY/RI isn't too far away, so I'm sure that can entertain me some as well. As far as living goes, I think I'd prefer to live in Amherst within walking distance of campus (I really like walking) or in Northampton and driving everyday. What can I expect for an apartment/condo/town home if I split it with one roommate? $650 each?
rococo_realism Posted March 19, 2016 Posted March 19, 2016 How is it living without a car in Amherst? I might live on campus the first year if I go, but after that, I'll probably move into an apartment. I'm sure that this has been answered, but I want a fresh perspective.
Effloresce Posted March 19, 2016 Posted March 19, 2016 3 hours ago, rococo_realism said: How is it living without a car in Amherst? I might live on campus the first year if I go, but after that, I'll probably move into an apartment. I'm sure that this has been answered, but I want a fresh perspective. i went to amherst college for undergrad and got around without a car. the bus system is pretty okay from what i've experienced, so it's easy to get around via that but I imagine as a grad student you'd be doing more cooking/running for groceries etc than I did (since I was on a meal plan), and that might be annoying. in regards to supermarkets though, there's a stop and shop, target (with groceries), and trader joes along the bus route and about 10ish minutes away from the UMass campus. it's not awful to travel with groceries on the public transportation either as long as you time things nicely to avoid the rush of undergrads. you can go straight to NoHo via bus too..takes about 30-40 minutes, so it's really nice if you want to go somewhere else for food, bars, etc. rococo_realism 1
Effloresce Posted March 19, 2016 Posted March 19, 2016 On 3/5/2016 at 0:16 PM, xfigo said: What's it like to live in Amherst? I have an offer here and am considering accepting, but I do want to make sure I can live in the area. I left my last school after a master's for two reasons: 1) the research didn't really line up with what I wanted to do long term 2) I didn't like the area. I don't think I mind rural, but it was an area where rural meant "there's only corn fields around us." (Pullman, WA) Is there plenty of stuff to do in the surrounding areas? It's nice that Boston/NY/RI isn't too far away, so I'm sure that can entertain me some as well. As far as living goes, I think I'd prefer to live in Amherst within walking distance of campus (I really like walking) or in Northampton and driving everyday. What can I expect for an apartment/condo/town home if I split it with one roommate? $650 each? sorry for the double post but! living in amherst is really nice. the city and surrounding areas are extremely liberal, and there's a ton of people around since there's like 4-5 colleges/universities pretty close together. i never felt unsafe in the area (would frequently study in town and head back to campus around 11ish, both alone and with friends), and everyone is really friendly too. if you don't like the cold, you're going to really suffer during the winter because january-february are b r u t a l. spring and fall are gorgeous, but summers are very humid and can get quite hot. a lot of people talk shit about the pvta but i used it quite frequently to get around from amherst college to various places for class, leisure, etc. as long as you don't have a strict schedule, it's okay. buses tend to be late quite a bit..so keep that in mind when planning to get around. a perk is that it's free for students if you show your ID, so that's nice! there's some things to do in northampton..lots of restaurants, some bars, a kinda meh club (diva's) but overall i liked noho a lot too! sometimes there were cool shows that came to northampton (i think people went and saw vampire weekend in my freshman year). a pretty popular tattoo/piercing studio is there that i frequented quite a bit, too. but yeah, boston is 2hrs way and it's easy to hop on a peter pan and get there. new york is about 4 hours and i have no clue about rhode island. since i lived on campus, i have no idea about rent prices though, sorry!
rococo_realism Posted March 20, 2016 Posted March 20, 2016 4 hours ago, Effloresce said: i went to amherst college for undergrad and got around without a car. the bus system is pretty okay from what i've experienced, so it's easy to get around via that but I imagine as a grad student you'd be doing more cooking/running for groceries etc than I did (since I was on a meal plan), and that might be annoying. in regards to supermarkets though, there's a stop and shop, target (with groceries), and trader joes along the bus route and about 10ish minutes away from the UMass campus. it's not awful to travel with groceries on the public transportation either as long as you time things nicely to avoid the rush of undergrads. you can go straight to NoHo via bus too..takes about 30-40 minutes, so it's really nice if you want to go somewhere else for food, bars, etc. Thanks!
msnotmrs Posted March 21, 2017 Posted March 21, 2017 I'm considering UMass for my masters this fall and reading through this thread has been *incredibly* helpful! I wanted to see if I could revive it for 2017 as I'm visiting this weekend (literally will be on campus for 24 hours) just to get a feel for the area, and am looking for recommendations of places to visit/eat/generally check out while I'm there. Any and all advice is much appreciated
cowgirlsdontcry Posted April 16, 2017 Posted April 16, 2017 On 3/20/2017 at 7:03 PM, msnotmrs said: I'm considering UMass for my masters this fall and reading through this thread has been *incredibly* helpful! I wanted to see if I could revive it for 2017 as I'm visiting this weekend (literally will be on campus for 24 hours) just to get a feel for the area, and am looking for recommendations of places to visit/eat/generally check out while I'm there. Any and all advice is much appreciated How did you like your visit? I was in an exchange and attended UMass Amherst for a year as an undergrad. I liked it there. I'm a non-traditional student so not much of a partier, but there are some interesting coffee shops and a couple of good to great bookstores there. I loved going to the Tunnel Bar in Northhampton, which has great martinis. The bartenders like to guess your personality and create a drink for you. Let me know if you want more info.
slp2be0827 Posted March 3, 2018 Posted March 3, 2018 Hi there - Hoping to revive this post for 2018 now. Anyone have any input on graduate school at UMass? I'm from Massachusetts and really associate it with being a big undergraduate school. Is there opportunities to meet other graduate students in different fields? And how is the social scene there... Not that I am expecting to have that much free time, but if I have to move out to Amherst I am going to need some socialization. MPhipps 1
jjadams Posted March 3, 2018 Posted March 3, 2018 Yes, let's revive!! I just interviewed for a UMass Amherst grad program and I am pretty interested in going there. How is the grad student scene like slp2be0827 asked? Maybe there's some bars at least that aren't cool enough for undergrads
slp2be0827 Posted March 5, 2018 Posted March 5, 2018 On 3/3/2018 at 5:54 PM, jjadams said: Yes, let's revive!! I just interviewed for a UMass Amherst grad program and I am pretty interested in going there. How is the grad student scene like slp2be0827 asked? Maybe there's some bars at least that aren't cool enough for undergrads Let's hope! What program did you interview for? I am interested in going there too
jjadams Posted March 14, 2018 Posted March 14, 2018 On 3/5/2018 at 3:28 PM, slp2be0827 said: Let's hope! What program did you interview for? I am interested in going there too School psychology! how about you?
slp2be0827 Posted March 14, 2018 Posted March 14, 2018 38 minutes ago, jjadams said: School psychology! how about you? I applied for the Master's program in Communication Disorders, unfortunately I am on their waitlist right now but praying I will be taken off.
kaylie Posted March 20, 2018 Posted March 20, 2018 I'm also going to be at UMass Amherst in the fall! It seems like cost of living would be pretty good, I have heard good things about living in Amherst and Northampton but also that they may be more expensive than surrounding neighborhoods. I'm also wondering if I will be able to bike commute or if a car makes more sense. I went to a bar called High Horse when I was visiting and it was fun!
SchoolPsychEDS Posted April 4, 2018 Posted April 4, 2018 On 3/14/2018 at 12:02 PM, jjadams said: School psychology! how about you? Hey! I've been looking around on here for other school psych grad students potentially going to UMass Amherst! I'll most likely be committing there!
MPhipps Posted April 6, 2018 Posted April 6, 2018 On 3/2/2018 at 7:12 PM, slp2be0827 said: Hi there - Hoping to revive this post for 2018 now. Anyone have any input on graduate school at UMass? I'm from Massachusetts and really associate it with being a big undergraduate school. Is there opportunities to meet other graduate students in different fields? And how is the social scene there... Not that I am expecting to have that much free time, but if I have to move out to Amherst I am going to need some socialization. Lets revive this! I have been admitted to UMASS Management and Policy graduate program. Wondering if there is anyone else in this program?
seems_fair Posted April 6, 2018 Posted April 6, 2018 I will go to Umass Amherst as well. Is there telegram/whatsapp/facebook for those who got in?
Jennicorn Posted April 7, 2018 Posted April 7, 2018 Also going to UMass this fall. Masters in CS. Anyone know where to find places to live closer to campus? I'm uncertain about getting a car. Will that be a good call?
slp2be0827 Posted April 8, 2018 Posted April 8, 2018 I was just accepted into UMass' Master's in Communication Disorders program, most likely going here. So excited. Time to start planning out where I am going to live?
CHILDESGambino Posted April 25, 2018 Posted April 25, 2018 (edited) Hello! I'm currently an undergrad at UMass about to graduate! The majority of grad students live off-campus. Getting around with the PVTA (it's FREE with student ID) is really helpful since I haven't had a car for the duration of my schooling. It is doable to get to and from campus for sure. However, using it for grocery shopping and whatnot, can possibly be annoying. I've been on a meal plan all four years so I can only hypothesize haha. The majority of my grad student friends live at the Cliffside apartments, the Boulders, Mill Valley or in Northampton (sorry I don't know specific places!). Even though Noho is farther by bus (30-40 minutes), there is a lot more to do (bars,restaurants,coffee shops). I like to think of it as separation between church and state if you will, the separation between your professional and personal life. There are fewer undergrads in Noho so that is definitely a plus! It may be helpful to check for places near PVTA bus stops, most likely the on B43,30 & 31 routes Best of luck! Edited April 25, 2018 by CHILDESGambino jjadams and LookingforMM 2
rooguild Posted April 25, 2018 Posted April 25, 2018 I've been living in the Amherst/Northampton area for about 10 years (I'm about to leave to go to grad school!) and loved it. Housing is, unfortunately, very expensive, especially if you're looking for a one-bedroom. But if you have a car and don't mind a commute, you can always find cheaper places to live in the surrounding towns, like Pelham, Belchertown, Sunderland, and Hadley. If I were a grad student moving to the area, I would definitely try to find a place in Hadley, close to the B43 bus line. It's rural and quiet, there's a bike path that runs through it, there aren't many undergrads around, and it's right in between Amherst and Northampton. I lived mostly in Northampton, which is great, but housing can be tricky here-- lots of slumlords and houses in disrepair, especially if they're close to the center of town. Amherst can also be tricky. I tried to move to Amherst a few years ago, and every apartment I visited looked like it had been wrecked by undergrads. I also prefer the social scene in Northampton; it's a little more artsy and there's more to do. Most of my friends who live in Amherst end up driving or taking the bus to Northampton every weekend. Good luck! caito and LookingforMM 1 1
jjadams Posted April 27, 2018 Posted April 27, 2018 On 4/4/2018 at 3:54 PM, SchoolPsychEDS said: Hey! I've been looking around on here for other school psych grad students potentially going to UMass Amherst! I'll most likely be committing there! sorry, I never checked back!! Did you pick umass Amherst?? I know it is a small group, about 5 phd and maybe 5 eds ?
jjadams Posted April 27, 2018 Posted April 27, 2018 On 4/7/2018 at 1:52 AM, Jennicorn said: Also going to UMass this fall. Masters in CS. Anyone know where to find places to live closer to campus? I'm uncertain about getting a car. Will that be a good call? It seems the bus network is pretty good, and free for students. So look for places on the bus line I'm bringing my car though.
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