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Posted

Anyone else planning on attending- U Buffalo for the fall?

I am wondering:

University heights area vs. Amherst vs. Elmwood? (accessibility to the south campus)

Graduate student apartments?

is a car a must?

cost of living?

Anything else a new grad student should know about the city?

Posted

Hi, I won't be attending UB but I grew up in Buffalo (East Amherst) and lived there for about 20 years. There's a thread about Buffalo in the City Guide section but I can answer some of your questions.

The great thing about Buffalo is that cost of living is very low. I have never rented an apartment there, but you should expect to pay about $400-600 for a good-quality apartment in the city (near South campus) if you have roommate(s). Studios and 1-BR's maybe a little more, but way cheaper than a large city. Allentown or Elmwood/Delaware would be nice areas to check out if you're going to be on South campus; they're each a few minutes away by car and they're the more lively, young areas of the city.

Yes, you will need a car. It's possible for students on North or South campus to get by without one; there are shuttles between the campuses and there is a city bus system, although it's not very good. But if you want to go somewhere in the suburbs or get downtown quickly, driving is the way to go. Gas is reasonable and there is street parking downtown, and a garage will only run you $8-$10 for a night. The suburbs have ample parking but very poor public transit. That being said, traffic is not a problem in Buffalo except on the highways during rush hour (and during snowstorms). You can get from UB to Niagara Falls in 35-45 minutes, to Six Flags or Ralph Wilson Stadium in under an hour, and to the airport in about 25. I live in Chicago and it takes me 45 minutes to make a 4-mile commute to work. I miss being able to go anywhere in Buffalo and not worry about getting slammed in traffic or waiting a half hour for a bus.

Buffalo has a ton of great things about it, I hope you enjoy your time there. I've met people from all over the country, and very few have such a fierce loyalty to their hometown as those of us from Buffalo. It's not the most thriving city, but it's home to great, friendly, hardworking people, and I can't wait to go back to visit.

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