Cornell

[red_crayons]

Anyone know anything about Cayuga Heights? I'm visiting next week and have arranged an apartment visit in that area. It seems very close to campus and in a very nice neighborhood, but I was wondering if anyone had any other experiences about that area. I am hoping to take public transit or walk to campus.

A lot of Cayuga Heights has zero bus service. It's mostly a big residential area, with no neighborhood feel and no shops or restaurants or anything. It would be difficult to get to campus for more than half the year. You generally have to go up hill and then back down hill - literally, uphill both ways - for anywhere from 10-30 minutes, which is no small feat in the winter, given that it snows a couple inches most days and gets dark at 4. It would be pretty hard to get to a grocery store without a car, too.

It's very family oriented, with lots of profs and professionals. It's Ithaca's "suburb", complete with big houses and suburban politics and rich people with fancy cars and poor public transportation.

If you're on the bus route, it comes every 15-30 minutes weekdays from 8 to 9ish, and once an hour until 1 or 2. On Saturday it's similar. Sunday buses only run from 9am ( I think) to 6pm, which is a huuuuuuuuge inconvenience, since you're so so far from anything useful. Don't take anyone's word that you're close to a bus stop - try to ride the bus there, or from there to campus, to see what the walk is like and how often it comes.

If you like walking a WHOLE LOT, or never plan to leave the house, or don't mind driving all the time, it would be fine. But really be careful about checking out buses if you plan on using public transportation!

[matcha]

Thanks for the heads up. So the best neighborhoods for grads are Fall Creek, East Hill, downtown, and some parts of Collegetown. I guess I'm going to keep looking around a bit!

[red_crayons]

You might find something in Cayuga Heights, but just double check the bus situation!

In general, I'm very winter weather-averse, so I like to live very close to a bus route. It makes life a LOT easier. Others may have a higher threshold for walking in slush and snow, and therefore not mind living in more out of the way places.

[choijae]

Yup, I got mine last week. But I also accepted my offer over a month ago, so if you accepted more recently I wouldn't worry about it too much yet. Did you get the email saying they would be mailing it to you shortly? The email said that it could take 2 weeks for domestic and 4 weeks for international students to receive it after you get that email.

I got my acceptance offer at Apr 14, maybe that could be a reason why I dont have one yet. Also Im international which could be an additional factor. However I havent recieved anything from cornell since except that my grad coordinater is preparing for the I-20 visa.

[Confused Goose]

Hi. I've finally decided (again... ) to go to Cornell. So excited!!! Can't wait for August! I've left all other work aside and am looking for apartments, getting acquainted with the geography of the city, etc.

I'm looking to use a bicycle as my primary mode of transportation. Can anyone tell me how feasible it is and how cyclist-friendly the roads and motorists are? Also, which neighbourhoods would be more convenient, considering the hilly terrain? I'd prefer some place which is lively but not raucous, and it seems lower-collegetown and downtown are two possibilities, but it looks like the campus is uphill from there. Anyone with a biking experience in Ithaca?

[purple]

Yeah, just last night actually! It came together miraculously fast I'm getting a townhouse near East Hill Plaza off campus with 2 other first year grad students in my program. It looks REALLY nice, each bedroom has its own attached bath (which is AWESOME for a house full of girls) and the buildings are pretty new. It is a little further from downtown than I was shooting for, but the quality of the place for the price really sold me. Just need to sign the lease this week!

As far as commuting, you could use a bike in the fall, spring and summer, but it will be pretty hard in the winter. But Hasbrouck has good bus service, I think it comes every fifteen minutes? And I know at least in my department, you get a free bus pass your first year, though I am not sure if that is a University-wide policy. I would recommend getting a bus pass if you don't have a car up there, so you can get to grocery stores, shopping, etc. I think it's around $400 for the year if your department isn't covering it.

so47: Congratulations on finding a place to live already! May I ask you, how did you do that??

I got accepted late and decided to go to Cornell about a week ago... also, I could not attend my department's open house, so now I am completely lost w/out any way of contacting other incoming grad students to even try to coordinate looking for a place to share. My only options are now craigslist... and the DOS website (has anyone used this to successfully land a home?)

Not sure where to begin...

[so47]

so47: Congratulations on finding a place to live already! May I ask you, how did you do that??

I got accepted late and decided to go to Cornell about a week ago... also, I could not attend my department's open house, so now I am completely lost w/out any way of contacting other incoming grad students to even try to coordinate looking for a place to share. My only options are now craigslist... and the DOS website (has anyone used this to successfully land a home?)

Not sure where to begin...

What I wound up doing, and recommend to anyone still looking for roommates or housing, is I joined a hosuing list-serv through the DOS website. Once you have your netID/ Cornell email, you just have request to join the list, and they approve you. I immediately started getting TONS of emails daily from people looking for roommates, sublets, trying to fill apartments, etc.

Like you, my biggest dilemma was finding roommates, because I knew I wanted to live with other Cornell grads. And I think a lot of incoming grads are using this list-serv to find roommates, as it feels safer than craigslist since it is exclusive to the Cornell community.

So pretty much I got a bunch of emails from people looking for housing, and I really liked the sound of this one place, and started emailing back and forth with the girl, and we really seemed to click. And lucky for me, she is finishing up undergrad at Ithaca College, so she was able to do all the legwork with seeing the place, nailing down the lease, etc. This was HUGE for me since I had no idea if I was going to be able to make it up there to look at apartments. So it all just kind of fell together perfectly! I also was able to find the perfect July sublet through the list-serv as well, within hours of sending my email (I got llike 20 responses of people looking for subletters!)!

So I highly recommend the DOS list-serv. It might not happen that quickly for everyone, but it definitely gets a lot of activity and I think it's a very helpful and less sketchy way to find roommates! You can find it here, scroll down to where it says Need a roommate ? Click here to join our List-Serv (type "join in the subject line. Only open to members of the Cornell Community):

http://dos.cornell.edu/ocho/Graduate-Professional-Students.cfm

Hope this helps! Good luck

[meggo]

Hi! I'm going to Cornell in the fall as well (for Astronomy), and I'm actively looking for housing. Are there any ladies on here (from any field of study) looking for a roommate (or 2 or 3)? I haven't been having much luck with craigslist, and if there are other women on here looking for a place to live, I'd be glad to find a place with you! PM me if you're interested.

[red_crayons]

I also highly recommend the housing listserv that so47 recommended. I found my roommate for next year on there.

[matcha]

I found my apartment on craigslist, although I did have to go and visit. Definitely do not trust the landlords word for it- go check it out yourself. You need to get a sense of the space. There were several places with great photos and locations that turned out to be not a great fit.

[purple]

Hope this helps! Good luck

I've been meaning to thank you for the advice! I was still waiting for my NetID, but I've since joined the listserv. So all I do is reply to it, and it sends to everyone on the list, correct? I think I'm going to need to post something soon! I haven't gotten any emails in the last... 6 hours that I've been on this list...

[so47]

I've been meaning to thank you for the advice! I was still waiting for my NetID, but I've since joined the listserv. So all I do is reply to it, and it sends to everyone on the list, correct? I think I'm going to need to post something soon! I haven't gotten any emails in the last... 6 hours that I've been on this list...

You're very welcome! And yup, that's exactly how it works! Good luck, I hope you find something soon!

[GradJen]

Hi. I've finally decided (again... ) to go to Cornell. So excited!!! Can't wait for August! I've left all other work aside and am looking for apartments, getting acquainted with the geography of the city, etc.

I'm looking to use a bicycle as my primary mode of transportation. Can anyone tell me how feasible it is and how cyclist-friendly the roads and motorists are? Also, which neighbourhoods would be more convenient, considering the hilly terrain? I'd prefer some place which is lively but not raucous, and it seems lower-collegetown and downtown are two possibilities, but it looks like the campus is uphill from there. Anyone with a biking experience in Ithaca?

Hello and yay for Cornell!!

What department are you in? Depending on where your classes/work will be, where you should live to avoid the big hills will be different. However, as my friends and I used to joke about in undergrad - at Cornell you walk uphill in the snow both ways to get to/from class. It usually isnt possible to avoid all hills. Motorists are pretty good on campus, because they know students are likely to jump into the streets at any time to cross, and the roads will be fine in the summer and part of the fall, but I really would not recommend relying on a bike the full year. While the streets are well plowed in the winter, there is always some slush and often poor visibility so I would consider it too dangerous to ride during those months.

If you are looking at lower-collegetown, there is a very decent bus system (tcatbus.com) that could be used when the weather gets bad.

[Confused Goose]

Hello and yay for Cornell!!

What department are you in? Depending on where your classes/work will be, where you should live to avoid the big hills will be different. However, as my friends and I used to joke about in undergrad - at Cornell you walk uphill in the snow both ways to get to/from class. It usually isnt possible to avoid all hills. Motorists are pretty good on campus, because they know students are likely to jump into the streets at any time to cross, and the roads will be fine in the summer and part of the fall, but I really would not recommend relying on a bike the full year. While the streets are well plowed in the winter, there is always some slush and often poor visibility so I would consider it too dangerous to ride during those months.

If you are looking at lower-collegetown, there is a very decent bus system (tcatbus.com) that could be used when the weather gets bad.

Thanks GradJen! I'm in ECE and will be moving back and forth between Pew Engg. Quad and Clark Hall for most of my work. Coming from the tropics, I guess it would be tough then to figure out how easy (rather, difficult) it is without actually going through my 1st winter there :-| I was hoping to be a Green Grad Anyway, it would be great to meet all fellow Cornellians in August!<br>

Edited May 7, 2010 by Confused Goose

[cornell11]

i'm coming for civil engineering. i'm getting a loan so i'm really trying to save while at cornell. i want a cheap apartment and a job. what do current cornell students have to say about jobs and cheap apartments?

[purple]

Oh, here's a good question for you Cornellians...

As someone who has never lived outside California's sun... I will need to outfit my wardrobe with appropriate garbs for Ithaca's weather... what would you recommend as essentials.

Some ideas I have are: Hiking/waterproof boots for the winter months; a peacoat; raincoat... and thats when ideas run out for me.. I am not equipped for the snow at all.

Help?

Also... still no luck finding housing.. I am a female grad student looking to live in Fall Creek or possibly Collegetown. I am aiming for the $500 price range for a nice room. Please pass the word! Thanks!

[psycholinguist]

Oh, here's a good question for you Cornellians...

As someone who has never lived outside California's sun... I will need to outfit my wardrobe with appropriate garbs for Ithaca's weather... what would you recommend as essentials.

Some ideas I have are: Hiking/waterproof boots for the winter months; a peacoat; raincoat... and thats when ideas run out for me.. I am not equipped for the snow at all.

Help?

Also... still no luck finding housing.. I am a female grad student looking to live in Fall Creek or possibly Collegetown. I am aiming for the $500 price range for a nice room. Please pass the word! Thanks!

Hello! I know how that is; I grew up on the West Coast and had no idea how to dress for winter. Fortunately, it's pretty easy:

Boots: get some really nice warm ones. (Worth the investment; don't just buy a pair at Target. I learned this the hard way. * laughs *) Make sure you can walk comfortably in them, too; it's a big campus.

Jacket: get a warm one, but make sure it's large enough that you could put a hoodie or a couple of sweaters underneath. Layering is a good strategy, especially for the autumn and spring days when the weather gets very unpredictable.

Hat: a good idea even underneath the hood of a jacket; your head will get cold quickly.

Scarf: ditto, unless your jacket has a heavy-duty zip-up thingie that goes over your chin. And even then, get one if you want a bit of extra face-coverage.

Thermal underwear: very very useful. These are just thin layers of comfortable polyester that go underneath everything except your actual underwear. Usually available in sets of an undershirt and a pair of leggings. Hugely helpful.

The other nice thing is that even when it's bitterly cold outside, buildings are all heated well. That was a pleasant surprise for me.

[purple]

Hello! I know how that is; I grew up on the West Coast and had no idea how to dress for winter. Fortunately, it's pretty easy:

Boots: get some really nice warm ones. (Worth the investment; don't just buy a pair at Target. I learned this the hard way. * laughs *) Make sure you can walk comfortably in them, too; it's a big campus.

Jacket: get a warm one, but make sure it's large enough that you could put a hoodie or a couple of sweaters underneath. Layering is a good strategy, especially for the autumn and spring days when the weather gets very unpredictable.

Hat: a good idea even underneath the hood of a jacket; your head will get cold quickly.

Scarf: ditto, unless your jacket has a heavy-duty zip-up thingie that goes over your chin. And even then, get one if you want a bit of extra face-coverage.

Thermal underwear: very very useful. These are just thin layers of comfortable polyester that go underneath everything except your actual underwear. Usually available in sets of an undershirt and a pair of leggings. Hugely helpful.

The other nice thing is that even when it's bitterly cold outside, buildings are all heated well. That was a pleasant surprise for me.

Ooh, thanks for the tips! I was wondering which kind of shoes to get. I went to REI and looked at some hiking boots, but wasn't sure if it would be over the top. Is that the type you meant? And do they do well on snow? I also saw these attachments you can wrap the bottom of your shoe with to make it easier to walk on snow, haha.. Again, not sure if that's going too far?

Also, great to know that all the buildings are heated well. I was kind of worried about that too. Thanks!

[psycholinguist]

Ooh, thanks for the tips! I was wondering which kind of shoes to get. I went to REI and looked at some hiking boots, but wasn't sure if it would be over the top. Is that the type you meant? And do they do well on snow? I also saw these attachments you can wrap the bottom of your shoe with to make it easier to walk on snow, haha.. Again, not sure if that's going too far?

Also, great to know that all the buildings are heated well. I was kind of worried about that too. Thanks!

No problem! Hiking-boots would probably be fine provided that they have enough insulation. For the sake of comparison, even a good pair of running-shoes will usually have enough traction to walk on snow; the only problem with those is that they aren't warm enough. I'd say the best places to look are stores that specialise in good walking-shoes; I got my winter boots from Naturalizer back home in the Northwest and they're fantastic. (Not sure about shoe-stores in Ithaca, though. I've heard good things about Fontana's in Collegetown, but that's about all that I have to say. Anyone else have any recommendations?)

No idea about those attachment-thingies! I'd ask a salesperson about those.

Yeah, you can always count on warming up quickly indoors! That surprised me; in fact, I've since realised that I spend more of my life cold while I'm on the West Coast than when I live out East. Go figure.

[bvang]

Hmm...odd question but...

I signed a lease on a place that I absolutely love but it doesn't have laundry facilities. There's no turning back now, so I'm trying to figure out... where are the main laundromats? I can't find anything online that's anywhere near me. (I'll be in Belle Sherman area). My landlord mentioned there is a place in collegetown... which isn't TOO far but 1) it's too far to walk with loads of laundry and 2) parking will probably be horrible if I drive.

If people are familiar with this area and have suggestions, that'd be great! Otherwise... I guess I'll just drive around when I get there

Thanks!

[matcha]

Is anyone familiar with Cornell's deal with Apple? I heard they give Cornell students great discounts, better than the average student. Is this true?

If it is, do you have to go to to the bookstore on campus or is your NetID acceptable for most Apple stores? Has anyone explored this yet?

[red_crayons]

Is anyone familiar with Cornell's deal with Apple? I heard they give Cornell students great discounts, better than the average student. Is this true?

If it is, do you have to go to to the bookstore on campus or is your NetID acceptable for most Apple stores? Has anyone explored this yet?

I got my Mac through the Cornell Store last fall. You can do it in the store, or online, I THNK.

Cornell discount is, I think, 9% versus normal 5% educational discount.

http://store.cornell.edu/tc/tcordering.html#Apple You want the first option, Using the Apple Store at Cornell University, for the special pricing. Just follow the directions on that page.

The second option gives you the regular educational prices of only 5% off. It's a $40 difference on the standard MacBook, and more for more expensive models.

[red_crayons]

Hmm...odd question but...

I signed a lease on a place that I absolutely love but it doesn't have laundry facilities. There's no turning back now, so I'm trying to figure out... where are the main laundromats? I can't find anything online that's anywhere near me. (I'll be in Belle Sherman area). My landlord mentioned there is a place in collegetown... which isn't TOO far but 1) it's too far to walk with loads of laundry and 2) parking will probably be horrible if I drive.

If people are familiar with this area and have suggestions, that'd be great! Otherwise... I guess I'll just drive around when I get there

Thanks!

Catching up on this thread...

There is a laundromat at Community Corners, a 10 minute drive from Belle Sherman with lots of parking (and the best bakery in town is next door to that laundromat...).

There are a couple places in c-town, but parking would indeed be horrible, and it's kinda far and very hilly, so walking would probably be unpleasant.

There's probably a laundry option in East Hill, too. There's also groceries, a wine store, a bakery/cafe, a drug store, and banks in East Hill, and it's adjacent to the Belle Sherman area.

And there are many options for laundry downtown, as well. I like the Fall Creek laundromat personally - by far the least sketchy - but there are a couple near the commons and one down by Wegmans/other shopping.

[matcha]

Sweet! Thanks red_crayons. I'm super excited about getting a mac!

[matcha]

Does anyone know anything about the computer labs on campus? Is printing free, are there limitations to numbers of pages, etc?

Thanks!