GRADUATE STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM SUGGEST PLACES TO LIVE

Ilaria Scaglia
Elmwood District, Buffalo

From bookstores to cooking schools, from co-ops to laundrymats: everything you need is in walking distance in this lively neighborhood located a 15-20 minute drive from UB. Take a few steps and you can have a good cup of coffee, a bite of delicious food in one of the many local restaurants (Japanese, Indian, Mediterranean, Greek…) or a quiet stroll in the Delaware Park (one of the jewels of the city designed by Frederick Law Olmsted). During the summer, a bustling farmers' market, free concerts and theatre as well as the annual “Elmwood Festival of the Arts” make the Elmwood strip the liveliest spot in town.  During the winter, the windows of vibrant independent stores turn it into the coziest place to live. Join the cheerful dogs, giggling children, and smiling people of all ages in Buffalo's hippest and happiest neighborhood!

Liz Burns
Elmwood District

I live at the Commodore Apartments, which is managed by Ellicott Development Company.  My apartment is quite roomy for one person.  Two people can live in a one-bedroom apartment here, but I'd imagine that the fit is a little tight.  My apartment is in the city of Buffalo itself, about two blocks away from Elmwood Avenue and the Lexington Real Food Co-Operative and Wilson Farms.  Millard Fillmore Hospital is just up and across the street.  The view is great from my windows.  The appliances & fixtures are easy to maintain.  I also have a hardwood floor in my living room. My apartment is warm in winter, provided the wind is not blowing.  If wind blows against the building for an extended period of time, the apartment can get extremely cold.  Electric blanket cold.  Otherwise, which is the majority of the time, it's really downright toasty.

Dan Wessel
Downtown Buffalo

Downtown Buffalo is a very affordable and vibrant place to live. The city has a very active cultural life that is easily accessible from Downtown, Allentown and the Elmwood strip. Seeing bands play at Nietzsche's, Mohawk Place or the Icon, great theatre at Shea's and the Irish Classical Theatre, an impressive collection of modern art at the Albright Knox Museum and a host of great restaurants such as Toro and Brodo are just some of the things that Buffalo has to offer. After moving to Buffalo from Chicago, and not having a car, I have been very happy with the ease of the public transportation system and the accessibility of many of the area's attractions. UB is an easy commute away via the public transit train from downtown and the major research centers of the east coast are a only quick and cheap flight away. The wealth of cultural attractions and their affordability make Buffalo an ideal place to pursue graduate work and to lead an active and engaged life.

Frankie LaVarnway 
Amherst… South Buffalo

Last fall, I moved farther away from campus. I used to live in the Charter Oaks apartments in Amherst, which are literally next door to UB North off of Sweethome Road. One aspect I enjoyed living in Amherst was the ability to walk to class. Lockwood Library was always only a fifteen to twenty minute walk away. Additionally, I lived right along the bike path. The well-maintained and scenic bike path always seemed to be active with bicyclists, hikers, rollerbladers, and friendly dog walkers. Actually, maybe the word “"path" isn't descriptive enough. The Ellicott Creek Trailway, next to which I lived, is part of a fairly extensive trailway system which includes the Amherst Canalway Trail, Hopkins Road Boardwalk and Trail, I-990 Trailway, Inter-Campus Bikeway and Walton Woods Path. Taking a walk or bike ride on the trailway was always a nice escape from school work. Plus, when the weather turned cold the library remained only a five minute car ride away.

Today, I live in South Buffalo off of Seneca Street, quite close to West Seneca. Living in South Buffalo, I no longer can quickly walk to class. The car ride usually takes me about twenty minutes, or half hour at 8am or 5pm during rush hour traffic. However, proximity is not always the most important aspect of where to live. I enjoy having a home away from campus. Often times as a graduate student you may feel as though you are always working, and I find that having a little distance between my home and work place lets me better balance my life. When I was a freshman, I was told that learning to balance graduate school with life was quite an achievement and I would recommend keeping this in mind. As far as the neighborhood, it is definitely more family oriented then college student friendly. Lastly, while I am no longer right off of the trailway, I am looking forward to summer walks in nearby Cazenovia Park.

Perry Beardsley

University Heights / South Campus

While critics knock University Heights for its undergrad-heavy   demographic and all that entails (read on), there seems to have been an upsurge in the number of graduate students and families moving into  the area in the past year or so.   This is good news.   Combined with a   renewed effort by community leaders, the university and local police to curb the sorts of abuses typically committed by kids living on   their own for the first time, this has resulted in for myself and others a nice, convenient, inexpensive place to live.   Rents typically are among some of the lowest in the city and property  values, while climbing in recent years, are actually in the affordable range.   The Heights area is within easy walking distance of South  campus, the shuttle bus to the Amherst campus and the downtown metro line; within minutes of some of the best pizza, chicken wings and  Chinese food in the city (Just Pizza, Anchor Bar, Ming Cafe) and other assorted restaurants and coffee shops, and a short drive from  interesting spots such as the Elmwood strip, Allentown, Delaware Park, and downtown.   One word of caution, however: choose wisely if you are thinking of living in this part of the city.   Within blocks of some really great neighborhoods you are apt to find swarms of unattended and uncaring undergraduate students living on streets where red  plastic party cups blow around like tumbleweed in a Western ghosttown and shopping carts are seen as an acceptable means of student   transportation.   And of course, where there are large numbers of young ipod-listening, cell phone-using, cash-carrying, lap-top users, driving decent cars with expensive car stereo systems, you will also  find people that are more than willing to relieve said young people of   those items.   Which is a glib way of saying, you must lock your doors   if you live here.

Mark Lempke
North Campus, U.B.

Living on-campus has many benefits.  First among these is, of  course, its proximity to most places on the North Campus.  If you need  to make a quick trip to the library or Park Hall, its only about a 5- to-15 minute walk depending on where you are on campus.  This provides  some badly needed exercise in the lives of often sedentary grad  students.  But when the weather's not cooperating, there's also a  great shuttle service that can take you to where you need to go on  campus.  I'm living at the Creekside apartments right now, which are  furthest from most academic complexes, but are also reasonably  scenic.  With UB as your ‘landlord, you can be quite sure that the  utilities and cleanliness will be first-rate.  If something does,  perchance, go awry, the Maintenance crew is quite good about setting  things aright.  One disadvantage, though, is the cost.  My apartment  is going up to $700 a month next year, and you can probably find a  better deal quite easily in Buffalo.  However, for first-year grad  students, I'd certainly recommend living in UB grad housing, because  of its convenient, dependable, headache-free benefits.

Steve Gill
Amherst

Enveloping the sprawl of UB's North Campus, Amherst is among the  largest and most polished suburbs in Western New York.  With safe  neighborhoods and recreational expanses, this township is ideal for  raising a family, leading a professional career, and the practicing  student alike.  Aside of this genial portrait, Amherst has its  commercial attractions and/or welcomed distractions.  There are  numerous restaurants and shopping facilities in close proximity to the  campus.  Whether at school or at play, the whole of Amherst is commuter  friendly!

Danielle Battisti

Amherst

I am a PhD student and chose to live in Amherst.   My ride into school is about 5 to 10 minutes to North Campus.   Since I work well at the library, rather than home, I go into school almost every day.   It made sense for me to pick a location that was both a convenient and economical ride.   In the winter, the short commute is even nicer because you don't have to deal with winter driving on the highways.   You can easily find affordable rent, in safe and quiet suburban neighborhoods near the campus.   Amherst has a wide variety of stores and restaurants for all your daily needs, but be warned…they are all chain stores and restaurants.   I usually go down to the Elmwood area for dining and evenings out with friends.   Amherst is definitely suburban, so if you want a city feel this area is not for you.

Skylar Harris
North Tonawanda

Why you might want to live in North Tonawanda:

Location, location, location: N.T. is somehow 15 minutes away from EVERYTHING. I don't know how that works, it just does. Downtown Buffalo, Niagara Falls, North Campus, the Moon. All 15 minutes (although the last one is highly dependent on local traffic).

Bang for your buck: This place is CHEAP. I'm living in an apartment right now that was designed for 2-4 people, with no roommate, on a grad student salary, AND I have an office. I have a whole room just for boxes to live in. Although everywhere in the general area features fairly cheap rents, N.T. has the as close to the cheapest as you may want to go (any lower and you're looking at a serious commute or a less than enticing crime rate).

Dorking out: working in Erie County as a T.A., and living in Niagara County as a resident of N.T. entitles you to free membership in both counties' library systems. Which is, after all, every little girl's dream.

Winter wonderland: N.T. is on the river, not the lake. What this means is that we (somehow) get significantly less snow than towns to the south. This week, the Hamburg area got almost a foot of snow. N.T. had about 3 inches.

Parking: I hate looking for parking. In North Tonawanda, you park right in front of your house, and so can your friends.

Fresh Veggies: Most months out of the year, NT has a pretty little Farmers' Market. Be warned, however. Just because you can buy a million delicious apples for only $2.50, that doesn't mean you should.You'll wind up having to throw a party for the sole purpose of getting your friends drunk and forcing them to eat apples. Listen to the voice of experience on this one.

No Lines at the DMV: Granted, you'll only need to use it once or twice, but not having to wait in line is always fantastic. I'm not sure why this is true, but I suspect it has something to do with all the DUI's and not being able to afford a car anyway (NT has a LOT of old guys on bikes).

Why you might NOT want to live in North Tonawanda:

It's pretty lame: Seriously. It is.

The power of perception: For some reason, even though you are 15 minutes away from anywhere you would reasonably expect to go, and in most large cities that would make you just about downtown proper, people around here think living in NT is roughly equivalent to living in a cave on Mars. I don't know why. Just be prepared for a lot of "Really? ALL THE WAY out there?”"

The bus: If you don't want to have a car, NT is pretty much out of the question. It is THEORETICALLY possible to take the bus from here to North Campus, but only if you REALLY, REALLY love being on the bus. Like, so much so that you prefer it to all of life's other daily activities.

North Tonawanda's Mixed Blessings:

Old Man Bars, Abandoned Factories: I live within visual distance of the following: (1) abandoned deli (1) carpet remnant warehouse (1) carrousel factory/museum (1) church-turned-photo studio that specializes in wedding photos (2) crazy abandoned factory-type buildings, and (1) printing-press type company which may or may not be either (a) abandoned, or (b) actually a theme bar.

No-Hipster Zones : If you absolutely cannot live farther than walking distance away from a coffee house full of super-cool 20-somethings, an indie book & music store, a food co-op, and a local vegan-laotion-bbq-restaurant, NT is not the place for you. If you're fine with driving to that kind of thing, and living in a pretty squarely suburban working-class environment, going to get breakfast at really crummy diners, and having the big local festival of the year feature Rick Springfield (last year) and a “Diaper Derby” (every year), then NT just may be the place for you.

John Mclean

"The Southtowns"

Living in the south towns can be a challenging situation for students at UB, but also rewarding, depending on your interests. Living in Orchard Park, Hamburg, or West Seneca means that you are a long way from both the UB North and South Campuses. The drive from Orchard Park to the Amherst Campus averages about thirty minutes, but can be much more depending on weather and traffic conditions. Thanks to "lake effect" snow, snowfall is much heavier in the south towns than in the northern suburbs; if there is a snowstorm, expect to spend an hour or more on the thruway heading up to campus. Bus service to the south towns is spotty at best, so having a car is a must. As such, make sure you figure gas prices into your budget.

On the plus side, living in the south towns is slightly cheaper than living in the northern suburbs. Generally you can get the same sized apartment for $100-$200 cheaper per month in Orchard Park or Hamburg than you can in Tonawanda or Amherst.   However, it is still not as cheap as getting a place in the city. In terms of recreation, if you are an outdoors type of person, then living in the south towns is for you. In the summer, Lake Erie and miles of beaches are directly adjacent, and during the winter you are a short drive away from ski country. If you are a football fan, Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, is right next door! Nightlife is virtually nonexistent however; if you want to hit the bars or clubs in downtown Buffalo, your only option is a 20-30 minute drive. Make sure you have a designated driver! Living in the south towns is perfect for those who are used to living in a small town, want to be closer to the countryside than the city, and don't mind a longer drive to campus. If convenience to UB is important or transportation is an issue for you, then living in Amherst, Tonawanda, or even the city of Buffalo would be a better choice.

Other Resources:

You might also want to check out SBI, a not-for-profit, student-operated service corporation at UB which runs a service aimed at helping students find off-campus housing.

Last updated: Monday, February 27, 2006