• Housing
• Telephone
• Transportation
• Shopping
• Mailing lists & network resources
• Religion
• Miscellaneous

Housing

On-campus Housing

There are several University Housing options at Cornell. Usually Chinese students will choose Maplewood or Hasbrouck if they book the room before they come here.

1. Maplewood: walking distance to campus. You can ride a bicycle to school. Some people think the room is relatively small and the rent is a little bit high. But it is still a nice place for new comers. Some people like the one-bedroom apartment there.
2. Hasbrouck: walking distance to campus. On bus line. Transportation to campus is convenient. It will be a very nice place to stay but only for couples. Be aware that the long-distance telephone plan of university housing is very expensive (about $3.00 a minute to China). So you'd better use calling card to call your home.

Off-campus housing

Several common choices:

1. Collegetown area:close to the Cornell, within walking distance to campus, but may be noisier than places further out. Many single international students live there.
2. Downtown area: nice place but you may need to take a bus to go up the hill. (or a 25 minute walk uphill everyday, which is a good exercise, actually ?).
3. East Hill area: on bus line. Many students live there.
4. Maple Hill: 2 or 3 bedroom house, with relatively good price, within walking distance to Cornell. You can also ride a bicycle.
5. University Heights: Many Chinese students live there. On bus line. Large room. Good price.
6. Winston Court: 3-bedroom Apartment. Many Chinese students live there.
7. West Village:
2-bedroom Apartment, with low rent, but a bit far from campus.
8. South Hill: studio. Many Chinese students live there.

There are many other houses, apartments, studios around the Cornell campus. You need time to find a good place to stay. Please be aware that Cornell campus is rather hilly at south, so many students who don't want to climb hill everyday will choose north campus to live. Also riding a bicycle may not be a good idea, especially when it snows heavily in the winter. So either you live within walking distance to campus, or you take a bus to school everyday. Or you drive to school and pay several hundred dollars a year for parking.

More Off-campus housing

Please visit http://campuslife.cornell.edu/graduate_housing/ for comprehensive housing information. This is a web site maintained by the University Housing Assignment Office in the Robert Purcell Community Center (on the North Campus, i.e., over the bridge at Beebe Lake). You can get a complete off-campus housing list (private landlords) from the web site. Also you can look at the Ithaca Journal and the Ithaca Times (usually better than the university list. Housing Solutions (on Dryden Road) can also provide you with a list of updated available apartments until you find your place, but they will ask for $15. You can also check the flyer boards in buildings throughout the university.

Estimated Rent

At some places, if you pay the whole year's rent in advance, you can get a good discount.(Prices: Collegetown: rooms from $400.00 to $500.00 and apartments from $550.00to $650.00; Downtown: rooms from $300.00; Lansing West: contact Candice at257-5444; studios from $480.00 and apartments from $605.00); University Heights: 2-bedroom apartments around $750.00 (floor 3), $730 (floor 2), $705.00 (floor1), plus phone and electricity. One bedroom is about $650.00 per month; Winston Court: 3-bedroom apartments from $550 to $650 plus utilities; West Village:2-bedroom apartments less than $600; South Hill: studio from $400 to $450,everything included.

If you are renting from private landlords, bring some extra money for initial expenses. You might have to pay the first month's rent, last month's rent, and security deposit (usually one month's rent) to your private landlord at time of rental; bargaining for staggered payment might be possible.

The prices above may not be comparable since some include utility, some don't. It really depends. Be sure about your own rent.

Lease

When you sign the lease with the landlord (some of them are very nice, but some may be unpleasant to you), make sure the lease length, the amount of the rent, the utility fee, the responsibility for the cleaning and other maintenance of the house (like who will pay if the pipe is clogged), and whether they will deduct deposit from you for what kind of damage. Before you move in the house, check the window, door, wall, outlet on the wall, pipe in the kitchen and the bathroom, etc. Also you need to check the heat system. If you have to pay the heat, you need to know whether the house uses gas or electricity for heating. The heating using electricity will be much more expensive in the winter.

Landlords will request you to sign a lease, which is actually a legal contract between you and the landlord. So READ CAREFULLYBEFORE YOU SIGN. You should be sure about a place before you commit. Think carefully about the time schedule of the coming year. Otherwise, you might suffer a loss of money, or have to find someone to sublet your room. Sometimes,finding a subletter is very difficult.

Some landlords will give you a 9 to 10 month lease, which will allow you some time to look for a new place after the end ofthe next spring semester and give you more flexibility if you travel during the summer or work outside of Ithaca. Some students might prefer this alternative. But be aware that the 10-month lease and the 9-month lease may be more expensive than the 12-month ones.

Do not rush into accommodations!牑い─い挨$ Sign the lease agreement after only carefully analyzing the place!

Temporary Housing

If you need a place to stay for a couple of days after your arrival while you look for accommodations, try contacting the International Living Center (basic accommodations, about $20 per day). You can also make a reservation at the Hillside Inn, a nice, cheap motel close to Cornell campus(607-272-9507). Or find a sublet from Cornell students through CSS-L, ISSO-L mailing list and other information source.

More Housing Links...

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Telephone

Installation/Activation

To have phone lines installed or activated (if you already have the phones in your place), you can call Verizon, the only local company here, at 890-7100 or 890-1590. There are many kinds of optional services, make sure to tell them what kinds of services you want or you don't want, or you may cry over your first phone bill.

Long distance

If you want to make international calls through your telephone, you should have yourself added in to the international calling plan, or the price will be much higher(about $3/min). Choose your long distance carrier -MCI, AT&T, or SPRINT - depending on who offers better rates to China (that's where you will be calling most).The rate is usually around $0.60 a minute. Be aware of the limit of time (only at the weekend, or 7 days a week) and period (for 3 or 6 months) of those international calling plans they offer.

For international call, you can also dial 1010321-011+area code(86 for China)+phone #, which is $1.4 a minute within 10 minutes. But if you call more than 10 minutes, the rate is $0.7 per minute.

Calling cards

You may also want to buy a calling card, especially upon your arrival. The international calling cards are available at Dong Fang Grocery store (on the Eddy Street in Collegetown) or Winli grocery store. Many Chinese students find it cheap to buy calling cards on the web http://www.chinamallonline.com or http://www.phonecardonsale.com or http://www.firstphonecard.com. Current lowest rate of calling back to China is about 10 cents/min (no connection fee). Keep in mind that some cheap cards may not have good qualities. Don't buy domestic calling cards, which are for calling within the United States, and are usually very expensive.

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Transportation

Bus

The bus system is not very good. They are always on time but they run very infrequently. Some places are difficult to reach. To change buses, you need a transfer slip, but if you are going to use the service every day a bus pass is cheaper. To get around easily, a car is very helpful (especially for shopping -most shopping centers are not centrally located and are rather far from campus). Bicycles are fine in Collegetown and on campus, but you'd have to be areal athlete to climb up from downtown. Remember: Downtown really means"down-"town, i.e., on lake level. It is definitely a very good idea to have a car in Ithaca for grocery shopping, visiting the wineries, etc.(Remember Ithaca is small but hilly and not that small!)

You can check the http://www.tcatbus.com/ to see the bus schedule and route. A campus map is available at:
http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/MapMove.x/M1-1-1?200,300 some maps will also be handed out when you register. Before that, you can pickup useful maps from Day Hall on campus.

Cars

American Automobile Association

As we have already said, it might be a good idea to buy one. If you do, you may want to join AAA (American Automobile Association, 303W. Lincoln, Tel: 273-6727, yearly fee of about $39 for standard membership) for towing, maps, and other services.

Auto-Insurance

As a foreigner, be prepared to pay about $600 for insurance (one year) depending on age, family status, etc.; compare insurance companies before you buy insurance.

Parking

If you want to park on-campus, university parking permits are available for several hundred dollars (depending on where you want to park). Permits for places near private housing (parking space rentals) vary in prices. Wrong parking on campus may cost you lots of money and your car may be towed away.

Driver's license

To get a New York State license, contact DMV (Department ofMotor Vehicles) at Ithaca (301 Third St) for written and road tests. Some Road Test Tips

Bicycles

You can buy bicycles at the "Salvation Army Thrift Shop" (downtown on Route 13), 339 Elmira Road, Tel: 272-5323. Sometimes,they need repair. There is also RIBS (Recycle Ithaca's Bicycles) which gives used, repaired bicycles to people and encourages them to do community service in return. It is located between Lake and Franklin Streets behind the Fall Creek P&C supermarket, Tel: 255-7108. Sometimes you can get used bikes at the Bike Rack in Collegetown. (That's also where you find the "toll free" air hose to fill your tires).

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Shopping

Check the Ithaca Times, the Cornell Daily Sun, and the Ithaca Penny saver for classified advertisements for anything you do not want to buy new (bicycles, cars,household stuff, etc.); sometimes there are announcements for garage sales, i.e., private sales for all kinds of goods. For used household articles, also check out the "Salvation Army Thrift Shop" (downtown on Route 13),359 Elmira Road, Tel: 272-5323. K-Mart is a cheap shopping place (downtown on Route 13). Keep in mind that the Campus Store is not exactly a cheap store.

Food

Wegmans supermarket (500 S Meadow St, downtown on Route 13) is the biggest place for grocery shopping at Ithaca.

TOPS (one in downtown, next to Wegmans, the other in Pyramid Mall) is also very nice, with a great variety.

The P&C market at East Hill Plaza is closer to campus and a little cheaper, but does not have the same quality or selection. There are another two P&C food markets here, one is at downtown (212 Hancock St) and the other is close to Pyramid Mall (North Campus).

The farmers' market is a good place to get fresh vegetables grown on neighboring farms, but more expensive. It is by the lake on Meadow Street (open every Saturday and Sunday morning, except during winter).

The A&P(21 Triphammer Rd) is relatively expensive compared to the other supermarkets.

Chinese Grocery:

Dong Fang (Collegetown), Shun Fa (Triphammer Mall), Winli (Route 13), Emily's Oriental Food (W. State St.)

Books

You might need to buy new or used textbooks from the Campus store if you do need them and cannot get from other resource (Many textbooks are reserved and available as two-hour loan in libraries). You can be fully refunded if you return the book during the add-and-drop period, therefore, don't write in the books during that time. Of course, price at campus store may be substantially higher than that of bookstores on the web such as Amazon.com, etc.

Computers

There is a computer fair on campus at the beginning of the semester. Don't panic! You can always buy them at the same price later on (University Computer Shop = CIT Shop on Dryden Road). A computer shop downtown sometimes has used computers (SofTeach, 106 W. State Street, Tel: 272-0414). A cheap way to get a computeris by mail order - check Computer Shop magazine. Compare prices before you buy anything at the campus computer fair! Also you may consider buying a computer from internet.

Second-hand stuffs

You can also check the newsgroup in the Bear Access to see the "Cornell. Marketplace". Students are buying and selling used TVs, VCRs, all kinds of furniture, computers, printers, bicycles, books, etc through that news group. Also you can subscribe CSS-L and ISSO-L mailing lists to get those info about housing, buying and selling used stuff. Besides, check the Ithaca times, the Cornell Daily Sun, and the Ithaca Journal for garage sale and second hand stuff information.

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Mailing lists & network resources

How to subscribe to CSS-L and ISSO-L list

We encourage you to subscribe to a mailing list called CSS-L and ISSO-L. You will find helpful info from these two mailing list.

To subscribe or unsubscribe the CSS-L mailing list, please see CSSA Mailing List Instruction. To subscribe or unsubscribe the ISSO-L mailing list, simply replace CSS-L with ISSO-L in the instruction page.

You will be automatically notified if the subscription is successful. To get off the list, use "unsubscribe" instead, other things remaining the same.

CU Info

Visit http://www.cuinfo.cornell.edu to explore more about the living in Cornell.

Bear Access

Many Bear Access network services available to you here at Cornell. You will find them any services available through Bear Access helpful. You can use:

• Just the Facts: to check your bursar bill, review your grades, register for classes through CoursEnroll, and maintain your address information
• Campus Store: to see textbooks used in classes and books in print
• Library Resources: to access the on-line Cornell Libraries catalog, Medical Library catalog, Social and Economic Data,lists of Cornell Lectures, and many periodical indexes
• World Wide Web: to find information on all kinds of topics
• Electronic mail: (Eudora or Travelers Mail) to establish contact with colleagues all over the world as well as with Cornell faculty and students
• Who I Am: to provide electronic directory information about yourself which is accessible to other Internet users around the world
• CU People: to create a personal web page
• Student Jobs: to view employment opportunities
• Training: to accessinformation about on-line and classroom computer training and many others.

These services come with the responsibility to follow Cornell guidelines and policies. For more information on these topics, please review the brochure, "Protect Your Privacy." If you didn't receive a copy at your introductory workshop, you can request one from the CIT Help Desk and/or visit the Web site at:

http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Computer/responsible-use/Index.html.

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Religion

Cornell Chinese Christian Fellowship (CCFC)

Cornell Chinese Christian Fellowship (CCFC) is for Christians and people who are seeking the true meaning of life. We meet every Friday night from 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm at First Ithaca Chinese Church (429 Mitchell Street). Virtually all of us came from mainland China and most are associated with Cornell University. In our weekly gatherings we share delicious foods and fellowship among each other, but most importantly God's love. For special occasions such as the Fall break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, we usually have special events such as outings and BBQ. Please check for our website http://www.rso.cornell.edu/ccfc for more information. Whether you are looking for a spiritual home or are just curious about who Jesus is, CCFC might be a place for you. Everyone is welcome!!!

Contact Person: Feng Shuaizhang

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Miscellaneous

Health Insurance

There may be significant change in school policies concerning Student Health Insurance. Please check the official web page for up-to-date information.

http://www.studentinsurance.cornell.edu/graduates/default.html

Banking

There are several banks where you can open an account, such as CFCU, Tompkins County Trust Company, M&T, HSBC and so on . Usually you can get a checking account and a saving account, with a debit ATM card. Checking account for students is usually free of charge. And you may need to buy some checkbook when you open the account. Most money transfers are done with checks. You can get cash from ATM (automatic teller machines) all over the town using your bank card and PIN(personal identification number).

Meals

Cornell offers different meal plans. Usually Chinese students don't take any of them. You can eat at dining places on campus or Collegetown or you cook for yourself.

Newspapers

Olin Library(central campus) offers a broad range of international newspapers. Also the Kroch library in the same building has a variety of Asian collections,including some Chinese books and videos.

TV

For a newcomer to the States, a TV is very helpful for your English listening comprehension. You can buy a used TV from moving sale, Cornell market place news group, or a new one from K-mart or Pyramid Mall. You need to call Time Warner Cable to activate your TV cable. They have several plans. The basic one will cost you $20 a month. The standard plus will cost you about $50 a month.

Post Office

There is no post office in Collegetown. There is one on campus a couple of blocks behind the Startler Hotel (in ILR building), and another downtown (Buffalo Street). The main post office is located near the airport on Warren Rd.

The postage for domestic first class mail is $0.34 (plain letter), from here to China is $0.80 per letter. If your letter is too heavy, you may have to go to the post office and weight it before you put stamp on it.

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