Both Elmwood Village and downtown Buffalo offer wonderful living options for University at Buffalo students.
Nationally ranked as one of the top 10 neighborhoods to live in, Elmwood and the surrounding Allen and downtown area offer pleasures both artistic and aesthetic.
Home to the best bars, clubs, restaurants, and art galleries in Buffalo and Western New York, students longing to break away from the North Campus minutiae can find hipster bliss when they make their home downtown.
Shanice Cherry, a senior English major, has lived on Elmwood for over a year.
'The night life is fabulous. I live a few blocks from Allen Street, and there [are] always a lot of live shows, bands, art shows, and more,' said Cherry.
Since most places don't advertise the way University Residence Halls & Apartments do, students wishing to move must rely on word of mouth, or do their own research, to find their perfect downtown house or apartment.
However, Sub-Board, Inc, provides resources for UB students to find off-campus housing, most notably its Web site, offcampushousing.buffalo.edu.
Craigslist and local networking venues are also available for students to use to find housing on Elmwood and downtown.
Living so far away from both North and South Campuses can present a fair amount of issues for students. Fortunately some transportation options, although largely inconvenient, are available.
'[The Downtown Campus] has a shuttle to South, and that's how I get to school,' Cherry said.
Unfortunately, the Downtown Campus's shuttle, the Blue Line, only arrives and departs twice an hour.
Colin Morrissey, a senior nursing major, has lived in the Elmwood area all his life.
'Everything in Buffalo is here – food, bars, the works. There's always something to do and it's very welcoming,' said Morrissey.
Morrissey was sure to endorse Elmwood and downtown's relatively close proximity to South Campus, something often misunderstood by UB students.
'It's maybe a 15 minute trip if you ride your bike, especially in the summer,' Morrissey said.
According to Sub-Board's Web site, rent in Elmwood averages $500 per person.
'The blocks running off of Elmwood Avenue are lined with fine examples of residential Victorian architecture and are more expensive properties,' the site states.
Morrissey mentioned the growing popularity of the Elmwood area and the increasing difficulty students may have in finding an affordable place to live there.
'[The Elmwood neighborhood] is on the rise and living there can get expensive,' Morrissey said.
Living in the downtown area is somewhat more varied, in the range of $400 to $2,000 per month.
'The rent depends on the location of the apartment and the amenities and luxuries included,' Sub Board's Web site said.
Living in the downtown and Elmwood areas also presents problems for students with cars.
'Most of the houses [in the area] have really small parking lots, and finding places to park can get really difficult. It can become a disadvantage, especially if you live on a street where you have to move [your car] at certain times,' Morrissey said.
A less desirable aspect to take into consideration when moving downtown is the close proximity to the less than reputable side of urban Buffalo.
'Elmwood runs parallel to some really bad areas, especially past Richmond Avenue. If you're planning to move down there, I'd suggest becoming familiar with the area first,' Morrissey said.
For students wanting to live either farther downtown or in the Elmwood area, the question of how to go about getting to class is pertinent. Students without cars usually make use of the Metro Rail system, which runs in and outbound all day, and ends at University Station on South Campus.
The negative aspect of this mode of transportation is the often tedious and tiring task of boarding it, especially if students have class early. Students should make sure to leave at least an hour earlier in order to make it to class on time.
'The distance [and having to take public transportation] is the only bad thing about living this far downtown,' Cherry said.
Intimidation and inconvenience aside, the option of moving downtown is one UB students should consider.
When weighing living selections, if students like intellect, artistic independence and a cultural hub, there's no other option.
E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
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