Collegiate village

Talk about a transformation.

???Collegiate Village, formerly the Kensington Village Apartments, used to be a dangerous neighborhood with low-income housing. Two years after the initial transformation of the area began, Collegiate Village now lies within a gated fence, offering off-campus independence in a once-forsaken quarter.

???Situated on Affinity Lane off of Eggert Road, just seconds from the Kensington 33 Expressway, Collegiate Village offers UB students the opportunity to live in a community with students from other local colleges.

???Meg Corcoran, events coordinator for Collegiate Village, explained that there are currently about 25 UB students living in the apartments, of a total 130 spaces occupied. Collegiate Village is pushing to lease rooms to 600 students for the 2009-10 school year, with an eventual goal of 1,300 filled beds.

???Students have their choice of five different housing setups. One bedroom/one bath single apartments are available for $823 per unit per month. Two bedroom/two bath apartments are available for $720 per month.

???Four bedroom/Four bath apartments were by far the most spacious option, with a design that allows your quad privacy and a communal feel to college living. Rooms are currently available for $603 per month per person. According to Corcoran, each room in the four bed/four bath apartments is distinctive and easy to make your own.

???"Each room is different from one another," she said. "They all have a unique characteristic to them."

???For students looking for an alternative to the dorms but who don't mind sharing a bedroom, dorm-style housing is available, with double-occupancy two bedroom/two bath apartments for $515 a person.

???For students who can't commit to a full year in Buffalo, semester-long leases are also available, with some exceptions.

Individual leases are available for students for each individual bedroom. Students looking for a place to stay for the summer months should look into leasing as soon as possible, as the Village offers special leasing options for students who sign on the line early.

???"With individual leases, you never have to worry about what's going on with your roommates," including stressing about whether someone is moving out or can't make rent, Corcoran said.

Amenities:

???All apartments come furnished with built in laundry and appliances. All apartments come with sofas, chairs, coffee table, entertainment shelves and bar stools. All bedrooms come equipped with a computer desk, end table, dresser and bed. Full size beds come with each room, excluding the double occupancy rooms. Students who choose double occupancy need not worry about space, as single beds can be lofted in these rooms, maximizing floor space.

???Garbage services, heat and water are included in the cost of rent. Students will pay an additional flat rate of $25 per month for electricity. Bedrooms include cable and Internet through an Ethernet cable.

Transportation:

???Shuttles run from Collegiate Village to UB South Campus, as well as to Daemen College, Villa Maria College and SUNY Erie Community College.

???"We're [about] six minutes from six different campuses," Corcoran said. "Any school you need to get to has transportation, which is nice, because you don't have to worry about having a car and trying to park on campus."

???With access to South Campus, students can utilize the UB Stampede buses to get to North Campus, or can make use of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority bus station and Metrorail stop, both located on South Campus, for easy access to the Queen City.

Roommates:

???Students have the option to live with friends or to be matched with a roommate according to similar living preferences.

???"We have every person fill out a resident information card," Corcoran said. "We accommodate not only by building, but my room, and you can live with people you go to school with."

???Residents can be assured that even though Collegiate Village is off-campus housing, they'll be living with students only.

???"We do require proof that someone is a student in order to move in," she said.

Safety:

???Though the surrounding neighborhood is a bit rough, students residing at Collegiate Village live in a gated community with security on hand and swipe-card access to the community and to all individual buildings. Students are also given individual keys to their own bedrooms.

???Buffalo Patrol Security, which employs off-duty Cheektowaga police officers, is on call in the Collegiate Village community. The Village is siphoned off from the Buffalo community, but offers the feel of the city only steps away from the grounds.

???"If we have any issue, we call them and they'll be there right away," Corcoran said.

College Atmosphere:

???Collegiate Village has a home-away-from-home feel for students, offering a close community for residents. Students can take advantage of a full lounge with fireplace, flat screen TV, fitness center, tanning booths, Hi-Def movie theater with stadium seating, gymnasium, shuffleboard, pool table and in-ground pool, all free for resident use.

The lounge also comes equipped with a computer lounge and free printing for students and a room designated for Wii and other gaming purposes, including gaming consoles available free of charge in the lounge.

???Student housing comes equipped with resident advisers and community advisers for the village, which includes resident programming similar to on-campus housing, Corcoran said.

???"It's just like you'd get if you were living at school - we have programming constantly, from movie nights in the lounge to other activities," she said.