<p>Now that many of us have received admissions/scholarship decisions, how about a thread where we can ask questions about Pitt life? For example, my question is about cars. </p>
<p>Are freshmen at Pitt allowed to have cars? How easy is it to get a parking permit by your dorm? </p>
<p>Best place to eat on campus? Away from campus? Good shopping places?</p>
<p>To anyone enrolled at Pitt, what is the best housing option freshman year?- Between, SPACE, Forbes, and the Towers in general?</p>
<p>[Parking:</a> University of Pittsburgh](<a href=“http://www.pts.pitt.edu/parking/faq.html]Parking:”>http://www.pts.pitt.edu/parking/faq.html)</p>
<p>And as well, finding parking can be a ***** sometimes, but not always.</p>
<p>You get to use the bus system for free with your ID so a car isn’t necessary. </p>
<p>DS lived in Space and he loved it. Yes, the rooms are tiny but he enjoyed himself. All his current suite-mates lived in SPACE. Towers is centrally located and if you want food, just head down to the basement (Taco Bell, Market Central). He didn’t regret passing up on Forbes. I am sure you will find friends wherever you end up.</p>
<p>I know some of my classmates have cars. I don’t know where they park them though. </p>
<p>I really think the best housing is Towers. It’s where everyone is freshman year and Market Central is in the Towers so you can go there to eat without going outside. I passed over Forbes and think it’s overrated. </p>
<p>As for best place to eat… the Market Central food gets tiring after a month. I really like eating at the Schenley Cafe because they have subs there and a Pizza Hut.</p>
<p>Are freshmen at Pitt allowed to have cars? How easy is it to get a parking permit by your dorm? </p>
<p>Ha the question should be “Does Pitt have parking :D” Oakland=Zero Parking</p>
<p>Best place to eat on campus? Away from campus? Good shopping places? </p>
<p>Lots and lots of places to eat food. I like the sub place in the Pete. Off campus favorites are Joe Mamas, Fuel n Fuddle, The O etc.
Best place for breakfast in the Universe=Pamela’s</p>
<p>For shopping you can go to the Waterfront</p>
<p>How would you guys rank Forbes vs. Towers?</p>
<p>I just visited Towers and am not a student. But Towers has a great central location, houses a huge population of freshman, and is right above the dining hall. I mean, the rooms are small and pie shaped (who thought of that circular setup? it’s really strange), but they’re not uncomfortable and sadly they are not the smallest rooms I’ve seen.</p>
<p>Can someone rank Sutherland vs. Forbes vs. Towers?</p>
<p>Since DS is living in the upper campus this year, I can safely predict he will be back down on the lower campus next year. It is a TREK going up the hill especially running back and forth between classes plus the choices of eateries is smaller. Sutherland is on the upper campus. Forbes and Towers – depends upon what you want – bigger rooms in Forbes and it is a few blocks from Towers. Towers is centrally located and if you lose your panther card/room key – Panther Central is in the lobby :)</p>
<p>My daughter has consistently refused to even consider living on the upper campus. However, if you are an athlete, it is very convenient up there!</p>
<p>My daughter did two years in Towers, once in a double and then in a single. The rooms are small, as others have posted, but the buildings are exceptionally well situated. Also, as a parent, I love that the Towers security is top-notch.</p>
<p>Are there curfews and such at Towers/Forbes? Quiet hours? How easy is it to get into classes you want? Because I know at the school I do dual enrollment at, classes fill up pretty quickly so it’s tough to get time slots you want :(</p>
<p>Murray Avenue Grill in Squirrel Hill is pretty good.</p>
<p>As for parking, the bus is free with your student ID. 
The walk from Squirrel Hill to Oakland takes about an hour, not bad, when you consider the wait for the bus may be half an hour, at times.</p>
<p>The dining (restaurants around it) on the Pitt campus is -godlike- compared to some of the others I’ve been to. I forget what the place’s name is, but I love that gyro/shawarma place on the campus</p>
<p>My daughter is in Sutherland in what she thought was a learning community–more like a social community. She is on the list ot move to Forbes as soon as something becomes available. She is quite serious as a student and is taking a couple of honors science courses. On more than one occasion, she would have liked to have someone to bounce a question off of. Her humanities-major suitemates were not able to help. She can’t study in her room because the suite is loud, so she treks to the library and the Cathedral of Learning to study. She can’t wait to get down the hill.</p>
<p>That would be terrible! But in all fairness, I don’t think that Sutherland is actually a “suite” arrangement. Yes, there are clusters of 5 or 6 double rooms opening onto the hallway that form a “suite”, there is a hallway lounge and they do share two bathrooms, but that’s about it. Everyone has their private door and there are no kitchen facilities to fight over. It seemed more like a regular dorm to me than an apartment.</p>
<p>MD Mom, Forbes could be a party group too, depending on the residents at the time. Another option your daughter might consider is a quiet living community.</p>
<p>lkf–you are correct about the Sutherland Suites. That is the term the residence life uses. It is an eight-girl suite: hallway with four double rooms and two shower/toilet rooms, sinks in the hall. The TV room is just outside the door to the hallway. And you are right that Forbes could be pretty social as well.</p>