<p>I want to ditch my car before I move to Rochester so I don't have the extra expense of paying insurance. if I am living off campus is it really feasible? Google Maps has this feature that allows you to map out a bus route. Using those maps it looks like a place that would take 20 minutes to drive takes 2 hours on the bus. Is it really that bad?</p>
<p>Also, what areas would I avoid looking for an apartment. Is it very difficult to find an apartment? Do I need to fly out ahead of time and secure something, or will I likely be able to find something within a couple of days of getting there?</p>
<p>You cannot live off campus as a freshman. Are you a transfer? Otherwise, you’re stuck and your question is moot; you can wait until you see what life is like at Rochester and decide whether you want to live off campus as an upperclassman.</p>
<p>It really depends on where you are living and what your activities are. Parking on campus is really not easy, even with a sticker and if you are living on campus you can be assigned to park on a lot far from where you live. On the other hand it is convenient for off-campus to have a car-for shopping, going out to dinner, Eastman, p/t job off campus. Buses are available but maybe not always good for where you need to go when you need to get there.</p>
<p>If you were a freshman, I’d tell you to ditch the car and save some $. </p>
<p>Since you are transferring and want to live off campus, bring the ride. You will NOT like waiting for the campus bus (which shows up late half the time) to go to the grocery store, mall, public market, bars/clubs, etc, etc. This is not to mention the major hassle you will experience getting to and from school on the bus every morning…it will be a pain!</p>
<p>The walk from the furthest parking lot to the furthest academic building is exactly 12 minutes at a moderate walking pace (I have timed it).</p>
<p>I’ve lived on campus since freshman year and had a car since then (lied to the parking people, told them I had an off-campus job, so I needed to be able to park freshman year…otherwise those A-holes won’t let you) and I LOVED IT…and so did my carless friends when I drove them places. You can’t beat the convenience of having a car.</p>
<p>You don’t realize this until you don’t have a car, but simple things like driving up to the movie theater or running to the grocery store (on-campus “grocery store” is a RIP OFF) become a major pain when you don’t have a car. </p>
<p>So, if you have the cash for insurance/parking, bring the car.</p>
<p>Yeah if it’s not too much of a hassle, I would bring it. It’s very convenient, especially when it gets frigidly cold and you don’t have to wait for the bus. There are a lot of great things to do around the area that are hard to access without a car, such as going up to lake Ontario or to Letchworth St park, going out to dinner, shopping, or what have you. The bus might near these places, but some of them aren’t the greatest to be walking around. You won’t regret it. I was a freshman last year, and many of my friends are bringing cars this semester and I think it will dramatically increase my happiness.</p>