<p>When do you find out if you got an on-campus parking permit? If I applied for one as an incoming freshman, are my chances good? If I don't get one and really wanna drive up, is there anything I can do in terms of parking?</p>
<p>I was under the impression that whoever chose to purchase one would be given one...</p>
<p>That's true. Whoever purchases one is guaranteed one. It's a space you have to worry about. Although there is, for example, the A Lot on North and a few other large-ish lots around campus, there isn't exactly an abundance of parking spaces, which are not guaranteed. There are also a ton of rules and restrictions about different types of permits, and even with a parking permit there is still the risk of getting one of those lovely CUPD $25 parking tickets. A car is useful only if you need to get off campus often (for a job, take care of things, go home often for family, etc), but beyond that, use the TCAT or walk.</p>
<p>be warned: like 100 kids will have cars the first month. the permit is pro-rated. so after breaks, cheap kids will bring their cars up for discount. meaning you have to walk farther.</p>
<p>To answer your second question, although you'll probably have a parking permit, I knew several freshmen who didn't want to buy a permit and just parked on nearby residential streets. (By "nearby" I mean you might have a ten-minute walk to get there, but this is Cornell, get used to ten-minute walks.)</p>
<p>Yeah, the whole parking situation is pretty bad at Cornell if you want to bring a car. I'm a rising junior, and my 2 years (and my 3rd) will be very different methods of parking.....</p>
<p>Freshman year I lived on North and the CU parking lot "CC lot" that is across the street from Dickson and RPCC (and reaching all the way to Akwekon) is VERY convenient if you want to park there. The permit is quite pricey though ($640 or so now I believe) and if you buy one you don't get the free bus pass. Though if you have a car chances are you won't be using the bus pass very often. Cornell's reasonably good about plowing their lots, of course they can't to a 100% great job if the lot is filled with cars, but it worked fine for me.</p>
<p>This past year I lived on West (Becker House) and at the end of freshman year I started to look for parking, and I found an ad in the Daily Sun. I ended up parking at 618 Stewart Ave (across from Noyes Center, next to Cayuga Lodge) for $700. It was a little less convenient (and more expensive) than parking on North, but if you live on West, the CU permit you'll get is only good for parking on North or way out by Morrison Hall near the Vet School. There is literally no CU student parking on West Campus. The parking lot I parked in was okay, well plowed, gravel, but expensive, and next year they are charging $800 for the same spot.</p>
<p>Next year one of my friends is living at Cayuga Lodge and she's letting me park there for peanuts (well, in comparison).</p>
<p>Parking on residential streets is not unheard of. There are a few streets on North, but it's a crapshoot as far as how close you're going to get to where you live. It's a little better on West, with parking on Stewart Ave north of West and also on University Ave. Most of those spots are 24hr parking only, but in practice the number of tickets you get from the Ithaca (not CU) parking police is far less than the $640 CU permit.</p>
<p>There are also usually a decent amount of people subletting parking spots at apartments in Collegetown or wherever....that can get expensive (especially covered spots which go for over 100 a month).</p>
<p>Having a car at Cornell is good and bad...my experience has been mostly positive. It's easy to Tcat to the mall or the commons, or around campus, but outside of that, it's hard. I've heard stories of 3-hour trips to Wegmans (grocery store). Also you'll need a car if you ever want to make side trips out of Ithaca....and if you're not from Boston or NYC it's difficult to go home on breaks on a budget. Bus service is pretty good to Boston and NYC, but nowhere else, and plane ticket prices out of Ithaca are astronomical. Syracuse airport is better but if you don't have a ride it'll cost you $50 to get there.</p>
<p>On the down side, driving on the hills (especially in the snow) is an experience in its own right....</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>i only brought a car for second semester, but it is really nice to have. great for errands and groceries, and its also a really good way to get off campus. i felt a bit isolated at first, but that was beacuse itw as a bit of a pain to walk to collegetown. use your car to go out and get a good dinner every once ina a while, or go down to the commons or other parks. there are only 2 lots on north campus where you can park. there are plenty of spots in those lots, (one right by mews/jam/low rises and the other by rpu/highrise/dickson) especially in the fall before most kids bring cars.</p>
<p>There's actually another lot on North - right next to Dickson/Balch (behind the sand volleyball courts). It's rarely more than half full and it's really easy to access (even to Louie's, Risley, the sororities, etc).</p>
<p>is there any parking in collegetown that doesnt require a permit?</p>
<p>yea there is, but you have to pay meters or a garage fee. there are definately places you can park without getting a ticket. i parked at the appell lot for awhile without a pass and no tickets, and same with in the collegetown garage in the spaces before you enter the gate and takea ticket. parking is a pain, dont park in academic building lots/infront, youll get a ticket.</p>