The move from the rolling hills of campus to the concrete jungle of Downtown can be daunting, but about 58 percent of BU’s students populate the streets just past Vestal Parkway, so there must be something special about it. When the time comes to trade BU IDs for house keys, RAs for landlords and dining halls for Ramen, the choice can be difficult. To make it easier, Release has investigated several off-campus student communities popping up all over Binghamton, here to give students a home away from home (and campus).

University Lofts

91 Court St.

Rent starts at: $850

University Lofts is one of two off-campus communities to open for the first time this school year – and you can tell. While it still has that new-building smell, there are some kinks to be worked out.

“They just don’t have their act together yet,” said Seth Greenberg, a senior double-majoring in history and philosophy, politics and law.

While the location is central to Downtown, on the same block as Maryams and Merlin’s, Lofts is noticeably lacking in other areas. The self-proclaimed “media room” is just three computers without any printers, even though students were promised free printing. Students were also promised a game room, which is yet to come to fruition.

Another common complaint from students interviewed is the lack of trash rooms on every floor. Lofts is a six-story building, so for students on the higher floors, bringing trash down six flights is definitely an inconvenience. Garbage bins are brought to each floor to compensate for this, but only a few times a week for two-hour time slots.

Unlike their larger off-campus counterparts like 20 Hawley or Twin River Commons, Lofts doesn’t have a team of 24-hour staff available. This gives it a more mature, less dorm-like feel, but can be annoying if you have a problem that needs attention quickly.

On the bright side, Lofts offers a fully equipped gym and convenient parking at monthly rates down the street.

While Lofts’ location is one of the best, it doesn’t entirely make up for the building’s flaws.

Chenango Place

7 Court St.

Rent starts at: $800

Chenango Place, not to be confused with Binghamton’s delicious on-campus restaurant, the Chenango Room, is the second brand-new student housing community in Downtown Binghamton, open for the first time this semester and located right down the block from its friendly competition, University Lofts.

The community’s aesthetically pleasing and informative website brags about its on-site cafe, convenient parking and fully equipped gym, and offers a virtual tour of available apartments. Ashley Vetack, a senior majoring in economics, said that the apartment has an enjoyable social environment and convenient study lounges, but she still feels cheated by Chenango Place’s website.

“There is a lot of false advertising,” said Vetack.

There is no on-site cafe, despite the website’s promise and even picture of tables set up outside the community’s only entrance, and according to Vetack, the “fully equipped” gym, while functional, is too small.

A popular complaint about Chenango Place, not only from its residents but also from people who live close by, is the constant ringing of the fire alarm. The community’s alarm is sensitive, and people in a relatively short distance away are often woken not only by the alarm, but also by emergency vehicles coming to evaluate the situation.

Vetack said she is also disappointed by the safety situation at Chenango Place. Although the community’s address is 7 Court St., there’s only one entrance for all of Chenango Place’s residents, which isn’t even really located on Court Street. Where one might think the 7 Court St. entrance is located, there’s a big door decorated with advertisements of Chenango, but the door doesn’t open.

The real entrance is right next to the Peacemaker’s Stage, which although is technically considered Court Street, it is a path perpendicular to Court that not only often holds loud early-morning festivals and events, but also tends to attract drunk, sketchier characters, especially at night. This leads Vetack to claim that the parking situation doesn’t feel “convenient,” as she feels her safety is compromised when she walks to the lot, which costs $50 per month in addition to rent.

However, Vetack has only good things to say about the staff quality, complimentary HBO and the game room, which includes both ping pong and pool tables. Her problems are addressed quickly and politely, and she feels comfortable speaking to the management about various issues.

Each apartment has a washer and dryer, and each resident has a personal bathroom. However, she is disappointed about certain missing amenities, like a table. Her apartment, which houses four, was given one small table jutting out of the wall, with only two seats. And while Chenango Place is placed in a beautiful waterfront location, Vetack’s view is nothing but concrete and cement: “I never know what time of day it is or what the weather’s like,” she said. “There’s no sun and it’s depressing.”

Although she has a lot to say about the disappointment she’s faced living at Chenango Place, Vetack said that her overall living experience is a positive one. Every new building has its issues, so maybe Chenango should be given some time to fulfill the promises it makes on its website, and to open its doors more conveniently to its residents.

Twin River Commons

45 Washington St.

Rent starts at: $740

Twin River Commons is a favorite among Binghamton University’s students. Not only does TRC offer residents access to a computer lab, but there is also a study lounge on each floor fully equipped with printers, TVs and computer monitors. And, if residents feel like leaving the building to study, they are in luck, because TRC is located directly next door to the University Downtown Center where they can study, use computers and even catch frequent University-run buses to campus and around Downtown.

Twin River Commons provides its residents with a washer and dryer in each apartment (as well as extra ones on the building’s main floor), personal bathrooms for each resident, a full gym, a tanning bed and an electronically gated parking lot, which costs $400 for the year.

“It’s such a great place to live,” said Jillian Boccia, a junior majoring in economics. “You get the full experience of living off campus in a safe, beautiful living space with incredible amenities.”

Boccia went on to praise TRC’s maintenance and office staff, who she said are all “super friendly and efficient.”

If there is one drawback to living there, says Boccia, it would be the social aspect, or lack thereof.

“I honestly couldn’t tell you who lives next door to me,” she admitted.

And although Boccia also complains that she feels she can hear “every little step the person above [her] takes,” she said that she would not have to think twice about choosing Twin River again.

20 Hawley

20 Hawley St.

Rent starts at: $860

20 Hawley St., a sleek setup for Binghamton students and others, equips each resident with a personal bathroom in their bedroom, is about half a block away from Binghamton’s most popular nightlife spot, State Street, and has a popular cafe called Brewed Awakenings literally attached to the building.

Sean Harrington, a sophomore majoring in political science, praised 20 Hawley for its community events with free food, the outdoor grilling area and the newly installed jacuzzi. He said that although he often has trouble reaching staff, who he said “aren’t reachable about 30 percent of the time,” 20 Hawley accommodates him and his fellow residents in other ways. For example, Harrington was able to land a spot at Hawley in the late summer, because there was late registration available.

On the other hand, Jiyeon Park, a senior majoring in biology, said that the elevator isn’t always operational and that management is slow to respond to student concerns.

“We are now also mandated to provide our own paper for the printer, even though our lobby was recently given an expensive paint job and we just had a jacuzzi installed,” Park said. “My parking fee has increased from $50 to $75 per month without any reasons explained to me or my fellow residents.”

University Plaza

4710 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal

Rent starts at: $785

University Plaza is off-campus limbo. Located on Vestal Parkway in the shopping center also known for Chipotle, it exists neither Downtown nor on campus. For the students who call UP home, its location is both a blessing and a curse.

According to Heather Carroll, a senior majoring in Spanish, the community is the perfect place for people who have never lived on their own before.

“It was my first time living off campus and a lot of things about it made adjusting a lot easier for me,” Carroll said. “For the most part, it was clean and safe and easy to live there.”

Carroll commended the 24-hour staff at UP for being both responsible and friendly.

“You can call maintenance for anything, even changing a lightbulb and they come within 24 hours and know everyone’s names,” Carroll said.

UP is located in walking distance to Starbucks, Tully’s, Cold Stone, sushi and pizza joints, and a central bus stop that goes either Downtown or to campus.

The apartments also boast their own washers and dryers, a bathroom for every bedroom, access to computers with printing, a modest-sized gym, a game lounge and free tanning.

While Carroll recommends UP to her fellow students, she chose to move into a house Downtown this year, calling UP’s location “an awkward middle ground between campus and the bars.”

University Plaza has a lot to offer, but access to State Street is not one of them. Current students complain that getting to and from the bars is a huge drawback – and sometimes impossible. Local cab drivers hate driving there, so some either won’t let you into their cabs at all or you’re stuck crashing at your friend’s dorm room when they refuse to stop at UP while on Vestal Parkway.

Hayes

600 Country Club Road, Vestal

Rent: Starts at $740

Hayes Student Living, the self-proclaimed “choice for the serious student” sits quietly right behind campus, a 10-minute walk for its residents.

“The number one reason to live there is the closeness to campus, while still being off campus,” said Eric Rosner, a senior majoring in accounting. “But I would only recommend it to people who care about being close to campus. Amenities at UP, Twin River Commons and 20 Hawley are much better.”

In addition to its convenient, vehicle-optional location, right behind University Plaza, Hayes prides itself on its quiet atmosphere, which Rosner confirms.

“Its very quiet in Hayes,” Rosner said. “With the exception of Friday nights when there is a Jew party.”

Hayes is located a block away from two religious organizations, the Chabad house and the Newman house, both tucked away in the suburbs of Vestal.

The student community at Hayes is more close-knit than its Downtown counterparts, and its growth has generally been from word-of-mouth. Accessibility to the bars compares to on-campus living, but for most Hayes students, this isn’t a problem. Weekend apartment parties with friends are preferred over sweaty frat parties or crowded State Street bars.

Hayes apartments have either one or two bedrooms and come fully furnished, although the appliances and furniture are older and less sleek than newer off-campus communities. Hayes also has laundry in each building and free Wi-Fi in each room, but there aren’t any game rooms or a gym, and cable TV is not included in rent. But the free Friday night dinner – available to everyone – at Chabad is the biggest convenience, and probably one of the biggest draws.