foolishpleasure

On paper, Eckerd looks like a great school for D - - match academics, warm weather, beautiful campus and fairly diverse. Recently, a fellow CC poster advied me that the school was quite remote and located right off the highway such that it was virtually impossible to even walk to a grocery store.

Is this true? If D is w/o wheels, will she have to rely on the kindness of stangers for even the most mundane excursions off campus?

ca_mom2000

I'd like to know this as well. Dd has been accepted, but hasn't visited the campus yet. She's going to do that before she makes a decision. And she won't have a car.

beltrami

We stayed at St. Pete Beach last week and drove past Eckerd. Our daughter had been accepted there several years ago and did an overnight. A car is almost necessary because students have to cross a busy highway without lights and then walk several blocks to get to a small retail district. Public transportation is underdeveloped in that area. If our daughter had chosen to attend she would have brought a car.

gthopeful

Yes unfortunately the entire Tampa Bay area has poor public transportation compared to other major metro areas. I haven't been to Eckerd in several years but the area is pretty much dominated by condos because it's right on the water (and therefore in a beautiful area). There's a shopping plaza with a grocery store a mile or two away but as the previous posters mentioned you have to cross a busy road.

nyc

Does Eckerd offer Zip Car on campus? At about $8/hr, much less expensive than keeping a car on campus full-time (gas, maintenance, parking permit, etx.) especiall since 2 or 3 students split the cost of short trips (mall, movies, etc.).

sunnyflorida

I do know that the college has a fleet of 200+ brightly yellow bikes available for students to use to get around..... You just find a bike, use a bike, and leave it when your done for the next student.

Here is the Pinellas county bus system. Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. EC is on bus routes 19 and 90, and 90 is just 1-2 stops away from transferring to the Suncoast Beach Trolley! http://www.psta.net/PDF/PSTA%20Map%202008-web.pdf Baypoint shopping center, Maximo Plaza and Walmart are on route 90 and a few stops away.

Maybe a visit to the campus and a few bus rides while you are there. And the kids with cars are generally going themselves to get groceries and supplies. And $5 for gas for the driver generally gets an easy ride these days on a trip they need to take anyway