<p>I’ve lived near Yale for more than 20 years and worked in the city even longer. I know it so I don’t feel the way I would in a bad part of Philly, which is foreign to me. Most of the crime, is late at night and you should just use common sense and be aware of your surroundings. A friend of mine worked in campus police for many years and he said, as a frustrated police officer, some crime can’t be avoided, but many of the students were smart in some ways, but not in others. They would run in sketchy areas late at night, have wallets exposed going to the ATM, walk alone late at night from a bar.
That area where the ATM is fine most of the time, part of my old running route, but you have to realize most areas become more appealing for a criminal at night, even a nicer area or bar. As stated in an earlier post, they have more than 1 option for that bank. I’ve always taught my children not to think they don’t have to be leary because it’s a “nicer” area. Crime happens everywhere. Students at Yale, leave doors open often, and are surprised things are missing. Students steal from each other even at Yale, and you should never be that relaxed. Sometimes those lessens are learned the hard way, but the students at Yale have a lot of security and options available to them.</p>
<p>How about the area near Thai Taste (between Park and York, on Chapel) at 10:00 pm - 10:30 pm? Is it safe there around that time? A potential problem is that, once in a while, students may decide to go to a restaurant if they are tired of order-out food.</p>
<p>BTW, just curious, how often do parents here talk to their college-age child? For us, it is once a week, unless something urgent comes up. Often times, we could not get hold of him until very late in the evening and we are very tired then :(</p>
<p>Most of that area is pretty busy at night. My daughter worked at stores in that block, but not at night.
Again, if you’re in a group and it’s well frequented, it shouldn’t be a problem. The Yale Rep is also in that area, another very frequented spot and other restaurants and diners.</p>
<p>Debruns, Thanks! Many students live in an apartment (a six-story apartment in front of Book Trader Cafe. I think all tenants are Yale students.) in that block if they choose to live off-campus. There is no way all of them will go back to their apartment by 10:00 pm every night if they are active in clubs or research.</p>
<p>Mcat2 - I rarely “talk” to my DD. She will occasionally call me when she is walking somewhere and is bored. </p>
<p>We do communicate frequently via Skype chat. We both love Lost, so we will watch at the same time and chat throughout. In fact, if she can’t watch Lost because of another commitment, I wait and try to co-ordinate our viewing times. I am going to be so depressed when the show is over. We will have to find another show next year.</p>
<p>mcat2, my D calls almost every day at the same time. She’s got a set schedule, with a 5-10 minute walk/talk opportunity. She has younger sibs and wants to know what they’re doing, and she almost always has travel/holiday/summer plans in the works that need my input on logistics. We talk this year (soph) more than last year when she was making sure I knew she was capable of functioning without me :)</p>
<p>worknprogress, DS introduced Lost to us. We enjoy it very much. We may be more paranoid. We told DS that he should not call us while he is walking on the street. We only call him very late in the evening so that he is very likely in his dorm room.</p>
<p>
I envy you! I can not imagine that DS would call us almost every day. Is there a difference between a D and a S here? He does not hesitate to use us as an information center whenever needed though. Do not laugh at this: he called us last summer in order to find out how to use the gas range, as well as how to write a check. He was very pampered before college.</p>
<p>
Or so we want to believe ;)</p>
<p>I think the skype chat works well for us because she can chat with me while she is doing other things. They do like to multitask!</p>
<p>mcat2: We talk to DS usually once a week and usually on Skype, but lately with end of year activities we have gone more than a week. Hard for me!! Texting seems to be easier for him, a brief message here and there, just to keep in touch. I wish we talked more often, but I deliberately do not pick up the phone. I agree with riverrunner - I think freshman year he wants us to respect his new independence.</p>
<p>
This is exactly the reason why we try not to communicate so frequently. It was hard for both of us in the first couple of months.</p>
<p>If he did not go to an OOS college, I think he would not have the opportunity to “grow up.” One CC contributor once posted that the student should not go to a college where the parents can easily drive there whenever they want. If the parents are overly neurotic/protective, the college need to be even farther away. He expressed his opinion from student’s point of view, of course.</p>
<p>mcat2… We are 3 time zones apart but D and I usually text a couple of times a day and chat once a day, depending .sometimes more sometimes less. Please realize girls are much more likely to communicate than boys. D tends to call H about once a week. We Skype with her on Sundays at a pre-arranged time. If I need to talk with her I will send a text message and ask her to call me when she has a chance.</p>
<p>question
In the fall D will be in a room that does NOT have a single book shelf. We plan to buy wall shelves that require drilling holes. If we patch the wall next spring will this be a huge problem? The room is unbelievably small
.with no space to put a free standing bookcase.</p>
<p>Although DS has never drilled holes, I heard that some students may use nails. At the end of the spring semester, they will inspect the room and assess the damage and the cleanness of the room.</p>
<p>DS thinks most students seem to have to pay some penalty, no matter how much time the students spend on cleaning the room. Therefore, DS decided to clean the room only a little bit. Also, some students may leave campus early before the common room and the bathroom is cleaned.</p>
<p>TutuTaxi, I may not be able to give you a good answer. Hopefully, some other parent may be able to.</p>
<p>BTW, if all suitemates agree, some students may put something (like a book case used by everybody) in the common room (assumming that there is a common room, unlike most rooms in Ezra Stiles and Morse.) In one year, DS put his cabinet in the common room and nobody has any objection. All suitemates put all kind of stuff (coke, soap, snack, etc.) either on top of that cabinet and inside one of its drawers though. He had a single that year so the space is very limited.</p>
<p>Hey, Yale parents. Well . It appears I will be finally joining y’all . Sort of. My D will be attending Yale Medical School in the fall. (Better late than never? ) </p>
<p>I have been to New Haven once. 25 years ago. My D has been once. For 3 days. (She had finals during the med school’s Second Look 
and never went to Bulldog Days 4 years ago.) That’s pretty much the extent of our personal knowledge. (She knows a Yale Law student who has been quite helpful but he’ll be gone this summer.) </p>
<p>We know the dangers of signing a lease without physically inspecting the apartment, but my D will be “gallivanting” the globe for a month and dad is nervous about her finding a place to live. I want to be ready when she gets back to the states. </p>
<p>Doesn’t need fancy, but wants a clean and safe efficiency (probably can’t afford a 1BR). Wants close to campus, walking or shuttle (bus?) would be great as she may or may not have a vehicle (depending on housing costs). All in- all done (including heat, elec, water, and parking) we are hoping for less than $1100/mth (and that will hurt badly) and are willing to sign a year-round lease. She has one little cat. (Oh, joy!) </p>
<p>Downtown and East Rock appear to get the most votes from the med students for convenience. </p>
<p>Don’t want to clog this thread so if anyone has any suggested budget, locations, specific apartments, reputable non-scummy rental agents, or anything else I’d appreciate it and either pm or email is fine. </p>
<p>She is somewhere beyond excited. Dad is somewhere between excited and freaked out. </p>
<p>Again, I don’t want to clog the thread just wanted to beg some help. Thanks.</p>
<p>curm: Sorry, I can’t help with off-campus living options, but I just want to say congratulations to your D and to you!</p>
<p>curm, I will pass on your request to D, who had an apt. in NH last summer. Will let you know when I hear back…</p>
<p>Congrats! I live in the New Haven area and worked at YNHH for years (not now). Many students then lived in the apartments near the hospital (there were 3 or 4) I remember Madison Towers was one on Park St. You can walk to the hospital and you are close to Yale U. East Rock has nice apartments, many are 2-3 family homes, but pricey in some areas. There is a Yale shuttle if you don’t have a car and many professors and grad students use it. I see many of the students eating at great deli’s in East Rock area, (they do VERY well) because of the convenience and they don’t have a large grocery store near by.
There are many apartment review sites, nothing is perfect, but you have to weight convenience, price and safety.
She might have seen this already, but I saw this on a quick google:
<a href=“http://medstation.yale.edu/admissions/www/Off_Campus_advice_2008.pdf[/url]”>http://medstation.yale.edu/admissions/www/Off_Campus_advice_2008.pdf</a></p>
<p>Thanks, debruns. That link looks more comprehensive than the one I’ve seen. I’ve sent it to her.</p>
<p>Hi curm, a big CONGRATS to your D. Regarding apartments in NH – a number of D’s friends (undergrads) who live off campus are in the Cambridge-Oxford apartments. Here is the link [Cambridge</a> Oxford Apartments - New Haven Real Estate Rentals, Connecticut Real Estate Rentals and Sales Magazine, New Haven Real Estate Rentals, Connecticut Rentals, Apartment Rentals, New Haven Real Estate Sales, New Haven Apartments Connecticut Rent](<a href=“http://www.apartmentsusa.com/connecticut/cambridgeoxford.htm]Cambridge”>http://www.apartmentsusa.com/connecticut/cambridgeoxford.htm) . These apartments are closer to campus than the med center, but no more than a short walk.</p>
<p>Congratulations to curmudgeondaughter! Does she know about zipcars? This has been popular with my daughter’s friends who don’t want to have a car in New Haven, but have the need from time to time:</p>
<p>[Welcome</a> to the New Haven Department of Transportation, Traffic and Parking](<a href=“http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/TrafficParking/zipcars.asp]Welcome”>http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/TrafficParking/zipcars.asp)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.zipcar.com/yale/[/url]”>http://www.zipcar.com/yale/</a></p>
<p>Riverrunner! Thanks for the Zipcar link! Did not know about this and D does need a car occasionally! Thanks. Do you know if they are there in the summer? I am going to check it out!</p>