It’s that time of year again, and Cornell students are undergoing the always-enjoyable process of finding housing for next year. While it may seem like everyone has already signed leases, Eclipse has done some field research to make the search easier for the remaining students: the unofficial guide to Collegetown housing. Our intrepid reporters ventured to the biggest and best options in C-town, talking to current tenants and gathering information from landlords. While our list is by no means exhaustive, and neglects the important West and North Campus options, we’ve included all of the largest Collegetown buildings with availability left at press time, as well as an area guide for those seeking houses or smaller apartment buildings.

To protect landlord-tenant relations, no student names will be mentioned. However, The Sun verified that each student was a current tenant of a building before publishing any comments made by that person.

320 Dryden Road

The newest development in Collegetown, this building was the last new development to be completed before the current C-town moratorium began. With only 14 apartments on four floors, the building is small and “quiet,” according to current residents.

320 Dryden opened for its first tenants in August 2008. Apartments feature wood flooring, leather seating, stainless steel appliances and bedroom furniture. Building amenities include bike storage, a gym with exercise equipment, a locker room and connected parking. Laundry is available in the building, and several apartments include washers and dryers. “It is easily the nicest building in Collegetown,” said one tenant. Landlord Nick Lambrou is described by tenants as “reliable,” “friendly and “always willing to help, even if it is the middle of the night.” Lambrou also owns several apartment buildings on Eddy St., which tenants describe as “really fun” and “nice, for older buildings.”

Eddygate and 407 College Ave.

Eddygate, the massive building that runs along Dryden Rd., and 407 College Ave. are both owned by the same company, Ithaca Rentals & Renovations, Inc. With seven floors and hundreds of tenants, Eddygate is described as “crowded” but “surprisingly quiet.” Apartments are “a bit worn down, but some have balconies, which makes up for it.” 407 College Ave., Ithaca Rentals’ smaller Collegetown property, is “amazing for location, but terrible for service.” Tenants complained about broken elevators and overflowing trash rooms. Large, multi-bedroom apartments make the building seem like “a frat party” at times, but “maintenance are really friendly, and always clean up quickly.”

Collegetown Center, Court and Plaza

The three Ithaca Renting properties, all located on Dryden Rd., house hundreds of students each year. Collegetown Center, the newest of the three, features an attended stone lobby with concierge, who can arrange taxi cab pickups, dry cleaning, loaner items and other services. Tenants describe the building as “nice, but expensive” and “mostly grad students.” Collegetown Plaza, the largest of the three, features a contemporary lobby and a “really fast elevator,” but “apartments are old and creaky” and “very dormlike,” according to current tenants. Collegetown Court is described as “reasonably quiet, but still fun” and “kind of old, but very homey.” All three properties were noted for having very friendly and fast maintenance and a great rental office and lease signing process.

312 College Avenue

Perched comfortably in the middle of the Collegetown hustle and bustle and one block from the intersection of College and Dryden sits the 312 College Avenue complex. The building offers enough features that a resident may never emerge from his or her apartment once moved in: Students have access to an in-house fitness center, multi-media theater, TV lounge, study rooms and laundry. The most coveted feature of the apartment is the parking garage, located under the building and accessible by elevator. Concierge is available to arrange things such as laundry service, dry cleaning and maintenance requests. Tenants describe the building as “the most convenient in Collegetown” and “reasonably spacious,” but say it “sometimes has weird smells” and has “outdated furniture and appliances for such an expensive and otherwise nice building.”

Lower Collegetown

Though lower Collegetown may lack upper Collegetown’s proximity to campus (with the added bonus of a steep incline to class), price tags are less likely to burden families already footing Cornell’s tuition. Lower Collegetown is comfortably situated between the restaurants and stores of Collegetown and the Commons. One resident noted, “While it takes longer to get to classes, I do feel like I’m getting a workout every morning. On the other hand, I’m way less likely to leave the house for, say, the library, because of how much work it is just to make it there.” Students are only a hill away from CTB, Aladdin’s, Pixel and the other usual staples, but as one is only 10 to 15 minutes from Downtown, jaunts to Moosewood or Dewitt Park are equally easy options. Potential housing options line East Buffalo Street, East Seneca Street, East Court Street, and Stewart Avenue. The houses and apartments below Eddy vary from address to address: While some students enjoy spacious floor plans and generally nice living situations, others suffer from the usual issues that plague college apartments: heating problems, sketchy furnishings, mysterious stains…the list goes on. Likewise, one can find a variety of housing options, from full houses to studios and one-bedrooms. What with all these options, residents of lower Collegetown may share only one attribute: incredibly strong calves.

Upper Collegetown

Upper Collegetown generally refers to the areas around Linden Street, Catherine Street, Bryant Avenue and Dryden Road. Much like lower Collegetown, housing options include a variety of houses and apartments that vary in quality and size. At the same time, residents of lower Collegetown enjoy shorter walks to campus and easier access to the shops and restaurants of Collegetown, just a quick walk downhill. There is also “a ton of parking” in upper Collegetown, making life easier for students with cars.

Sheldon Court and Cascadilla Hall

If you want to live in Collegetown but are not yet prepared for the responsibilities of leasing an apartment, the University offers two Cornell-owned dorms, Sheldon Court and Cascadilla Hall, both in the heart of Collegetown. Residents are essentially a hop, skip and a jump away from CTB, Stella's and Wilson Farms, and are as close to campus as possible without actually living on the Arts Quad. As on North and West Campus, students have access to R.A.s, Red Rover wireless, study lounges and the other staples of dorm life at Cornell. However, as students are farther from dining halls, they are not obligated to sign onto meal plans. Singles and doubles are available.

Collegetown Center, Court and Plaza

The three Ithaca Renting properties, all located on Dryden Rd., house hundreds of students each year. Collegetown Center, the newest of the three, features an attended stone lobby with concierge, who can arrange taxi cab pickups, dry cleaning, loaner items and other services. Tenants describe the building as “nice, but expensive” and “mostly grad students.” Collegetown Plaza, the largest of the three, features a contemporary lobby and a “really fast elevator,” but “apartments are old and creaky” and “very dormlike,” according to current tenants. Collegetown Court is described as “reasonably quiet, but still fun” and “kind of old, but very homey.” All three properties were noted for having very friendly and fast maintenance and a great rental office and lease signing process.

312 College Avenue

Perched comfortably in the middle of the Collegetown hustle and bustle and one block from the intersection of College and Dryden sits the 312 College Avenue complex. The building offers enough features that a resident may never emerge from his or her apartment once moved in: Students have access to an in-house fitness center, multi-media theater, TV lounge, study rooms and laundry. The most coveted feature of the apartment is the parking garage, located under the building and accessible by elevator. Concierge is available to arrange things such as laundry service, dry cleaning and maintenance requests. Tenants describe the building as “the most convenient in Collegetown” and “reasonably spacious,” but say it “sometimes has weird smells” and has “outdated furniture and appliances for such an expensive and otherwise nice building.”

Lower Collegetown

Though lower Collegetown may lack upper Collegetown’s proximity to campus (with the added bonus of a steep incline to class), price tags are less likely to burden families already footing Cornell’s tuition. Lower Collegetown is comfortably situated between the restaurants and stores of Collegetown and the Commons. One resident noted, “While it takes longer to get to classes, I do feel like I’m getting a workout every morning. On the other hand, I’m way less likely to leave the house for, say, the library, because of how much work it is just to make it there.” Students are only a hill away from CTB, Aladdin’s, Pixel and the other usual staples, but as one is only 10 to 15 minutes from Downtown, jaunts to Moosewood or Dewitt Park are equally easy options. Potential housing options line East Buffalo Street, East Seneca Street, East Court Street and Stewart Avenue. The houses and apartments below Eddy vary from address to address: While some students enjoy spacious floor plans and generally nice living situations, others suffer from the usual issues that plague college apartments such as heating problems, sketchy furnishings, mysterious stains … the list goes on. Likewise, one can find a variety of housing options, from full houses to studios and one-bedrooms. What with all these options, residents of lower Collegetown may share only one attribute: incredibly strong calves.

Upper Collegetown

Upper Collegetown generally refers to the areas around Linden Street, Catherine Street, Bryant Avenue and Dryden Road. Much like lower Collegetown, housing options include a variety of houses and apartments that vary in quality and size. At the same time, residents of lower Collegetown enjoy shorter walks to campus and easier access to the shops and restaurants of Collegetown, just a quick walk downhill. There is also “a ton of parking” in upper Collegetown, making life easier for students with cars.

Sheldon Court and Cascadilla Hall

If you want to live in Collegetown but are not yet prepared for the responsibilities of leasing an apartment, the University offers two Cornell-owned dorms, Sheldon Court and Cascadilla Hall, both in the heart of Collegetown. Residents are essentially a hop, skip and a jump away from CTB, Stella’s and Wilson Farms, and are as close to campus as possible without actually living on the Arts Quad. As on North and West Campus, students have access to R.A.s, Red Rover wireless, study lounges and the other staples of dorm life at Cornell. However, as students are farther from dining halls, they are not obligated to sign up for meal plans. Singles and doubles are available.