Moving into your first apartment is supposed to be one of the most exciting times of your life — a pivotal moment signifying your first step toward adulthood and independence. For many, this moment may be moving away from home into your college dorm for the first time. In my opinion, it’s instead when you’re forced to truly take care of yourself. Cooking, cleaning, staying on top of bills: all personal responsibilities you assume when you move into a space that’s truly your own.
However, what no one told me about Collegetown real estate was that your options for rentals are fairly limited. Not only that, they’re expensive for what they are. Houses that are, let’s face it, not in the greatest condition (to put it lightly) may range from about $800 to $1,300 per person (monthly). If you’re able to find a nicer one for a reasonable price, hats off to you — you’ve just beaten out the majority of students looking for houses in Collegetown.
Apartments, on the other hand, are basically an arm and a leg. The lowest price I’ve seen for a two or three bedroom apartment is around $1,300. Higher-end apartments can range from $1,450 for a three or four bedroom to upwards of $2,300 for a studio. It’s safe to say house hunting in Collegetown can feel like a slap across the face.
You may be thinking that rent for most of the houses available is on par with that of on-campus student housing, and you’d be right. But the difference is not in price but in quality and accessibility. Most houses in Collegetown are not only far, but down hills so steep it almost seems as though they were created to torture the students that live down them. Or maybe Ezra Cornell wanted us to reach our step count for the day.
For those of us without cars, treacherous journeys to and from class aren’t really in the cards; houses hidden in Collegetown hills aren’t a great option, and the Collegetown real estate tycoons are well aware of this fact. If you walk down College Avenue and point to any three decent-looking apartment buildings, I promise you, they’re owned by the same agency. The property owners here exploit the cornered market that is Cornell’s upperclassmen. And honestly, it works out just fine for them — parents are willing to pay more for their children to be comfortable and closer to campus. If you ask me, the monopolistic nature of renting here is antithetical to Cornell’s guiding principle of “any person, any study.”
Even if you manage to secure a reasonable lease, the little unexpected costs associated with furnishing your new home with essentials add up quickly. As someone who grew up conscious about spending in general, my first day of moving into my new apartment scared me. From kitchen appliances to cleaning supplies, it quickly became apparent that the notion of a “cheap college apartment” doesn’t actually exist. Maybe it did for our parents, but not in this climate, where everything about the college experience is pay-to-play.
Landlords’ desire to profit off of the unique opportunity real estate in a college town provides doesn’t only affect students. In January, Zillow reported a 2.8 percent increase in average home value in Ithaca just over the last year, with local residents at the receiving end of this too. A new wave of “studentification” has ousted families. Residents are often outbid by property management companies and traditional family homes are converted into overpriced student apartments.
It’s a shame that this is the situation we’re in, but it doesn’t mean that we have to accept it forever. I don’t know what the solution is. I know what the impact is, though; it’s having to choose between comfort and affordability; it’s uncomfortable conversations with your parents and roommates. My hope is that talking about it out loud can kickstart important conversations about this issue.
Despite my grievances, moving into my first apartment was special. Setting up my new room with my mom just reaffirmed that we’re always on the same wavelength; learning to cook for myself and resolve maintenance issues has shown me that I can be self-sufficient; being able to live with two people I love very much inspires me to make the most of every moment here.
I am extremely grateful for my living situation and the education this school has provided me with. My take may be pessimistic, but I am also passionate about inequity and inaccessibility, and I call these things out whenever I observe them (I study labor relations, after all). I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, but I can’t ignore the costs associated with it. Your first college home should symbolize independence. Instead, it often ends up highlighting how much independence costs.
Maia Mehring is a Lifestyle co-editor on the 143rd editorial board. She is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations and can be reached at mmehring@cornellsun.com.
