With a bag double the size of myself on my back and a suitcase large enough to travel across the country, I waited patiently at the Robert Purcell Community Center bus stop with a strange stillness in my heart. The wind was crisp, and the sun was almost painfully radiant like Mother Nature was confused about when summer ended and fall began. The incessant buzzing of the world’s most belligerent bee didn’t even faze me, though the others in line would beg to differ. Life seemed to slow in ways Cornell never allowed.
Even though I had only been back in Ithaca for two weeks, I was excited to solo travel to New York City to see my beloved friends.
A few weekends ago, I tried Cornell’s very own Campus-to-Campus Bus Service for the first time. Aside from the price, I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. I’ve been a faithful OurBus rider for all my years of university, until someone told me there was an option that could meet me right outside my door.
For those of you who aren’t familiar, C2C is a bus service operated by Cornell, running daily between their Ithaca and New York City campuses. Each reservation has different rates depending on time of travel, such as a busier or slower weekend. There are 32 seats available to choose from, with 10 highly coveted single seats and 22 remaining seats arranged in a double. Despite booking my ticket almost three weeks in advance, I still couldn’t snag a seat to myself.
On Cornell’s main campus, pickups run from North Campus (right outside RPCC) to Sage Hall and down to the Southeast B Lot Bus Shelter (which I had no idea existed prior). In the city, there are two dropoff options at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Cornell Club.
With a kitchenette in the back, free water bottles and soda in the fridge and a (clean) bathroom off to the side, the amenities were unparalleled for a bus that takes you only a few hours from Ithaca. The Wi-Fi was a nice plus because let’s be honest: nowadays, a few hours without internet would be too long.
Every seat is incredibly spacious, like the leg room of your dreams — so much so you forget there is even someone right next to you, provided your neighbor is a friendly one. Even the aisle leaves enough space for you to walk down without accidentally stumbling over a poor stranger when the inevitable bus earthquake hits. There’s a small trash bag tethered to the back of the seat in front of you, outlets, cup holders and a foldable tray you can use to rest your laptop on. Unfortunately, assignments don’t stop on the road, but at least you can be comfortable while doing them.
However, you may argue that despite the amenities, the C2C bus is simply too expensive. My round trip on C2C came to a (tragic) total of $202, which you may choose to spend on other college student essentials, including but not limited to matchas that leave condensation rings everywhere you go, laundry cycles that eat your clothes and life savings, weekly Target runs with receipts longer than a Christmas list and the McDonald’s you delivered to your dorm with the last $15 to your name.
Nevertheless, if you are able to, I highly recommend every Cornellian try C2C at least once. On my way back to Ithaca on the bus I watched the most beautiful sunset through the windows, with headphones playing “Knuckle Velvet” by Ethel Cain, as I read Shakespeare and soon after fell into the greatest slumber of my life. Did I mention I didn’t feel a single speedbump?
I truly could not have asked for a better experience. When I have the funds and the time, C2C will indeed be seeing me again, maybe too soon.
Selina Chen is a member of the Class of 2028 in the College of Art and Sciences. She is a staff writer for the Lifestyle department and can be reached at sc3543@cornell.edu.
