The Case for Moving Off-Campus
1
Many students and parents we meet are simply unaware of the benefits of living off campus. Living on campus
seems to be the best option since all BU freshmen are required to begin their time in Binghamton living in one
of the campus residential communities and do not get a chance to experience the pleasures of living off campus.
We have prepared this document to highlight many of the benefits of moving off campus – particularly to a house
on Binghamton’s historic West Side.
Let’s start with dollars and cents. The cost of living in CIW’s Mohawk or Mountainview’s Windham Halls1 for
the 2015-2016 academic year is $10,170. After including the default required Sodexo “C” dining plan of $2,196
per semester, the cost of living on campus reaches $14,7362.
The average rent at one of Bing Housing’s off-campus houses is $625 per month. Since nearly all off-campus
landlords including Bing Housing have 12-month leases, the total annual rent comes to $7,500. The rents at our
fully furnished apartments include premium cable, high speed internet, and a monthly cleaning service, so you
don’t have to worry about any of those costs. We offer a very generous allowance for utilities (electricity, heat,
and water) and in 2013-2014, our tenants paid an average of $129 for utilities (that’s right, $129 for the entire
year). And since you’re no longer required to purchase a meal plan once you move off campus, your annual cost
to live off campus is $7,629. If you opt to purchase Sodexo’s Annual Commuter meal plan which costs $650 for
the year3, your total cost reaches $8,279. This equates to a savings of $6,457. If you move off campus as a
sophomore and spend the next three years on the West Side, your savings approach $19,400!
Moving off campus allows you to remain in your apartment all summer long and even move your belongings in
prior to the beginning of the next academic year. And since our leases allow for monthly rent payments, you
and/or your parents don’t need to make a lump sum payment for your living expenses at the start of each
semester, which is the billing convention for on-campus living and at several of the local student housing
complexes.
Living off campus with a group of your friends in one of our brand new apartments (all of our properties were
built or substantially renovated within the past 5 years) allows you the freedom to study in your own private
space since we do not have any shared bedrooms, no RAs or RDs, cook whenever you like, and the flexibility
to keep your apartment year after year so you don’t have to move or store your belongings somewhere for the
summer. And since you won’t have a floor full of neighbors, you can have the peace of mind you need when
you have to study but also have the ability to kick back and relax when your work load is light.
One major concern parents have about moving off campus is safety. With a little common sense it can almost
be guaranteed that this should be of little concern. The City of Binghamton actually has one of the lowest crime
rates in New York State and 68% of taxes are targeted for public safety4. If you walk in groups when returning
home from the weekend nightlife and practice general common sense, you will be safe in Binghamton. For
students of the College of Community and Public Affairs (Human Development) with classes in the University
1
We chose to use Mohawk and Windham in our illustration because they include Break Housing, which allows students to remain in
their units during University breaks.
2
http://www.binghamton.edu/residential-life/living-oncampus/rates.html Dining plans quoted by semester.
3
https://binghamton.sodexomyway.com/dining-plans/commuter.html
4
http://www.binghamton-ny.gov/sites/default/files/files/2015%20Budget%20Address_0.pdf
Bing Housing
www.facebook.com/binghousing1
Revised February 2015
The Case for Moving Off-Campus
2
Downtown Center, BU offers a walking escort program to and from local parking garages and streets near the
Downtown Center through the Safe Ride program5. This is included in your tuition.
Transportation to and from campus, which is an under-10-minute commute from the West Side, is provided by
two local bus systems, OCC Transport (student-run service) and BC Transit (county-wide service), which have
intricate bus routes throughout the West Side of Binghamton and offer students an opportunity to live off campus
without a car. All Binghamton University students pay a mandatory "Transportation Fee" at the beginning of each
semester which entitles them to unlimited free rides on both bus systems. But with all the money you’re saving
by moving off-campus, you might choose to splurge for a car. For students with a car, all of our properties feature
off-street parking. The West Side of Binghamton is walking distance to shopping, banks, State Street bars,
parks, cafes and restaurants, theaters, and art galleries.
Give us a call today at (516) 374-0188 and we will gladly take you on a tour of our
properties on Binghamton’s beautiful West Side. Our properties include microwaves,
dishwashers, ceiling fans, off street parking, cathedral ceilings and skylights (on high
floors), private patios, and flat panel LCD TVs in the living room and in each bedroom.
A laundry room is located at every property. ‘Like’ our Facebook Page for frequent
updates.
5
http://buescorts.wordpress.com/walking-off-campus/
Bing Housing
www.facebook.com/binghousing1
Revised February 2015