Commuter tips

How should I get to campus?
Walking is free.

Biking is cheap; just buy a bike and a good bike lock. Make sure it can go through both wheels, the frame, and the bike rack, otherwise you'll be missing a wheel one day. Keep a tire repair kit in case someone slashes your tires when they find out they can't steal your bike.

MARTA: There are monthly University Passes (UPASS) on sale for $68.50; buy them from the ticket counter in the Student Center. (The break-even point is 22.83 full-price rides per month, so two- or three-day-a-week commuters should just pay full price.) MARTA stations with parking lots always offer free daily parking. MARTA is not know for being speedy, though.

Scooters under 50cc (most are 49.9cc) are affordable (~$1000) and don't require a motorcycle license or any insurance or vehicle registration; but they don't go much faster than 35mph, and you must stay on surface streets. Officially you still need a parking permit, which is $120.

Motorcycles are cheaper than cars, but much more expensive than scooters. You need to get a motorcycle permit and insurance and register your motorcycle. You need a parking permit for $120. And you still have the limitation that you can only carry one milk-crate worth of stuff (roughly).

Cars are the most popular form of transportation in Atlanta by a lot, and once you have one, you'll understand why; it's simply the fastest way to get around our urban sprawl. Parking permits are ~$700 for a year; I think you can now sell them back for a prorated amount before the school year is up.

Where should I live?
Now that we've talked about how you're getting to campus, we can give you advice.

If you're walking, biking, or scootering, you want to be fairly close. On bikes and scooters, you could go as far north as Howell Mill Rd & I-75, but that is probably pushing the limits for most people.

By car, if you're somewhat nearby you'll be on surface streets, so your commute will probably be 10-20 minutes. If you're on the highway, it really depends. I-75 has better traffic than I-85. In fact, I-75 inside the perimeter is a straight shot, and will only take you ~10 minutes once you reach the highway (just get off on Techwood and you're basically on campus).

Generally speaking, the farther you go from Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead, the cheaper rents get. But your commute will be longer. Use your judgement.

Good areas to look for houses to rent

 * Home Park
 * Midtown, east of Peachtree... there are a lot of old houses

Good areas to look for apartments to rent

 * Northside Dr or Howell Mill Rd near I-75, especially off Collier Rd (15 minute drive)
 * Akers Mill Rd off Cumberland Blvd up I-75 (20 minute drive)

What should I do about food?
If you pack a lunch, you'll be stuck carrying a lunchbox around all day (unless you use disposable containment). If you have a lab where you can leave stuff, that might be okay, but if you're trekking around campus for class, you might not like it.

There are some restaurants to eat off-campus, but that can be a bit of a trek, too.

On-campus is the last option, and there's actually lots of stuff to choose from. The Student Center cafeteria has lots of good choice &mdash; no, not the Chik-fil-A and Subway, the cafeteria on the second floor, above the Pizza Hut. A lot of it is made to order, some even freshly cooked, and there are good options for vegetarians.

For something nicer, you can pay a buck or two more and eat at Ferst Place, the buffet on the 3rd floor of the Student Center mostly used by faculty and staff (but open to anyone). The food is excellent, there's lots to choose from, and there's a waiter to get your drinks for you... and it's not that expensive.

If you're going to eat in the Student Center frequently, look in to the Ramblin' 200 and 400 plans. For $200 or $400, you get $225 or $475 on your mealplan towards almost every restaurant on campus (including many of the coffee shops), and your meals are charged tax-free, so it's actually more like $243 or $513.