306 E State St

It doesn’t compare to City Centre or the other large buildings, but is fairly priced, has everything you need, and a fantastic and very responsive landlord.

Great location and good amount of space. Older building and no amenities but it is very reasonably priced for the location along the Commons and close to the bars, restaurants, and other grad students downtown.

Great amount of space for the price point. Great location in downtown, right next to the commons and near restaurants and bars.

The studio apartment is spacious and well-priced for the central Ithaca area/near Cornell. It's also in good condition compared to some of the smaller apartments you find in houses on the hill that have been divided up into little sub units. Being located in the Commons is great. However, It is a significant 15 minute uphill walk to Cornell, so taking the bus is the best way to get to school. The bus stops are very close to the apartment and generally come about every 10 minutes so it is very convenient. A downside is that there is no in-unit laundry. Management team of the building is great. They're very nice and responsive if things break.

Pros: Cheap rent, older building, great view of commons, good landlord, recently renovated kitchen

Cons: Park in garage a block away, trash has to be taken out in an alley, no a/c

My apartment is perfect for me. I’m right on the Commons, have a big window, hardwood floors, a good sized bedroom, laundry in building, good storage space, and a very friendly landlord. I also pay less than many similar spaces on the Commons which I’m pretty happy about.

In terms of the apartment perse, it's really a nice big space. I am just going to talk about the cons:
1) my heater wasn't working when I arrived. I had to bring it up with the property manager to have it fixed. Good thing the manager resolved it asap.

2) the property manager has a key to my apartment and is able to enter the apartment during city inspections (fire inspection, insurance, etc). They advise you at least a day ahead though. But I still find it intrusive.

3) The fire sensors are somewhat sensitive. There are exhaust fans above the stove but if you cook a lot, expect to have your fire alarm trip off once in a while. Once the smoke subsides, the fire alarm would eventually turn itself off.

4) I live on the corner unit of the second floor and you can hear conversations outside the building and in the adjacent units as well. I'm not too fussed but this might be a concern for you. The noise and clarity of the sound is on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the noisiest and most clear, I would say is about 4-5.

5) There is no unit laundry/dryer but there is common laundry/dryer in the 3F of the complex. I would say the set-up is fine, except that the machines are coin-operated only. Stock up on quarters to be able to do laundry.

Hardwoods on the Commons

Pros: Spacious apartment, relatively inexpensive, nearby transit and many dining options/bars
Cons: Far from Sage Hall, downhill from CTT