tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post2593647564983283928..comments2024-03-14T04:53:49.513-05:00Comments on FemaleScienceProfessor: Over ThereFemale Science Professorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15288567883197987690noreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-38484359390360547572011-09-27T12:28:23.666-05:002011-09-27T12:28:23.666-05:00Not too close, not too far, but just right. You p...Not too close, not too far, but just right. You present easy access to the office in the evening only as a positive. For me inserting a little (physical and emotional) distance between myself and the office is extremely good for my overall well-being and the sustainability of my career and my family. To me, the most compelling reason you give for living close is the ability to easily live as a 1 car family. The ideal for me is a 30 minute bike ride with the option for an equivalent time commute on public transit. The transition time, when not spent frustrated in traffic, can be a great time to squeeze exercise and thoughtful reflection into a busy schedule. I had this as a grad student. Now I live a 10 minute walk from campus and, while convenient in some ways, I would like to be farther away.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-52507211501574212802011-09-25T21:28:35.317-05:002011-09-25T21:28:35.317-05:00Close but not too close. I am a 15 min drive or 20...Close but not too close. I am a 15 min drive or 20-25 min bike ride away or 30-35 min bus ride. All are fine, but commuting is fun because I most often ride a motorcycle. Any closer and I would miss my ride to work.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-78879872086325250182011-09-24T08:50:44.872-05:002011-09-24T08:50:44.872-05:00I prefer to be near my work. I lived on campus as...I prefer to be near my work. I lived on campus as an undergrad and grad student, 2 miles away on a bus line as a post doc, and about 3 miles away in my industrial job.<br />For a variety of reasons (namely price but there were other factors involved too) I'm now about 6 miles from campus. There's never much traffic, so it takes 10 minutes. I can't park near my department, so the walk adds another 15 each way. At the moment my headache is not the commute, or the walk per se, but the inconvenience of not having my car easily accessible.Old Biddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12982631719343776864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-6131792438159763012011-09-23T17:21:07.311-05:002011-09-23T17:21:07.311-05:00I live near campus and bike to school every day. P...I live near campus and bike to school every day. Pretty privileged lifestyle in my view.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-23605626082389169532011-09-23T14:34:32.402-05:002011-09-23T14:34:32.402-05:00For most couples, once they joint optimize for his...For most couples, once they joint optimize for his commute, her commute, decent K-12 schools, housing and neighborhood quality, availability, and affordability, I don't think they necessarily explicitly choose near or far from campus. <br /><br />I think it's more a matter of choice for folks without a spouse/kids (mostly grad students and some postdocs) or 2-body couples. <br /><br />So I don't think question makes much sense in the general case...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-14857003544474789742011-09-22T15:03:47.206-05:002011-09-22T15:03:47.206-05:00I always lived walking distance campus. But in or...I always lived walking distance campus. But in order to get a real live faculty tenure track job, I took a job in the suburbs. So I live in the city, 25 miles away, and reverse commute by car to the suburban campus. Not ideal. But I love where I live, and I love my job, even if I wouldn't want to live where it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-28378490861357186152011-09-22T13:58:14.728-05:002011-09-22T13:58:14.728-05:00I wish I could live closer to campus but in the la...I wish I could live closer to campus but in the last two places I've been that would increase my rent by 25-40% - not something I'm able to do with the salaries I've had. Here I am about 15minutes by car - not bad but not walkable. Sure we could cut back in other ways but truthfully live close to the bone as it is - I've decided being able to eat a diet that includes produce isn't a luxury. The problem in both places is that salaries have not kept pace with housing price (and associated rental price) increases. Talking with other faculty in my dept I hear similar issues - some people have managed to buy housing close to campus but it's amazing how much familial money makes a difference in that. If you don't have a high earning spouse or money from mom and dad (for faculty!) you're likely to rent around where I am and it's cheaper to do that further from campus. Renting is already flushing money down a hole - I don't want to send more of it down there than necessary. It makes me worry that pursuing a faculty career is something you either do making huge financial sacrifices or if you come from money. Probably not true everywhere but on the coasts it looks that way - at least from where I am now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-75308169619449988002011-09-21T23:31:09.888-05:002011-09-21T23:31:09.888-05:00I wish I could find the article but I remember rea...I wish I could find the article but I remember reading about a study into factors in personal happiness, which found that the top two by far are 1) commute time and 2) percentage of time one has dinner alone (I don't remember the order). Apparently this is much more important (once basic needs are met) than money, friends, family, etc.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-31564152486737731452011-09-21T21:28:11.555-05:002011-09-21T21:28:11.555-05:00I live 20 miles from campus, because it's the ...I live 20 miles from campus, because it's the best solution to my 2-body problem. Our jobs are 50 miles apart. However, I find that being in academia + having kids is hard enough without adding a 45 minute drive each way to work. We've lived this way for a few years, and it's HARD. So, when I was choosing between faculty jobs a few months ago, one significant factor was the fact that at one place, there is a place we'd love to live 5 minutes from campus, and at the other place, we would have ended up living further away (for financial reasons). I wouldn't use that as my main criterion in deciding between jobs, but when choosing between two otherwise good options, it was definitely something we kept in mind!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-9239102568531743962011-09-21T18:44:16.431-05:002011-09-21T18:44:16.431-05:00I live off campus due to a two-body issue. Public ...I live off campus due to a two-body issue. Public transit here is great and I read or work in the subway. In the Summer I bike. <br /><br />What I do notice though is that _not_ living close to campus gives me a perspective on how "normal" people live that many academics just do not have. Its a very useful thing for a person in an applied technology field.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-15834255655666925302011-09-21T17:02:09.016-05:002011-09-21T17:02:09.016-05:00With very few exceptions, such as two body problem...With very few exceptions, such as two body problems, research repeatedly has shown that commuting over 25 minutes each way cannot be justified in economic terms, living conditions or stress. <br /><br />Yet most people do it, because that's what everyone else does, so how could it be wrong?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-76471567582918999552011-09-21T16:55:51.688-05:002011-09-21T16:55:51.688-05:00Big city.
As a student and postdoc I lived 200 yrd...Big city.<br />As a student and postdoc I lived 200 yrds from campus. <br />As a Faculty member, I live by choice a 20-25 minute drive (a few miles) from campus (and I guess really 5 minutes from the nearest coffee-shop) but 30 secs from a dairy farm (that delivers fresh milk from its own cows - nice :-) ) and wide open spaces, hills, wildlife, - the wild open spaces are a win!!<br /><br /><br />Close to campus = yes, bars'n'coffee shops , but for the same purchase price: <br />close = an (admittedly very nice) apartment but with no garden/anonymous neighbors<br /><br />20 mins = a nice house in a good area/a garden/kids in the street with bikes/neighbors I actually know who pick up my mail when I'm traveling and loan me power tools when I need them :-)<br /><br />I -love love love- my research but For an extra 15-20 minutes each way on commute it is -definitely- worth it. <br /><br />There are quite a lot of Faculty in my neighborhood who have made the same trade-off.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-71940629952322045712011-09-21T16:34:47.006-05:002011-09-21T16:34:47.006-05:00Away from campus. I have a short commute (~15 min)...Away from campus. I have a short commute (~15 min) and would not like to live closer to campus. The houses close to campus (and the downtown) are small, old, with virtually no yard or no garage, and cost a fortune. I am 15 min out and could afford a much bigger house, in a neighborhood that's not nearly as cramped. <br />Besides, I absolutely love driving, so I don't consider any commute under 30 min to be a problem at all. Yeah, there's the price of gas, but I feel that's offset by my considerably lower mortgage and the joy I get from driving.GMPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17872461021953583473noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-82276072673962449422011-09-21T16:16:25.568-05:002011-09-21T16:16:25.568-05:00It really depends on what 'near campus' is...It really depends on what 'near campus' is like. In a big city, no way. Too much crime, traffic, noise, students milling about. When living in a big city (last time around), I lived in one place that was surrounded by parks and the other place was very close to my son's school so he could walk home. I preferred the first place because it was so un-city like, but the commute was no fun and my son had to take the buses to get home. And I never wanted to be on campus at night by myself, anyway.<br /><br />Where I am now, I'm in a fully residential neighborhood less than ten minutes from campus, and it's perfect. It's a drive if I want to find a decent coffee shop, but going into work isn't a problem.Cherishhttp://cherishthescientist.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-6880286295276531912011-09-21T15:14:32.376-05:002011-09-21T15:14:32.376-05:00Small college town. Pretty much everything is clos...Small college town. Pretty much everything is close to campus. In the sense that you'd really have to try to have more than a 15 minute commute. I live both a walkable distance from campus and on the edge of the city (near the mini-malls). The only other options in our price range would include high proximity to students. We enjoy the quiet.<br /><br />Since 18 yrs old the furthest I've lived is maybe 2 miles from campus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-9820187804951399332011-09-21T14:18:21.449-05:002011-09-21T14:18:21.449-05:00I love a walking/biking commute, and have always ...I love a walking/biking commute, and have always chosen to live walking/baking distance. Driving commutes are hell. I now live a perfect live 2.5 miles from campus, far enough away to give me a decent walk.Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12518980340179305767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-8567513968401688092011-09-21T13:39:29.167-05:002011-09-21T13:39:29.167-05:00I prefer close, but not too close. 2-4 miles is ni...I prefer close, but not too close. 2-4 miles is nice. Near a reasonable bike route to the U and near a bus stop to the U for use during hostile weather.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-63082427367982077662011-09-21T13:35:08.981-05:002011-09-21T13:35:08.981-05:00Most of the housing near my campus is very "s...Most of the housing near my campus is very "student ghetto" or too expensive. By living further out, my spouse and I were able to rent a nice little house in a fun neighborhood. So, I live 4.5 miles from campus, it's all downhill on the way there and takes about 30 min by bike. <br /><br />Because it took me 45min-1hr and 2-3 trains to travel the 7 miles to my last lab in a big-ass city, this feels very close and convenient. So, it's all relative.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-59436566500213619472011-09-21T12:34:33.707-05:002011-09-21T12:34:33.707-05:00You are lucky you can live close to campus. My uni...You are lucky you can live close to campus. My university is one of the largest in the US, and you need to go pretty far to avoid the constant chaos of undergraduate life. We have warm weather all year round, so undergrads party non-stop.<br />I would love to be close enough to come to my office to do something at night, but to keep my sanity I need to be at least 5 miles away. Around campus is in fact much cheaper, but it is like a gigantic undergrad dorm that never sleeps...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-42254181613653713282011-09-21T12:24:29.950-05:002011-09-21T12:24:29.950-05:00NEAR. I can go weeks without driving faster than...NEAR. I can go weeks without driving faster than 35 mph, and "traffic" means there are more than 3 people at the one stop light I must pass, or lots of students at a crosswalk. It is wonderful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-79233826373989436742011-09-21T11:53:20.510-05:002011-09-21T11:53:20.510-05:00We are about 5 miles and ~15 min in a drive. We s...We are about 5 miles and ~15 min in a drive. We specifically kept a short commute in mind when faculty job hunting. My husband had to commute at odd hours in grad school to avoid LA traffic jams and we didn't want to do that again. If I could house hunt all over again here, I'd move a bit closer in but if you get too close to campus, you have problems with drunken students and football games can leave you completely unable to drive. All in all, I'm happy where we are.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-3165263559363574992011-09-21T11:53:02.313-05:002011-09-21T11:53:02.313-05:00I love my lively inner-city neighborhood and my ha...I love my lively inner-city neighborhood and my half-hour bike commute to campus.Rosie Redfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06807912674127645263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-46782716155734328142011-09-21T11:35:16.227-05:002011-09-21T11:35:16.227-05:00The only times I have not lived within walking or ...The only times I have not lived within walking or <5 min drive of campus was in my grad school years, when we were simply priced out of the local housing market. Although I now live in the middle of nowhere, I am compensated by a faculty salary high enough to live in a lovely house in a safe neighborhood with a 15 min walk to campus or downtown if the weather is decent. <br /><br />For me it's a no-brainer: I loathe commuting, and laboratory work is vastly facilitated by the ability to drop in for just a few minutes in the evening to set things up for the following day. Sometimes I'll go a whole week without using the car (although that recently backfired on me when I accidentally left the map light on and drained the battery ;)).Principle Investigatornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-65217631979409583332011-09-21T11:18:54.933-05:002011-09-21T11:18:54.933-05:00I live in a diverse near-campus area that has lots...I live in a diverse near-campus area that has lots of families with kids, lots of students, lots of old people, lots of other diversity, AND COFFEE SHOPS!!! It is perfect (for me), except that when a student-oriented apartment building went up at the end of my street, suddenly there was vomit on the sidewalk most weekends. But everything else is great.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29059245.post-31055400526530465962011-09-21T11:13:21.435-05:002011-09-21T11:13:21.435-05:00I live 25 minutes walking from work, 5 min by publ...I live 25 minutes walking from work, 5 min by public transport. We don't own a car (going car-free has proven to be the best decision I've ever made, and I suspect the ridiculous amounts of money many people spend on commuting and car costs would be enough to afford an apartment closer to their job, but I disgress.) It's perfect: it's close enough to walk, but outside of the student ghetto (hallelujah!), and closer to the city center so we can walk there, too. And it's got every imaginable form of public transportation.Roesleinnoreply@blogger.com