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Housing
Local Accommodations

Housing - Information and Suggestion
The College of Staten Island (CSI) is not a "residential" institution. There are no dormitories or other college-provided residences on the campus, all students live off-campus. There are various options available to foreign students here.

There are rooming houses, apartments and houses available to rent in Staten Island and a homestay with a host family can be arranged through a private business. The cost of this type of housing varies, depending upon whether it is furnished or unfurnished, whether utilities are included and what amenities may be available (such as air conditioning, swimming pool, meals with the host family, etc).
The following are only several options on how and where to obtain housing while attending CSI. Please continue to search for other possibilities.

However, housing is readily available in the borough of Staten Island at prices that are, by New York standards, relatively reasonable. Most housing arrangements for those attending The English Language Institute (ELI) are conducted through independent agents. They will arrange for individual students to reside in private homes of American families on Staten Island. Each homestay family contracts to provide a private room and two meals per day for the student. These services and the fee are all arranged through the agency and are NOT the responsibility of The College or The English Language Institute.

The Lease
A lease is a written agreement between a tenant and the landlord. It describes the rights and responsibilities of each. It is a legally-binding document which makes the tenant responsible for the minimal care of the rented property for a stated amount of monthly rent. It also specifies the landlord's responsibilities for maintaining and repairing the housing unit. Most leases in Staten Island are for 12 months. Be sure that you know and understand the general provisions of the lease.

Security Deposit
When you sign the lease, you generally will pay a security deposit or a damage deposit which may be as much as one month's rent as well as the first month's rent. When your lease period is over, and if you leave your housing unit clean and undamaged, the deposit may be returned to you. Otherwise, the landlord keeps the amount of money necessary to repair the housing unit to the condition it was when you first occupied it.

If you are required to pay for utilities in addition to your monthly rent, ask the landlord or the other tenants how much utilities will cost per month. If the unit has air conditioning, the electric bill may be high during summer months. Depending upon the heating source, the electric and gas bills will increase during the winter months. Make sure that insect extermination is guaranteed in your lease. Check the lease carefully before signing in regard to pet deposits or restrictions; limits on size of family or activities of children within the building; and what alterations can be made to the living quarters, such as number of picture holes in the walls, whether you are permitted to paint or repair the premises, etc.

Some Useful Terms and Definitions
While you are looking for a place to live, you may encounter some puzzling abbreviations and terms. The following is a partial list of some terms you may see and their definitions:

A/C - air conditioning
All appls. - all major appliances on the premises
C/A - central air conditioning
Furn/Unfurn - Furniture provided/furniture not provided
Gar - garage
H/W pd or H/W furn - the heat and water are included in the price of rent
LG 1 Bdr apt. - A large one-bedroom apartment
Prkg - parking
Ref or refer - references needed from previous landlord
Sublet - Take over the remaining rent payments due on another person's lease
Tenant - the person renting the unit
W/D - Clothes washer and dryer on the premises
$/mo. - rent per month
$+util - rent plus utilities
$+dep - rent plus deposit
$/OBO - or best offer

TELEPHONE SERVICE

Establishing Telephone Service
Telephone service options are many for Staten Island residents. First, you will need to establish service. There are four major companies from which to choose. They are:
AT & T: 1-800-222-0300 or visit www.att.com
MCI/WorldCom: 1-800-444-3333 or visit www.wcom.com
Sprint: 1-800-877-7746 or visit www.sprint.com
Verizon: (718) 890-1550 or visit www.verizon.com
Instructions available in: Spanish: (718)890-2005 and Chinese: (718)890-1766.

Very basic telephone service costs about $12.00 per month. You are usually charged a small amount for each local call and an additional amount for each long distance call. There are many options available for additional fees, so it is not uncommon for your basic monthly fee to be around $25-$30. It is best to compare rates before making a decision. For a complete list of other local telephone service providers, consult the White Pages of the telephone directory.

Choosing a Long Distance Company
You may ask the telephone representative about special plans for people who do not make many local calls or who make many long distance calls. There are many companies who provide long distance service, such as the four mentioned above (AT&T, MCI/WorldCom, Sprint and Verizon). It is wise to research for the best company to meet your needs.

Telephone numbers
Telephone numbers in the United States have seven digits. In addition, there is a three-digit area code which identifies the part of the country in which the phone number is located. The area codes for Staten Island are (718), (347) and (917). Other important area codes for New York City are: (212), (646), (917), and (347).
Beginning February 1, 2003, local calls will only be completed if you dial "1" plus the area code, plus the seven-digit number. For long distance calls, you will need to dial a 1, the three-digit area code, and the seven-digit number. For more information, please call 1-800-322-3558, 24 hours a day or visit www.verizon.com/areacodes.
Area codes that begin with (800), (855), (866), (877) or (888) are called toll-free calls. There is no charge for calling these numbers even when you are using a pay phone.

There are many ways to make long distance calls. Rates are usually lowered for late night and weekend calls. Direct dialing, a call made without operator assistance, is the least expensive method. You may call person-to-person by telling the operator to dial the number and ask only for the person with whom you wish to speak (however, this is an expensive way to call). Collect calls are also very expensive. If you need assistance in making a call through an operator, dial "0." Phone cards are also available for purchase at local vendors, such as all CVS Pharmacies (the closest to CSI is at 1933 Victory Boulevard), Miggy's at 2241 Victory Boulevard and 7-11 Stores (the closest being at the corner of Bradley Avenue and Victory Boulevard).

The telephone directory is very useful. In addition to name, address and number of each telephone subscriber, it contains Yellow Pages of local services and businesses, including a list of emergency numbers, and instructions for making various kinds of telephone calls. It also contains maps for Staten Island, Manhattan, surrounding airports, cultural attractions and government offices.

OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS
Cable TV: Time Warner Cable: (718) 816-8686 or visit www.sicable.com
Electric and Gas: Con Edison 1-800-752-6633 or visit www.coned.com
ECONnergy 1-800-805-8586 or visit www.econnergy.com
Gas: Keyspan Energy (718) 643-4050 or visit www.keyspanenergy.com
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): (718) 966-6155 or (212) 645-5550
or visit www.nysdmv.com
Sanitation Action Center: (212) 219-8090 or visit www.nyc.gov/sanitation
(information about garbage/recycling collection)
Department of Environmental Protection (Water Department):
(718) 595-7000 or visit www.nyc.gov/dep
United States Postal Services: (718) 816-2700 (550 Manor Rd., Staten Island), 1-800-275-8777 or visit www.usps.gov

Local Accommodations (Bed & Breakfast, and Hotels)

Bed & Breakfast
The Harbor House
1 Hylan Boulevard
Staten Island, NY 10305
Phone number (718) 876-0056
E-mail: skyline@erols.com
Website address:www.bedandbreakfast.com/property/ppf/id/241091/index.aspx

The Hartshorne
88 Henderson Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10301
Phone number (718) 273-8105
Website address:www.bedandbreakfast.com/property/ppf/id/216510/index.aspx

The Victorian Manor Inn
396 Van Duzer Street
Staten Island, NY 10304
Phone number (718) 815-8463
Website address:www.nycbnb.com

Victoria Villa
206 Daniel Low Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
Phone number (718) 390-9848
Website address:www.bedandbreakfast.com/property/ppf/id/620177/index.aspx

Staten Island Hotels:
The Staten Island Hotel*
1415 Richmond Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone number 1-800-532-3532
Website address:www.statenislandhotel.com

Hilton Garden Inn Staten Island*
1100 South Avenue, Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone number (718) 477-2400
Website address:www.hiltongardeninn.com

*Special Rate for guests visiting the College of Staten Island, please inform the reservation clerk that you are visiting the College.

New Jersey Area Hotels
Sheraton Hotel*
125 Raritan Parkway, Edison, New Jersey 08837
Phone number (732) 225-8300/1-800-325-3535 (U.S./Canada)
Website address: http://www.starwood.com/sheraton/index.html

Courtyard Newark Airport
600 Rte. 1 & 9 South, Newark, New Jersey 07114
Phone number (973) 643-8500
Website address:www.courtyard.com

Marriott Newark Airport
Newark Intl. Airport, Newark, New Jersey 07114
Phone number (973) 623-0006
Website address:www.marriott.com

Sheraton Newark Airport
128 Frontage Road, Newark New Jersey 07114
Phone number (973) 690-5500
Website address:www.starwood.com/sheraton/index.html

The College does not endorse any particular accommodations by virtue of its inclusion in this website.
 
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