State College Area & Universities (Philadelphia, Harrisburg: 2009, apartment, for rent)

[MMT]

Hi from Turkey,
My wife will join a research project at Penn State (University Park) for 2 years from fall 2009, and I have a government scholarship for graduate study in US. Since my wife will be at Penn State, I checked master programs here, but most suitable ones for me are in Harrisburg. I read most threads in the forum about State College, and most of them were saying nice things about the area. I have two questions in mind;

- Is State College a good place to live in? (Cost of living for a couple without child -which is very important for us-, housing opportunities, free time activities, being stranger etc.)

- Is there a graduate school (for social sciences - like public affairs, economics etc.) in an acceptable distance from SC that you may recommend?

Thanks in advance.

[Rtom45]

State College is a little expensive compared to some other areas in PA just because the University is there. The further from campus you rent/buy, the better chance you have of getting a better deal.
State College is kind of in the middle of nowhere, you probably should not plan on commuting to any other school from State College.

[PA2UK]

State College is a great place to live. Cost of living might be getting higher but last I heard, it is still lower than the cost of living in the suburbs of Philly (I've lived in State College and the suburbs of Philly, never lived elsewhere in PA so can't compare).

More and more housing opportunities have been cropping up in State College - I don't know how recent economical issues may have affected it but last time I was in State College, many of the undeveloped areas of State College had been developed with housing.

Activities are usually plentiful. In the summer, there's the Arts Festival which is very popular and people (like my family) come from out of town for it. In the winter, there's skiing/snowboarding/tubing on Tussey Mountain. With the University, there's often events going on like art galleries. I used to go ice skating and mountain biking a lot in SC (there's many bike trails) and there's golf clubs if you're into that. Downtown also has many bars and clubs if you like an active nightlife. But of course they are overrun with students.
For more activity and event ideas, check out: State College PA (PSU) - Sites to See

As for being a stranger or foreigner, I don't think it's a major concern. With the University there, plenty of foreigners come in such as yourselves so it won't be unusual. If you're worried about getting around an unfamiliar place, downtown State College is like a mini city, it has a grid and one way streets which can be annoying but the grid system makes it easy to find your way around.

Can't recommend a graduate school within a reasonable commute as I know nothing in that field, sorry.

[toobusytoday]

MMT,
Are you sure there is not a grad program at PSU that won't suit you? They do have economics. Search Results As far as things to do, with 40,000 students there will ALWAYS be something to do. State College is the quintessential college town.

[MMT]

Thank you all for replies.

toobusytoday, unfortunately, economics in University Park doesn't have seperate MA program, only as part of PhD, which is not suitable for me. I only have the chance to study a two-year-degree. I'm interested in their International Affairs program, but looking for alternatives in case of not being accepted. It's also good to know that there are plenty of activities around, especially golf.

It's said in most threads that cost of living is a bit higher in SC than other areas, but since this will be my first time in US, I can't make any comparisons. I guess life is not as expensive as Europe (where all prices are really high compared to Turkey), but would $2K /month, lets say, be enough for rent, food etc. for a couple?

[pcity]

I think that would be enough for State College. It's really not that expensive, compared to big metro areas like Philadelphia. Get a small apartment, don't get a car... I think you could live on that salary.