The first time I came to the NYC, I stayed at International House.I have stayed there for three years in all, which was a really valuable and unforgettable experience. International House NYC is a global community, which not only provides the accommodation to the international student, but is also a social platform for them to learn the different cultural and exchange skills, and therefore helps them to get involved in America society. International House NYC is the first International House (I-House), which was founded by John D. Rockefeller and Cleveland H. Dodge in 1906, so it is a very historical building, having a lot of stories. One of the stories is the motivation behind I-House. Back in 1906, one of the founders was walking around the Columbia University Campus and said “hello” to a Chinese student who was sitting on the steps of the library. That student said it was the first time someone talked with him during the 3 months after he came to NYC. That story became one of the big reasons to build International House, which is to help the students from different countries to make friends and thus not feel lonely anymore.
I-House has a lot of activities for residents, which provides great networking opportunities for the residents to make friends with each other and have a close access to a different culture. It is the key difference, compared to many other communities. They also have a scholarship and fellowship program, which will subsidize the resident and encourage them to get involved into the different activities. Regarding the rooms where residents live, I-House has a south and a north building. Basically south is a little cheaper. You live by yourself and the room is small but you also meet with a lot people. North usually is apartment size and you share with your roommate. Both types of rooms are all furnished, so you do not have to worry about purchasing the furniture. I-House also has the free wi-fi covered everywhere, so you do not need to bother getting the cable service from the Internet provider. International House also has the various infrastructures like the pub, ballroom dancing lounge, study center with computer lab, gym and music practice room. You can see I-House provides a lot of convenience and features, which create a colorful life for the people who live there.In terms of the rent, it is also quite acceptable;normally it is about $1000 per month, on average, depending on the type of room.
During my 3 years living in International House, I made a lot of friends, some of whom have become my best friends in USA. There are a lot of beautiful memories in that place. From the perspective of international student, I will strongly recommend you to live in International House. More information about International House is available at http://www.ihouse-nyc.org/s/707/start.aspx. There are also International Houses in Philadelphia and Harrisburg, PA; San Diego and Berkeley, CA; Washington, DC and Chicago, IL. More I-Houses are located worldwide.
Jing L. is currently working in a startup in NYC. He was a resident, 2010-2013, while a student at Columbia University’s Engineering School. He is from Shanghai and graduated May 2013.