Welcome to the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC)

F.A.Q.

Please note that sections marked with tag-green include personal opinions that might vary considerably from your own; they are offered here as suggestions.

Moving

The moving benefits are different depending on whether your position is temporary or permanent.

Permanent positions (e.g., NRAO staff): Typically NRAO contracts with Lawrence Transportation to do the move for the new NAASC employees. Your contract will state how much material can be moved (typically 10,000 lbs). They will even transport your car for you if necessary but the weight of the car is included in the weight limit. Scott German is typically the coordinator for the move from Lawrence Transportation who contract with United Van Lines. Ted Miller (tmiller@nrao.edu) is the local NRAO contact person. A few days before the scheduled date of your move, you will get a standard packet of information on how to prepare for the movers. In general they do not want you to pack anything for insurance reasons. The movers will essentially pack (overpack really) and move everything for you. They will not unpack things on the Charlottesville end so get ready to drown in boxes and paper! In addition to the move, the usual NRAO benefits for permanent employees covers 3 months of storage and 2 months of rental expenses, if needed.

Temporary positions (e.g., postdocs): Your offer letter will note what type of benefits you have typically up to a certain amount. This would include all your moving, relocation costs which you pay upfront and get reimbursed later.

Housing

How much can I expect to pay for an apartment?

Rental for a 1-2 bedroom apartment in the Downtown, JPA, Barrack's Road areas start at about $800/month. Rentals in the Downtown Mall area run in the $1,000/month range. Prices can vary considerably depending upon location and amenities, however.

Where can I find listings of available apartments?

Click here for a small sampling of local resources for locating a place to live.

What about buying real estate? tag-green

It can sometimes be difficult to find good housing within 1-2 miles of the University. Almost all of the new construction from the last 10-12 years is outside of the city in small subdivisions. It takes some time to get to know the city, so find a real estate agent and take your time to find the right place / house for you.

Typically within the city, the current real estate market varies from 150-200 dollars a sq foot but the price for a given property varies enormously based on neighborhood, the construction and the demand for that area. It is at least a factor of 2-3 variation so you really have to just look and see if you can find something good. Outside of the city, the prices are more stable and you can get a good idea of the prices in a neighborhood by looking at recent sales. But as you go around a 10-20 mile area in Cville - you will find as much as a factor of 3 difference in what to the eye seem to be similar properties. Bottom line though is if you want a lot of land, a pastoral lifestyle - look outside the city - towards the south are the least expensive properties.

Transportation

Transportation into and out of Charlottesville

Check here for more links and detailed information about regional air and railroad service.

tag-green General notes about air travel: Charlottesville is served by US Air, American Airlines, United and Delta. Travel to other points usually involves a connection in DC, Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Chicago, or Philly. United does not fly to Chile and American does. You may end up flying in and out of DC to avoid an extra flight, unless you fly Delta. DC has Regan National and Dulles which are the nearest airports and relatively convenient. Door to Gate to IAD from campus can be as little as 2.5 hrs. DCA is also well connected by a train - there is a new regional train that goes to DC which is very convenient if you don't have too much luggage. Another option people like is going to Richmond which is served by American.

tag-green Amtrak: Two trains arrive and depart Charlottesville daily. There is a regional train that leaves around 8.30 in the morning and goes all the way to NYC and Boston. It's cheap - only $28 to DC and $59 to NJ if you book in advance. There is another Amtrak train that goes north but comes from New Orleans. The train is very nice and has power plugs so you can actually do some work / charge your iPod etc. on the train!

Getting around town

Bus Service

Charlottesville is served by two transit systems:

University Transit System (UTS) and Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT).

The University (UTS) operates a number of routes that run throughout the Grounds of the University and to Barrack's Road Shopping Center.

We've collected a few links to information about the Charlottesville/Albemarle area, including links to other collected lists. These links include information about local government, utilities, and other important services.

-- LyndeleVonSchill - 2010-10-28
Topic revision: r9 - 2011-06-16, LyndeleVonSchill
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