Housing After Year One: Perkins Green, The Province, and Global Village

During your first year at RIT, you’re required to live in the dorms. Honestly, it keeps things simple while you're adjusting to college life. Once year two rolls around, though, a lot more on-campus and near-campus options open up. In this post, I’ll walk you through three popular spots: Perkins Green, Global Village, and The Province.

Perkins Green

Perkins Green sits on the east side of campus, just past the dorms. It’s a really pretty, wooded area, and since it’s set back a bit, you see a lot more nature—I’ve spotted my fair share of deer and birds around here.

While, Perkins is a little farther out, you can easily walk to the dorm side of campus. On the other hand, walking all the way to academic buildings takes a while. Luckily, Perkins has its own bus stop with shuttles running every 15 minutes, plus a few other nearby routes. You won't be stuck waiting long. If you bring a bike (like a lot of RIT students do), there are plenty of bike racks right outside.

You’ll have roommates here. My setup had two double rooms (four people total), and the best perk was having our own kitchen and bathroom. Being able to cook meals was a game changer!

The units come fully furnished with a dining table and a living room set, couch, two chairs, and an end table, which is great for when you have people over. There's also large closets that offer extra storage space.

The Province

The Province is a super popular off-campus option right next to RIT. I haven't lived here personally, but after checking out their open house and hearing from friends who do, it’s a great option for off-campus living.

Like Perkins, Province has its own shuttle route to campus so you don't have to worry about a long walk. Late at night, you can also catch the East Residences bus. Because it’s right next to dorms, Perkins, Park Point, and Apex, the whole area feels like one big student neighborhood.

The Province also has a clubhouse that offers a private movie theater you can reserve for movie nights, comfortable lounges, a gym, and a pool.

Province runs tours pretty often, and they have a demo room to show what a standard setup looks like. The living room is spacious and opens right into the kitchen. One major perk: since Province is off-campus, their pet policy is way more lenient than official RIT housing. As long as you pay the pet fee and your roommates are cool with it, you can actually bring a pet.

Overall, I was really impressed when I visited. It seems like a great place to hang out and make friends, and the bus makes getting to class easy.

Global Village

Global Village is a great option for second-year students. While a lot of people move off-campus by junior year, Global Village is a place you can happily stay for two years. I was lucky enough to live here for two full years, and it was a great experience.

Global Village is located right on the academic side of campus. You’re steps away from shops, popular food spots like Crossroads and Midnight Oil, and connected directly to buildings like Golisano. The Global Village Market and post office are right around the corner, which allowed me to grab a quick snack or pick up mail easily.

These are suite-style apartments holding up to five people. Most rooms are singles, though there’s usually at least one double room per suite. You get a full kitchen, allowing to cook your own meals. The laundry room is on the first floor (easily accessible by elevator). 

My Personal Take

I really enjoyed living at Perkins Green. The main adjustment was getting used to the bus schedule, since I was so used to walking everywhere from Global Village and the dorms. But once I got the timing down, it was smooth sailing. The apartments feel surprisingly spacious—we had plenty of room for a rug between the beds—and having your own thermostat for heat and AC is a huge plus.

I also enjoyed living at Global Village, mostly for the convenience of getting up early, grabbing coffee at Midnight Oil, heading straight to class, and checking the mail on the way back.

Keep in mind that moving in with multiple roommates after having just one in your freshman year can take some adjusting, but living in a good spot makes it completely worth it (especially if you room with friends!). Every housing option at RIT has its own pros and cons. Just remember that places like Global Village fill up fast, so always have a backup plan during registration!