GETTING SITUATED

  FINDING A PLACE TO LIVE

  I recommend living in Coral Gables because it’s a nice area with an easy commute to work.  Downtown Coconut Grove also has a lot of cute apartments and that commute isn’t bad either.  I wouldn’t live much further South than Coral Gables because you’ll have to deal with some of the worst traffic ever and you’ll also have to combat flooding during the rainy season. 

  EWM is a realty office located on US1, right across from the UM campus.  They might be able to help show you different apartments.  I’d also recommend checking advertisements in the paper.  That’s how I found my place.

  Living with a room-mate is a great way to cut the cost of rent and also begin meeting new people.  You might want to contact the law school; I’ve been told they publish a list of students looking for room-mates.  You might want to also check out www.Geshercity.org.  It’s a new web site for Jewish twenty-somethings and they have a bulletin board for people looking for room-mates.  They also have events posted that might be of interest to you and can help you meet people outside of Hillel. 

  WHAT TO DO YOUR FIRST FEW DAYS ON THE JOB

  The most important thing to do when you first arrive on campus is to familiarize yourself with the school and its students, Hillel and its staff.

  Go to the office of Admissions (located on the first floor of Ashe) and take a campus tour.  This will familiarize you with the campus and give you a better idea of what student life is like. 

  Go to the RA fair in the beginning of the year.  This is a great way for you to meet RAs.   Find a few with whom you would like to co-sponsor programs and get their contact information!!

  Go to Canefest.  This is the activities fair students attend in the beginning of the year.  You’ll meet tons of students looking for ways to get involved on campus. 

  Get a list of student leaders who will be returning.  Call and introduce yourself to them.

  Get a copy of new student orientation materials.  Find out what they’ll be up to.

  Learn how to use your email (Microsoft Outlook), Microsoft Publisher, and Doner Perfect (the student database).

  Fill in a calendar including the academic year, Jewish holidays, already scheduled Hillel events, and sports events (you don’t want to accidentally program something during a UM football game!).

  Talk to Linda about your programming budget.  Have someone explain to you how to fill out a reimbursement form. 

  Get a CaneCard (the UM ID card).  It’ll give you access to the Residential Colleges and the Wellness Center (if you choose to pay the membership fees).  

  WHAT TO DO IN YOUR FREE TIME

  There’s so much to see and do in Miami!  The city has a very active nightlife.  Coconut Grove really comes alive on Thursday nights.  It’s a fun area with lots of restaurants and bars.  Friday and Saturday nights people generally head towards the clubs on the beach. 

  I loved spending my weekend afternoons on the beach.  South Beach is free and open to the public.  The only thing you have to pay for is parking but the 7^th Street garage only costs a dollar an hour. 

  Venetian Pool is a beautiful community pool located in Coral Gables; it’s open 7 days a week and you can get a reduced rate if you show you’re a Coral Gables resident or have a CaneCard (the UM ID card). 

  I would definitely recommend visiting Vizcaya.  It’s an old home that got converted into a museum.  It’s absolutely gorgeous and a must see! 

  There are lots of good restaurants around.  There are tons of great places to eat all along Lincoln Road.  My favorite casual place to eat was the Beverly Hills Café, located right near Sunset Place.  You’ll have to drive to Kendall for a lot of the traditional chains (i.e. Chili’s, Macaroni Grill, On the Border etc.). 

  Miami has tons of shopping centers.  Coconut Grove, Sunset Place and Bayside Marketplace are all beautiful outdoor shopping plazas.  But if you’re looking for a traditional, indoor mall for a rainy day, the closest one would be Dadeland Mall (located South on US1) and the biggest one would be in Aventura (off of 95N).

  There are AMC movie theatres both at Sunset Place or Coconut Grove and you can get a nice student discount by showing your CaneCard. 

  There are several drama theatres in Miami- one in Coral Gables on Miracle Mile (Actor’s Playhouse), one in downtown Coconut Grove (the Coconut Grove Playhouse) and one on the Beach (the Jackie Gleason Theatre). 

The first Friday of every month is Gallery Night in the Gables.  All the art galleries in downtown Coral Gables are open late for people to walk through.  They serve free wine and it’s fun to walk around.