Living off campus has many perks and many downfalls. A perk? You do what you want with no one to catch you throwing up in the bathroom, minus a roommate. A downfall? You have to get to and fro the places that will make you throw up. Bummer, right?

That downfall will be huge for those of you who have signed a lease to live in The Cottages of Durham considering they are two miles from campus.

Photo courtesy of thecottagesofdurham.com

The set of duplexes, two story houses, and one story houses are brand spankin new. Being the first to ever live in one is another pretty sweet perk if you ask me. 

But after you break in the freshly waxed floors, how are you going to get to class or the bars? Two miles seems like a short distance but you can't walk there unless you give yourself a good half hour; you could drive but then you'd need a parking pass which gets you only as close as A-lot. 

One of the bus routes UNH currently has, the IOL connector, reaches as far as Technology Drive, where the building site is. The developers at Capstone Companies are now negotiating with University Transportation Services to improve that route which only runs from 7:45am to 5:45pm during the week.

Capstone Companies will be responsible for paying for this extra service. But can they manage that? The company was accused of not paying undocumented workers for months. Eight laborers were hired by a subcontractor and hadn't been receiving proper pay. The company has now come to an agreement with the workers' lawyer for their compensation after protests outside the office on Wednesday.

Photo by Julie Fortin

Read more on the transportation issues surrounding The Cottages and more on the labor dispute at the TNHonline.com.