BPI Summer Residency 2024: What to Know Before You Arrive

Schedule

Check here for this year’s schedule.

Getting Here

For directions and area information, please refer to the Bard College Visitors page, here. The nearest train station is in Rhinecliff. Visit Amtrak for reservations and timetables.

On Sunday, July 14th, BPI will provide a shuttle service scheduled to meet trains arriving at the local Rhinecliff Station from New York City or Albany directions.

We will also be offering a complimentary shuttle service from the Albany Airport, but you must submit your flight information to BPI by June 28, 2024. You should have a link to the travel plans spreadsheet to submit your flight info in emails from BPI.

On Saturday, July 26th, complimentary Bard College shuttles will take residents to the Rhinecliff Station and to the Albany airport as needed.

Should you need transportation assistance beyond the vans BPI will provide, taxi service to Bard College is also available and we recommend booking in advance with Red Hook/Rhinebeck Taxi: (845) 758-1010, (845) 876-8100, (845) 758-8294.

Arrival

Check-in is on Sunday, July 14th, in front of Brown Hall. Brown Hall’s address is 15 Village Walk for those driving to campus. There is parking nearby in the Cruger Parking Lot. Alternatively, parking is available near the tennis courts near Stevens Gym. See map below.

For those who are coming by train or plane, shuttles will drop off residents in front of Brown Hall. At check in you will be given your dorm keys and meal cards, and a welcome bag. We will have sandwiches for those who arrive in time for lunch. A welcome dinner will follow, starting at 6pm.

If you arrive after 8:30 pm on Sunday, July 16 or on a later day, please message Nicolette to arrange for keys and check in.

Housing

This year, resident housing will be in Bard’s Brown Hall. We will have Brown entirely to ourselves for the duration of the residency. Each resident, including some BPI staff and workshop leaders, will have a single occupancy room equipped with one or more twin-sized beds, dressers, closets, and desks. There is adjustable AC in every room. You should expect to share a bathroom with roughly 1-3 other people.

There is a  kitchen in this dorm, as well as a lounge. Brown Hall also features a laundry room with two washers and two dryers as well as a folding table. Washing and drying machines are free of charge. We will provide laundry soap for residents.

Residents will be placed on all three floors: ground level, the first floor, and second floor. There is no elevator in this building. If you would prefer ground-floor accommodations for accessibility, please reach out to Nicolette ASAP.

No overnight visitors will be allowed in the residence halls.

What to Bring

For your stay, you will be provided with Bard-issued top and bottom sheets, a pillow and pillowcase, and one light blanket as well as. You will be given two towels. The dorm has two-three bathrooms on each floor. We will place hand soap, body soap, shampoo and conditioner, and some menstrual  products in each bathroom.

On our expansive campus, comfortable walking shoes are a must. Be prepared for very warm and humid weather, and bring clothes suitable for layering in air-conditioned buildings. We recommend checking the long-term forecast for Annandale prior to arrival. Dormitory rooms are very basic, so feel free to bring anything that will make you more comfortable (your own sheets, a favorite pillow, quilt, radio, fan, plush towel, etc.). Depending on whether you are driving or flying, you might also wish to bring a small desk lamp, flashlight, insect repellent, sunscreen, even a bicycle if you can. You may want to consider packing or buying flip-flops for the bathroom. Past residents who are driving have preferred to bring their own sheets, pillows and blankets.

There will be a shopping trip to Target on the second day so that you can pick up personal items you desire to make your stay more comfortable and reflect your personal preferences.

Bard College Campus

Residents should be aware that Bard College is an extremely rural campus. It is not a college town. Once residents are on campus, there is nothing outside of the campus itself that is within walking distance. There are campus shuttles that go from campus to a few of the small nearby towns, but they are limited in service and residents should be prepared to have minimal mobility.

Please find a copy of the summer shuttle schedule here, which goes to the neighboring towns of Red Hook and Tivoli, and please be advised that masks are required on the shuttle. To get a better sense of the campus and surrounding area, please also visit the virtual map of Bard College’s campus. You can also consult this version, marked with the main buildings of relevance for the BPI Summer Residency.

During your stay, you will have access to the library, the computer labs, and the gym. You do not need to show ID to enter the library or the computer labs. For the gym, you will have a BPI Residency “ID” on a lanyard that you will need to show in order to enter. Please keep in mind that you will not be able to check out books from the library. Bard provides free WiFi across campus in all buildings and dorms.

On campus you will have access to the Kline Commons Dining Hall for meals. Kline will be open from 8-10am for breakfast, 12:30-2:30 pm for lunch, and 5:30-7:30pm for dinner every day. Some dinners will be catered events in other locations. All of your meals will be provided and covered for you for the duration of your stay.

At times, you will also have the option of exploring other venues on or off campus for meals on your own, if you desire. The dining hall, and catered meals will be inclusive of all dietary restrictions, which we asked about in your original registration form. If you need to make us aware of any other dietary preferences, please reach out ASAP so that we can take those into consideration as we arrange for meal plans.

There will be some walking across campus expected to get from dorms to the workshops and dinners. Some residents will have cars and may be able to offer rides. If you are concerned about walking, please email us so that we can ensure accessibility for all residents.

Other amenities open on campus for the summer include:

• The Bard College Bookstore is open Monday – Thursday, 10am – 4pm and on Fridays from 10am-3pm.
• Bard SummerScape is eight weeks of live music, opera, dance, and theater, which will occur while you are on campus! Dance with top DJs as part of SummerScape’s “After Hours” party, at Spiegeltent Garden near Fisher. “After Hours” dates are forthcoming. For more information on events to attend, please see SummerScape’s summer calendar here.

• The Hessel Museum of Art is open Wednesday – Sunday, 11am – 5pm.
  • The CCS cafe is a cafe at the Hessel Museum of Art. The hours are Wednesday – Monday, 12pm – 5pm. The cafe offers coffee, tea, cold brew, seltzer, juices, hummus plates, sandwiches, and more. Enjoy a snack and beverage on the back patio as you visit the exhibitions.
• Halal Bros at Manor House offers halal dishes including entrees of chicken, lamb/beef, and falafel over rice or with pita bread. Their summer hours are 9am-6pm, Monday through Friday. Please note: they only accept cash, credit cards, or flex. They are not set up for meal exchange.

• The Stevensons Athletic Center is open Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm, as well as Saturday & Sunday from 9am to 5pm.

• The hours for the Stevenson Athletic Center Pool are:
  • 8:15 – 9:00 a.m. (Monday – Friday)
  • 9:15 – 10:00 a.m. (Every Day)
  • 10:15 – 11:00 a.m. (Saturday-Sunday)
  • 11:15 – 12:00 noon (Every Day)12:15 – 1:00 p.m. (Sunday – Friday)
  • 1:15 – 2:00 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
  • 2:15 – 3:00 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
  • 3:15 – 4:00 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
• Please note: reservations are needed to use the pool. You can make a reservation through OMNIFY.
• Information about instructional classes, which will be available to you during your stay, can be found here.

Parking

Residents who opt to rent or drive their own cars are welcome to do so. Park in any of the lots on campus—you do not need a parking permit during your stay. Please refer to campus maps and signs for authorized parking areas.

Summer in the Hudson Valley

July’s average temperature in the Hudson Valley area is 84°F (29°C), though the humidity can make it feel warmer than that. The average highs for summer at Bard College are 82°F

(28°C), and the average lows are 60°F (16°C). You can find more information about Bard’s temperature on the “Visiting” section of our website, which can be found here.

Please keep in mind that we’re in peak tick season in upstate New York. This is especially important if you plan on hiking. The CDC advises avoiding areas where ticks tend to congregate, treating your clothes with products containing 0.5% permethrin, and using EPA registered insect repellent if you spend time outside. Once you return indoors, they recommend doing a tick check on your body and taking a shower. NYC Department of Health also advises wearing light-colored clothing, long pants and long-sleeve shirts, and tucking your pant legs into socks to make ticks easier to see and to keep them off of your skin. They also provides information on how to remove a tick. If you need medical attention, we will provide you transportation to Red Hook.

Health and Safety

Bard Security is always available: (845) 758-7460. Please give this phone number to your emergency contact. In addition to patrolling buildings and grounds, Security is responsible for enforcement of parking and traffic regulations. They also investigate assorted complaints; provide an escort service on campus; and maintain a lost and found. Items can be claimed at the Dispatcher’s office any time during the day or evening. Lost items can be reported to Security 24 hours a day. If you need additional linens while you are on campus, please call security. Security also handles emergency medical transportation for the college community. All members of the department are trained in basic first aid. Reach Security from any campus phone at x7460 or see the Dispatcher at the “Old Gym” campus security building. For campus emergencies, call (845) 758-7777