Many of the Cornell students who live off campus call Collegetown home during the academic year. But Collegetown is also home to year-round residents and families, private homes and large apartment complexes, and a bustling business district. The Collegetown section of East Hill offers a diverse mix of people, buildings and activities unmatched in character, quality and amenities, said David I. Stewart, director of community relations at Cornell. "That's why students and families choose to live there," he said.

To introduce college students and other renters to their new neighborhood, the Collegetown Neighborhood Council has published its 1997-98 "Good Neighbor Guide." More than 3,000 copies of the guide -- enough for each apartment in that East Hill neighborhood -- are being distributed by property owners, merchants and year-round residents.

The guide provides information about resources and regulations that affect the welfare of all members of the community. Tips are provided on a variety of subjects, from parking regulations and emergency services to landlord-tenant disputes and neighborliness.

"Neighborliness is the key," Stewart emphasized, "because relations between students and permanent residents sometimes become strained, especially at the beginning and end of the academic year. Our effort is to bridge the gap and help students understand that, when they rent an apartment, they not only enter into a legal contract with the property owner but also a social contract with their neighbors."

The Collegetown Neighborhood Council includes students, property owners and residents, city and university officials, and merchants. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for all who live and work in Collegetown, promote positive interaction among constituencies and sponsor activities that encourage neighborliness. Among the council's activities is the annual spring cleanup.

The eight-page guide was developed by the neighborhood council and was designed and printed by Cornell. Members of the council are distributing the guide as they welcome students to the neighborhood. In addition to the printed guide, public-service announcements promoting the "good neighbor" message are running on local radio stations.

"As the guide states," Stewart said, "we encourage students to become contributing citizens, not just temporary residents."

Collegetown Neighborhood Council meetings are held at 4 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month in the basement lounge of Cornell's Sheldon Court residence hall, and they are open to all who live and work in the area.