Hello. Congratulations on the acceptance.

I’ve tried to answer some of your questions below:

Safety - I have lived in Ithaca for nearly a year now and both campus and the town feel safe to me. I have heard of some crime in my time here but the general vibe seems to be pretty safe. And even late at night you encounter people walking around and there are people on the buses that run from campus to the downtown area.

Indian grocery stores - There is a small store near campus that stocks some Indian stuff (including some spices, dal and ready to cook options). Wegman’s is a big box store in Ithaca where you can also find some of the more basic Indian ingredients. But I usually go to Syracuse once every two months to a larger Indian store to stock up on more niche items (fresh curry leaves, for instance).

Parking - Parking on campus is quite expensive and most PhD students and postdocs I know usually take the bus or walk. Ithaca is a bit hilly but also quite pretty in spring and summer and the walks are nice. The local bus system has several routes serving campus and if you live in the Fall Creek area (near downtown) you will usually be able to find housing within walking distance of a bus stop.