First Congratulations for getting admission in Biomed science. The assistantship is 24000/yr. Also you will have a wide range of research opportunities.This department is the the best department in Buffalo.

 I live in Buffalo, NY.  There will not be any problem for accommodation for few days before you find your own apartment. There are plenty of inexpensive houses near South campus(Biomedical Science dept.) Click on the link below to find apartments near south campus. In search criteria, select university heights.

http://subboard.com/och/index.asp

Also you will not need a car if you live in the university heights area. Biomed Dept is only 10 minutes away from there. Grocery stores, theater, pubs, restaurants, strip clubs are within the walking distance.