hastings1L,
i didn't get a chance to go to housing day, although i did submit an app to live in the tower (a studio). can you tell me what they are like so that i can have a sort of visual as to what i am getting into? and i totally agree that vicinity is uber important. thanks for the help!
but of course fellow hastings 1L tobias! I want to preface this with the fact that I do in fact want to live in the towers and do not feel doing so will be that big of an issue. I'm even a girly girl so I am factoring in that as well.So, the rooms are old hotel rooms and the kitchen is basically slapped on on the of the walls. two burners, an oven, a mini fridge (the ones that come to about your mid section), a sink and some cabinets above. Everything kinda fits in to one large rectangle hence the description "slapped on." I don't know about you, but i don't plan on cooking much of anything during our first year, but I will most likely do a couple of larger productions, in which case-the rink-e-dink kitchen will be a challenge but not impossible. For most meals (baked chicken or beef, stir fry and rice ect.) it will be more than fine and less clean up. My tour guide for admit day was AWESOME and lived in the towers so I got to see like 6 different apartments before i even went to housing day. i say that b/c that was when they were furnished and i was told (and saw) that for the fridge problem, most people just buy a small freezer for their room and that solves the problem. Also in some of the apts there was space for a small island ( the kind you get at target for $75) if you need more cook prep space. They have wheels and can be used as storage for something too. Anyways that's the kitchens. In the studios I saw the small kitchen turns out to be a plus b/c it doesn't impose on your living space as much. The bathrooms leave a lot to be desired and I'm not talking marble counter tops b/c they have these early 90's vanities and the tubs i saw look fairly new- the toilets looked kinda gross but I guess if you clean it really well when you move in, it shouldn't be that hard to get past. Just know that unless you're a guy who can live with no tp and a caked bar of soap, you will need a rug and a nice shower curtain and set of towels to make that thing do-able. I'm going to put lots of energy and time in to the bathroom b.c i think it is worth it. The actual rooms range in size, but all the studios I 've seen have been a good size i.s a full bed, desk, tv futon and maybe even a SMALL dining room table could fit nicely. I also got to see some BIG studios that seemed more like one bedrooms missing a wall! What I saw in several of the smaller studios was a loft bed from ikea with a desk or futon underneath. That was a great use of the space and looked nice and provided some seperation between your sleeping/living areas. All the apartments i saw had nice big windows and some good light. On my app I requested a apartment with lots of light b/c I NEED natural light but depending where you are on the list i think you can request certain things.Closet space also ranged b/c I saw walk-in closets and barely a sliding panel door closet! In general the ceilings are pretty high 12 feet+ The higher you go starting around the 10th or 12th floor i'd say, you get AMAZING views! The carpet sucks, repeat SUCKS! I think there is hardwood underneath the cheapest grade of carpet you can get that they stuck on the floors! I'm talking classroom carpet! Yuck! Rugs will most likely be a must.
The gym is in a nice old ballroom, smallish but everything you need is there. The 5 times I've been to the tower and by the gym no more than 4 people have been in there. The laundry is a buck to wash and a buck to dry. newspapers are delivered to your apartment door as is food. You have access to the game room where there is a big screen tv, game tables pool ect. You'll also have the basketball court once the bookstore moves back to the 100 building. the skyroom is GREAT and open till 8 pm. there's an escort service and 24 hour security guards who all seem to be over 60. lol. all in all it works, even for this girly girl.
Ok so that's the honest truth, It is workable but will take imagination. To me, a nice gleaming hardwood floor remodeled bathroom and gourmet kitchen with even a 15/20 min commute wouldn't make me stray from the tower. It's close to school and at the hub of public transit, you really can't beat it. Plus those 15/20 min that everybody is commuting I will be sleeping!
Anymore questions?