UVA - upperclass housing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 2021 graduate and a current first year. My sense is that the attitudes are shifting, primarily due to the new upper class housing opening fall 2024. Used to be that the "cool" option was to move off-campus second year. The new dorms have unique configurations (eight single bedrooms, sharing living area, two kitchens, and four bathrooms) and amenities that are attractive to students. The rumor is that UVA wants to move to make it mandatory for second-years to live on-campus.

I also have a current 1st year, and would agree that they are trying to make on grounds housing more attractive. That said, the new housing went FAST, and a lot of people who wanted it didn't get it. I also heard that some people ended up dropping out of the housing process because by the time they got their choices, there wasn't anything left that they wanted. My own son got an apartment in October with 3 friends which I thought was crazy, but he knows them from HS, so I hope it will all work out.

guess what? they will be asked to renew their lease probably in SEPTEMBER this coming fall!

my DD decided to room with her best friend from first year, renewed their lease in September of second year and by October, we basically not friends anymore. She is now a third year and still living with the "friend". She finally moves out in June to live in a house with 8 other sorority sisters. She cannot wait to move and live with actual friends.

I guess the reason for my post is not to scare you but to let you know that they will have to renew even earlier than you had to sign the lease this past fall and even if they are not best buds anymore, it is possible to be roommates. My DD and her roommate tolerate each other and hang out/have meals together every so often but live separate lives almost entirely. It's fine, but it will be better when she can move out for her fourth year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 2021 graduate and a current first year. My sense is that the attitudes are shifting, primarily due to the new upper class housing opening fall 2024. Used to be that the "cool" option was to move off-campus second year. The new dorms have unique configurations (eight single bedrooms, sharing living area, two kitchens, and four bathrooms) and amenities that are attractive to students. The rumor is that UVA wants to move to make it mandatory for second-years to live on-campus.

I also have a current 1st year, and would agree that they are trying to make on grounds housing more attractive. That said, the new housing went FAST, and a lot of people who wanted it didn't get it. I also heard that some people ended up dropping out of the housing process because by the time they got their choices, there wasn't anything left that they wanted. My own son got an apartment in October with 3 friends which I thought was crazy, but he knows them from HS, so I hope it will all work out.

guess what? they will be asked to renew their lease probably in SEPTEMBER this coming fall!

my DD decided to room with her best friend from first year, renewed their lease in September of second year and by October, we basically not friends anymore. She is now a third year and still living with the "friend". She finally moves out in June to live in a house with 8 other sorority sisters. She cannot wait to move and live with actual friends.

I guess the reason for my post is not to scare you but to let you know that they will have to renew even earlier than you had to sign the lease this past fall and even if they are not best buds anymore, it is possible to be roommates. My DD and her roommate tolerate each other and hang out/have meals together every so often but live separate lives almost entirely. It's fine, but it will be better when she can move out for her fourth year.

Thanks! It's all pretty crazy to me. The interesting thing with my son and his roommates is that I don't think they even really hang out right now. They all know each other from HS, and one of the boys is closer to my son especially when he's back home, but I rarely hear him mention hanging out with them at school. So maybe it will be more of a roommate situation than a friend situation.

[Anonymous]

There's a discussion on CC about this and it seemed like there really isn't a shortage that should make people worry about securing housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of UVa upperclass housing is not directly walkable from central grounds. The Faulkner complex is at North Grounds, so needs a UVa bus ride to/from central grounds. Lambeth also is a bus ride away from central grounds, but is somewhat walkable to the A School.

I lived in Lambeth my third year a few decades ago. Not a bad walk at all if you go through the backside, through the colonnades, and then hop out on the street there. I was in the college and walked to the Lawn/Cabell all the time. I don’t know if I ever once took the bus.

Silly PP above. Lambeth is across the street from the rotunda. My kid was there his second year and never once had to take a bus to Lambeth. And he walked to the Anderson library back and forth at all hours.

Lambeth is across from JPJ.

Mad Bowl is across from the Rotunda.

Still, you can take the bus to the Barrack's shopping center with Harris Teeter on one end and Kroger on the other. Lots of stores in between.

come on, you walk from the rotunda through some athletic field and et viola There is LAMBETH! stop being contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. Lambeth is one of the closest second year/upper class housing available on campus and it is very very nice (my SLAC had NOTHING with full kitchens like Lambeth). DC who lived at Lambeth never once had to take a bus anywhere. Barricks shopping center is across the street. Anderson library in short walking distance. The rotunda similarly. The gym, also RIGHT THERE. stop complaining! FAR better than anything i had in college or law school

PP above does not seem to know UVa well at all. There is no “Anderson library” for example. Caveat Emptor.

Come on. We all know she meant Alderman. Her kid went there, not her. When I was at UVA, I had friends who lived at Lambeth and they walked everywhere.

i think people are getting worked up over that post's bad sense of the campus instead of just agreeing that you can walk or take the bus places. You don't need a car to get to the grocery store regardless of whether you know or don't know where Lambeth is in relation to the other buildings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of UVa upperclass housing is not directly walkable from central grounds. The Faulkner complex is at North Grounds, so needs a UVa bus ride to/from central grounds. Lambeth also is a bus ride away from central grounds, but is somewhat walkable to the A School.

I lived in Lambeth my third year a few decades ago. Not a bad walk at all if you go through the backside, through the colonnades, and then hop out on the street there. I was in the college and walked to the Lawn/Cabell all the time. I don’t know if I ever once took the bus.

Silly PP above. Lambeth is across the street from the rotunda. My kid was there his second year and never once had to take a bus to Lambeth. And he walked to the Anderson library back and forth at all hours.

Lambeth is across from JPJ.

Mad Bowl is across from the Rotunda.

Still, you can take the bus to the Barrack's shopping center with Harris Teeter on one end and Kroger on the other. Lots of stores in between.

come on, you walk from the rotunda through some athletic field and et viola There is LAMBETH! stop being contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. Lambeth is one of the closest second year/upper class housing available on campus and it is very very nice (my SLAC had NOTHING with full kitchens like Lambeth). DC who lived at Lambeth never once had to take a bus anywhere. Barricks shopping center is across the street. Anderson library in short walking distance. The rotunda similarly. The gym, also RIGHT THERE. stop complaining! FAR better than anything i had in college or law school

PP above does not seem to know UVa well at all. There is no “Anderson library” for example. Caveat Emptor.

Come on. We all know she meant Alderman. Her kid went there, not her. When I was at UVA, I had friends who lived at Lambeth and they walked everywhere.

i think people are getting worked up over that post's bad sense of the campus instead of just agreeing that you can walk or take the bus places. You don't need a car to get to the grocery store regardless of whether you know or don't know where Lambeth is in relation to the other buildings.

My DD lived in Lambeth sophomore year - never had a car and never needed one. She moved to the Flats for the next two years with three friends. didn't need a car there either

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is the case of many colleges.

UVA freshman year, living in the dorms is required, and they are specific first year dorms.

People do start grouping finding roommates and signing leases in the late fall, but that’s typical many colleges. [b]However, it was kind of considered a bit nerdy to live on campus, and 2nd through 4th year I lived in an apartment that was on the bus line and was probably as close as some of upperclassmen class housing on campus. Different friend groups every year.

It’s the kind of thing not to worry about until the fall and your student will handle it.

Why is that? My daughter will be living in one of the on grounds apartment next year as a second year. The housing is a full-fledged apartment. Why is living g on an on-campus apartment less desirable than on off-campus apartment?

There is nothing wrong with living on grounds. [/b]I think that some kids love the idea of living in their own apartment, having in apartment laundry, their own room and furnishing it as they like, being closer to the Corner etc. it just makes it feel like they are grown ups, rather than living in a dorm with an RA and very standard furnishings. [b] The newer dorms are great so I agree that the tide seems to be shifting because they are much closer to "the action" so to speak of the Corner and where others live off grounds.

But Bond and Faulkner are both apartments without an RA. They are nothing like dorms and aren’t even technically on grounds, so why would it be “less cool than living in other apartments that aren’t affiliated with the school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were just there on a tour last week or so -- Guide said that it is required 1st year and then guaranteed the 2nd year... and if you use it 2nd year, then it's guaranteed 3rd, if you use it 3rd, guaranteed 4th. Sounded like there were a lot of 2nd - 4th year options.

This.

Moving off grounds is popular for many students, but it is just personal preference. There is plenty of university housing available these days. For non-Greeks a smart housing play is to apply to one of the Residential Colleges and then stay there for all of the remaining time on grounds. Unlike many years ago, if one likes one’s 2nd year room/dorm, then the student is guaranteed the option to stay put in future years. If one dislikes that, one is still guaranteed housing, but can apply to live elsewhere. Some upperclass housing is in suites with a kitchen. Other upper lass housing is more like a traditional dorm. There are a range of options.

Why is living in the Residential Colleges a smart play for non-Greeks and not Greeks?

Two main factors. First, the residential colleges are farther from Rugby Road, which is where most fraternities/sororities are located, than most upperclass housing (especially far from Hereford). Second, the Residential Colleges are focused on building community *inside* that particular residential college, while the greek organizations are focused on building community *inside* that fraternity/sorority. So a greek person in a residential college gets pulled in different directions (exceptions must exist where someone successfully does both, but it is not very common). The residential colleges also have separate meal plans, which are mandatory for their residents. If one is in a fraternity/sorority, then other on-grounds housing (or off-grounds housing) would be much closer and more suitable, for example Lambeth. The UVa residential colleges for decades have tended to attract more nerdy students who are looking for a community outside the greek organizations. Exceptions must exist, of course, but these are the general trends.

But tons of non-Greeks move off campus as well. Non-Greeks out number Greeks, so why would they feel the need to live in one of the residential colleges instead of an apartment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a discussion on CC about this and it seemed like there really isn't a shortage that should make people worry about securing housing.

What is “CC”?

[Anonymous]

For posters mentioning “the flats”, is this the flats? https://www.flatsatwestvillage.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For posters mentioning “the flats”, is this the flats? https://www.flatsatwestvillage.com/

yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is the case of many colleges.

UVA freshman year, living in the dorms is required, and they are specific first year dorms.

People do start grouping finding roommates and signing leases in the late fall, but that’s typical many colleges. [b]However, it was kind of considered a bit nerdy to live on campus, and 2nd through 4th year I lived in an apartment that was on the bus line and was probably as close as some of upperclassmen class housing on campus. Different friend groups every year.

It’s the kind of thing not to worry about until the fall and your student will handle it.

Why is that? My daughter will be living in one of the on grounds apartment next year as a second year. The housing is a full-fledged apartment. Why is living g on an on-campus apartment less desirable than on off-campus apartment?

There is nothing wrong with living on grounds. [/b]I think that some kids love the idea of living in their own apartment, having in apartment laundry, their own room and furnishing it as they like, being closer to the Corner etc. it just makes it feel like they are grown ups, rather than living in a dorm with an RA and very standard furnishings. [b] The newer dorms are great so I agree that the tide seems to be shifting because they are much closer to "the action" so to speak of the Corner and where others live off grounds.

But Bond and Faulkner are both apartments without an RA. They are nothing like dorms and aren’t even technically on grounds, so why would it be “less cool than living in other apartments that aren’t affiliated with the school?

Bond is great, everyone wanted Bond before this years first years went through selection (now eveyrone wants the new dorms). Problem was, no one gets Bond. No one. You had to have a first day, early time in the lottery to get a space there. Now they have the newer options, so you're right it's more cool to be there, mostly because it's new and the location. Faulkner sucks. You might as well be a grad student living there. Its nowhere near the Corner and where students hang out, other than basketball games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For posters mentioning “the flats”, is this the flats? https://www.flatsatwestvillage.com/

yes

FWIW, the Flats "system" works well for students. Each student of a four-person group signs a separate lease, so when one of your friends bails, the other three aren't stuck with running around trying to find a 4th roommate fast. And that did happen twice to DC in the two years she lived at the Flats. Of course, the three-some can go and find a 4th they like, but the Flats won't hold them accountable and may put another student in the quad. Each bedroom in the quad has its own bathroom and a lock on the door, so they are like mini apartments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For posters mentioning “the flats”, is this the flats? https://www.flatsatwestvillage.com/

yes

FWIW, the Flats "system" works well for students. Each student of a four-person group signs a separate lease, so when one of your friends bails, the other three aren't stuck with running around trying to find a 4th roommate fast. And that did happen twice to DC in the two years she lived at the Flats. Of course, the three-some can go and find a 4th they like, but the Flats won't hold them accountable and may put another student in the quad. Each bedroom in the quad has its own bathroom and a lock on the door, so they are like mini apartments.

It sounds great, but just so I am clearly understanding, The Flats is technically not UVa Housing, correct ?