I, Jonathan Chodzko, have a dream, to create the greatest blog that has ever been blogged. Started from the bottom, still here… for now.
SLOme number: 5
Story Highlights:
- There’s a party on Hathway!
- Don’t judge a book by its cover. Hath houses not as grimy as they look on Saturday.
- Hathway living not for the younglings.
Hillary Preece and the rest of her friends have been living on Hathway for the past two years, and know a thing or two about partying on the street.
So now, ladies and gentlemen, the review that you’ve all been waiting for…… the infamous Hathway Street. Where can I begin to describe the endless amount of partying and shenanigans that take place at this street?
Well for starters, if you do happened to live under a rock and have never heard of Hathway, take a look at my video above before reading any further.
So most of us have been in the typical Saturday night situation where we’re at a “get together” on Hathway thinking to ourselves, “Good God look at the bathroom! This place looks like it gets trashed from so much partying, how could you ever live in this place?” Even though some of the houses that you’ve raged in a couple of times look kind of beat down, all the houses on party central aren’t half bad.
“To be honest with you, I’ve never seen house on Hathway that’s nice on the inside. Although I’ve only been in a house at night while we’re partying, so I could be wrong,” said second year industrial engineering major, Jacob Reeves.
I was lucky enough to get a tour of some of the places that are host to a lot of the rowdiness on the weekends, and others who keep it low key.
“Most kids think that the people who live on Hath are sixth year students who just party every quarter with twelve units,” says second year business major and Hathway local, Charlie Umansky. “Even though that may be the case for some people, Hath is home to a lot of top students who happen to get a good deal on a house out here.”
Charlie’s house, along with the other three that I got to visit on Hathway, were all actually pretty nice given the fact that I got to see them during a weekday. The insides were well organized, and there was a decent amount of space for each person who lived there. However when Thursday, Friday and Saturday roll around it’s a whole new ball game.
There does however come a point in our lives where we need to put down the solo cup and actually get work done. Although Given Hath’s reputation, I felt like it would be a little difficult to get work done, so I had to see if these students actually had time to get their
business taken care of.
“Well they built a library for a reason!” said fourth year Journalism student and Hathway resident Hillary Preece. “It does get rowdy around here a lot, but when I need to get work done I just head over to the library because it’s not that bad of a walk.”
Hathway may mainly be known for its crazy parties, but it also has a lot to offer for students looking to make their home here.
ONWARD TO THE RATINGS!
Coming in first, as always, we have cleanliness, which can be a hit or miss depending on the day of the week, so I gave it two brooms.
Second is space, and even though I only got to visit a couple of the houses, I was very impressed with the amount of room. I gave them four planets.
Next we have privacy, and given the fact that there is constantly a ton of people at each of these houses, I gave it a measly one do not enter sign.
Next is the party scene. Really? What else would you expect? Of course I gave it five cups.
Finally is the cost. Each house that I got to visit seemed to vary in high price ranges considering the fact that so many kids want to live there, so they tend to bump up the prices a little.
So overall Hathway can be a great place to live, but I would only recommend it to third and fourth year students who are on track to hopefully graduate on time. If you’re a second year looking to finally break out of the dorm life and gain some independence, get a few friends together and get a house somewhere off campus other than party central.
SLOme number: 4
Story Highlights:
-
Alpha Epsilon Pi House gets makeover
- Cheaper living in larger house?
- Fraternity living in a nutshell
So you’ve just finished going through the long process of rushing your fraternity or sorority and you’re getting closer to your second year. Now the big question comes into play, live in the main house your second year, or find your own place?
Living in a fraternity or sorority house has been rumored to been a big party lifestyle, but what you haven’t heard is that you can live in the house and still be a well balanced student.
I had the opportunity to visit the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity House to get a taste of living the “frat life”. The AEPI frat house was refurbished this past summer by the members who were going to live there this year. With the makeover that the house got, I think that it’s safe to say that it is just short of a four star hotel.
“A lot of the guys worked really hard to get this place back to what it used be this summer,” said second year kinesiology major, Wyatt Levy.
AEPI brothers Wyatt Levy and Grayson Shore show off their sweet beards that they grew all summer for the first month of move in at the main house.
If you’ve ever been to the AEPI house, or any other frat house on our campus for that matter, you know the incredible size of these places. This house, in general, houses 18 guys… yes you read that right, 18, and it houses them all very comfortably. Some of the brothers get their own room since they have lived there for a longer time and have paid their dues, but most live together to split the cost of living.
“The AEPI house is awesome!” said third year business major Sami Weiss. “The guys that live there are always really nice and welcoming, plus there house is super cool.”
With such a big house, the cost of living each month for the members is a standard $550, plus utilities. The price alone makes living in the main house more desirable, given that places like Poly Canyon Village are much more expensive.
“I think it’s funny that people pay so much to live in places like PCV when there’s a perfect opportunity to live in places that are a lot cheaper,” said resident and second year agriculture business major Max Levine. “Our frat house is a perfect example.”
AND NOW LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ON TO THE RATINGS!!!!!
Up first as always, we have cleanliness, which only got itself one broom because a house full of 18 guys it can get a little messy.
Next we have space. This was a no brainer, five planets, because of how incredibly gigantic this place is with a couple bar areas, a home theater type room, and much more.
On deck now is privacy. Privacy living in the frat house depends on whether or not you have your own room, but due to the space of the house, it still got itself three signs.
Now onto the long anticipated party scene. And what else would you expect a fraternity house to score? Of course, it gets five red cups. No explanation needed.
Last, but certainly not least, is the cost of living. If you noticed in my previous posts that most places are around $600 a month, so $550 a month to live in this house is certainly not bad at all. It earned itself three out of five dollar signs.
Here’s the wrap up for what I thought of the fraternity house! One of the better ratings that I have given out so far.
The frat lifestyle always seemed a little crazy for me personally, but after getting a chance to meet people that live in this house, I have a new perspective on it. The members of the fraternity who live here take great care of the house, and, even though it’s still the first quarter, they all seem like they’re quickly becoming a family.
SLOme number 3: Lee Arms
Story Highlights:
- Watch out in rape tunnel!
- Lee Arms party spot for second, third, and fourth years.
- Fraternity brothers flock to Lee Arms
Lee Arms has given a home to many many different college students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Fraternity brothers, athletes, and regular students, all are welcome in this place. And Mr. Pickle’s.
Lee Arms is known as a spot discovered by freshmen late in the year, and a regular weekend hangout for sophomores, juniors and seniors. This California Blvd. hot night spot is literally in Hathaway’s backyard, and is a happy home to a variety of Cal Poly students.
If you’ve ever been to Lee Arms, then you know the prime location that the complex is in. Laying smack dab in the middle of the Delta Sigma Phi and the Alpha Epsilons Phi’s main houses, the apartments are a big hang out spot and home for Fraternity brothers.
I got to take a tour of apartment C-6, home to second years, and apartment D-4, home to third years. I found both apartments very impressive given the fact that each place looks very small on the outside from the main lawn.
The apartments aren’t quite as big as those at Mustang Village, but they provide much more room then PCV’s, hands down.
“Hathaway’s literally in our backyard!” said second year Laura Ashton. “We can hop the fence on Friday and Saturday nights and be right in the middle of all the…festivities, it’s awesome.”
Even though the complex is in the middle of it all there does come a time in your college career when you need to get a little bit of work done, so I began to question the noise factor.
Lee Arms has made its mark here in San Luis Obispo. The apartment complex creates a very close community of students.
“The walls are pretty thin here, so it can be tough at times to get some work done. Especially on a Thursday night,” said third year Jacob Reeves. “I’m a civil engineer, so I’ve always got some homework to do, but that’s when our location comes in handy. It’s close enough to campus where I can just walk to the library.”
So we can’t talk about a housing complex on California Blvd. without talking about the famous “Rape Tunnel” right? If you’re new to San Luis Obispo, or you just live under a rock, the “Rape Tunnel” is the shortcut that the students take to get from California to Cedar. It’s been a famous route for wandering freshmen since some brave soul decided to venture down and discover it.
The famous tunnel leads from one side of California over to Cedar Glenn.
Now let’s go to the ratings.
First up; Cleanliness. “It’s not exactly PCV where you have someone come to clean your spot each week, but it definitely demands cleanliness because your neighbors are always at your house,” said second year, Serena Desai. This earned itself two brooms
Next is space. It has just the right amount of room for four people, and got itself three planets. With two people living comfortably in two rooms it adds up to everything you need.
Third, we have the ever so coveted privacy, which got three do not enter signs. Even though there are two people to a room, it’s easy to find a spot for your quiet time with a deck out back, and the library a short walk away.
Next we have the Party scene which got a well deserved four red cups for obvious reasons. It’s got Hathaway’s in its backyard, it’s in the middle of Fraternity houses and it’s on California. Not much more you could ask for.
Finally, we have the sore subject of the financial situation. For four students living in an apartment with two bedrooms they each pay $600 a month, including utilities. Not bad considering most people get hurt pretty bad paying for utilities.
Overall, Lee Arms is a great spot for the social butterfly in college. It’s perfect location and set up makes it a sought after home for many Cal Poly students.
Here is my summary of what I thought of Lee Arms!
SLOme number 2: Poly Canyon Village
Story Highlights
- Poly Canyon Village apartments offer everything a student needs
- Amanda Ahearn, Alex Clott, and Meredith Stewart take us on a tour of their SLOmes
- Rumors about Poly Canyon Village are false
PCV offers a great living space for second year students with great apartments, its own post office, great places to eat, and more.
Rumor has it that living in Poly Canyon Village is depressing, uneventful, and not somewhere you want to live your second year. I decided to go visit PCV myself to see if those rumors were true. If you’re a student here at Poly, you’ve probably heard people saying that it’s not social, or it’s a little over priced. After visiting the apartments for the first time, I can tell you that the rumors were, of course, false.
Just as it was my first time visiting the Mustang Village Apartments, this was also my first time visiting Poly Canyon Village. Like everyone else, I had also been a little unsure if living in these apartments would be a good decision. However, I was quickly impressed as I toured three different buildings with Sophmores living in them. Alex Clott, Amanda Ahearn, and Meredith Stewart, all gave me tours of the buildings and rooms that they were living in this year.
“I was always told about how dreadful it was to live up here as a second year,” said Alex Clott, a Sophomore Business major. “Everyone, and I mean everyone, in the dorms last year said that you needed to stay away from this place if you wanted to enjoy your second year. But after being here for five weeks, it has actually been really laid back and nice.”
Even though Alex has only lived in Poly Canyon Village for 5 weeks, he has enjoyed the expierence that he has had so far. Many people said that PCV was somewhere that you needed to avoid as a Sophomore, but Alex thinks otherwise.
I visited Alex’s first, which was in the Aliso building. The four bedroom and two bathroom apartment had everything that a college student needs. Even though it was a little crammed for four guys, the place was organized and seemed to flow perfectly.
The layout for Meredith, and Amanda’s apartment had similar layouts to each other, however, and were a little bigger than Alex’s. Meredith is currently living in the Corralitos apartments, while Amanda is in the Huasna apartments. Each apartment has five bedrooms, and two bathrooms. From seeing both of these places, it seems like this can get a little crowded… especially with two bathrooms for five girls.
“I’m actually enjoying living up here,” said English major Amanda Ahearn. “The best part about it is that we have someone who comes in and cleans the place for us once a week! We usually try to keep it clean, but having someone who comes to do it for you is definitely a plus.”
Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for ladies and gentlemen, the ratings…
First up, cleanliness. I gave the apartments a perfect five out of five brooms. A new record I would like to point out. It is a little tough not to give it a perfect score on account of the maid service that cleans the apartments each week.
Next, space. I gave this living area a two out of five planets due how small the living room and kitchen were, not to mention they were right next to each other. The rooms were also about the size of an average dorm room.
Now to privacy. With the rooms being stacked right next to each other, and only two bathrooms for four or five people I gave it two out of five signs.
On to the party scene. I think this one was a no brainer due to the fact that there are CA’s checking up on you just like Freshmen year all over again. This Friday night killer earned itself one cup.
Finally, I gave the financial living situation three out of five dollar signs with the cost of rent being $700.
Here is my rating to get an overall view of what I thought of living in Poly Canyon Village. Not a bad rating for a place that took a lot of trash talk from students!
So after going through Poly Canyon Village, I would say that if you’re “Mr. Rager”, this isn’t the place for you. However if you’re the type of student just looking for a nice clean place to eat, sleep and study, this is where you want to be.
A day in the life of Adam Chodzko
SLOme Number 1: Mustang Village
Mustang Village
After making only my third visit to the well known Mustang Village here in SLO, I discovered many secret pros and cons from the local villagers.
If you’ve never been down to Mustang One or Two, then you’ve probably only heard the rumors of crazy parties that go down in this area. Well for one, I can tell you that the rumors are true. Not that I have experienced them first hand or anything because of my 25-35 hours of studying that I put in, but I happen to know a guy who’s been to a couple.
Each apartment has its own unique style, and cleanliness of course, depending on the type of people who live there. If guy living on your own, you’re like most guys, then it’s very likely that your place isn’t exactly immaculate. Girls on the other hand usually enjoy keeping their things organized, so I had to get a look at an apartment filled with girls, and another with guys.
This First apartment that I visited was home to four very welcoming ladies by the names of Meaghan Manghera, Jordan Normoyle, Katie Koppis, and Rebecca Reid. Not only did they make me an incredible pasta and chicken dinner the night I went to get the tour, but they happily took me around the complex.
There apartment had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room area, which makes it the perfect spot for a college student. After all what else does a college student start out need! Here are the floor plans and layouts for living in Mustang.
“I’ve actually been very happy with how things turned out living here, even though it has only been a few weeks into school.” Manghera said. “It was a pretty nice little transition from the dorms because it still has that atmosphere of being in a community of students…. Without an R.A. of course.”
I also got to visit the of Dillon Hughes, Michael Learry, and Joseph Stahovich. There place wasn’t exactly as clean as the girls was, but they definitely had more room because it’s only the three of them as opposed to the four girls. There apartment has three bedrooms, and two bathrooms, similar to the girls with the acceptation of an extra bedroom. There place wasn’t as clean, but it still has the all the necessities for a college student.
At the end of each of my blogs I will give you a graph rating the overall cleanliness of the living space, location, privacy, living expenses, and party scene. This can give you a little better idea on what I thought of each place.
Overall I gave the cleanliness of the apartments three out of five brooms. Not the cleanest place in the world but we are college students after all.
As far as space, I gave it two out of five planets. It wasn’t bad for the three guys in three rooms, but anything more than that and you’ll be climbing all over each other.
For privacy, I gave it two do not enter signs. With the paper thin walls in between you and your neighbors it seemed a little hard to have your own sense of security.
For living expenses I gave it three out of five cash symbols. With the cost of rent ending up around 600 a month. The cost of living for each month in Mustang can be found. Depending on how many people your living with, I wouldn’t consider that to be to harsh.
Finally for the party scene I gave it Four out of five red cups because well….I heard it was a pretty fun place to participate in fun extracurricular activities on the weekends.
Life in the Village!
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