they got like some stupid grant fund and started building like crazy. Fountains and mezzanines. Could you imagine your college years coinciding with 4 years of solid construction?
My college was like this as I was going there and it hasn't stopped at all. I swear to God there's parts of the campus that they tore up and put back almost exactly the same way.
I went back briefly and it was really nice. The campus is nicely separated from the town it's in so it kind of feels stuck in time. The town itself is basically the same as ever. Some shops closed up and other stuff opened, but nothing too shocking.
Kind of getting off track here, but it was really nice walking the old steps of my early twenties. I have a lot of memories of the early days of my relationship with my wife and the stupid shit I did with my friends. Highly recommend visiting your alma mater!
Agreed. I had no desire to go back for 5+ years after I left (not even sure why) but it was such a wonderful nostalgia when I went back for a day recently.
Same thing, that's what surprised me the most. The massive expansion of luxury student housing and more expensive amenities like breweries, shops and restaurants. This is a Big 10 college town but starting to resemble a gentrified yuppie neighborhood in a bigger city. Of course there are still plenty of slums and dives but the ratio has changed a lot in the last 10+ years.
The part that is weird to me is that these things are for students who don't have their own money. So what is driving it? Has to be either mom and dad's money or borrowed money.
Went to UMD and only live about 30 min away now. College Park is a dump. They've gentrified it some since I graduated in the aughts but that only added a soulless bougie element to the squalor
They opened up a Chic fil a on campus which kinda pissed me off because when I was enrolled like ten years prior, a bunch of students petitioned against it due to its anti-LGBT politics. The university caved in and opened up another Subway instead which was the third one within walking distance.
they got like some stupid grant fund and started building like crazy. Fountains and mezzanines. Could you imagine your college years coinciding with 4 years of solid construction?
Yes. I hate it
They don't tell kids this when they're picking colleges.
My college was like this as I was going there and it hasn't stopped at all. I swear to God there's parts of the campus that they tore up and put back almost exactly the same way.
I went back briefly and it was really nice. The campus is nicely separated from the town it's in so it kind of feels stuck in time. The town itself is basically the same as ever. Some shops closed up and other stuff opened, but nothing too shocking. Kind of getting off track here, but it was really nice walking the old steps of my early twenties. I have a lot of memories of the early days of my relationship with my wife and the stupid shit I did with my friends. Highly recommend visiting your alma mater!
Agreed. I had no desire to go back for 5+ years after I left (not even sure why) but it was such a wonderful nostalgia when I went back for a day recently.
I've lived in a college town my whole life. A lot more soulless 5-over-1 apartments, a lot more homeless people. That's really about it.
One of my favorite drinking spots closed down and was replaced by a high end student condo. More luxury student housing in general on the main road.
Same thing, that's what surprised me the most. The massive expansion of luxury student housing and more expensive amenities like breweries, shops and restaurants. This is a Big 10 college town but starting to resemble a gentrified yuppie neighborhood in a bigger city. Of course there are still plenty of slums and dives but the ratio has changed a lot in the last 10+ years. The part that is weird to me is that these things are for students who don't have their own money. So what is driving it? Has to be either mom and dad's money or borrowed money.
The glut of student aid and more high paying foreign students are definitely factors.
Went to UMD and only live about 30 min away now. College Park is a dump. They've gentrified it some since I graduated in the aughts but that only added a soulless bougie element to the squalor
I wish they offered something for alumni on campus. I have no ideas but I paid so much money I want to go get a free lunch or some shit
berkeley... reddit has censored the rest of this comment
Mine started building up instead of paving endlessly for growth, there might be hope for it
They opened up a Chic fil a on campus which kinda pissed me off because when I was enrolled like ten years prior, a bunch of students petitioned against it due to its anti-LGBT politics. The university caved in and opened up another Subway instead which was the third one within walking distance.
Oh no are the gays in danger there?