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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2004)
Wonder of The area between East 14th and 16th avenues on Hilyard Street is mostly inhabited by students By Aron Glatzer • Freelance Reporter '' '' i WM - v i Unpaved alleys, chipped and peeling paint, and blaring music. The area between East 14th and 16th avenues and Hilyard Street is filled with these things. Because of its proximity to campus, housing in this neighborhood is filled most ly with student tenants. Because it is a three-to-five block walk from the UO Bookstore, part of the attrac tion of living in the area is that students can sleep in and leave for class at the last possible minute, senior and area tenant Thinh Tran said. Of the more than 800 exist ing housing units in the area, less than 10 are owned by the residents who occupy them. More than 80 percent are rent ed, according to the 2000 Census. Hilyard Street is lively and a place of changing residents. With housing situations changing year-to-year, ten ants are not interested in remodeling houses, Tran said. According to the 2000 Census, 34 families lived in the area. The noise caused by students and traffic on Hilyard Street is a major rea son why families can't reside in the area, Tran said. "Students stay up late," Tran said. Of the neighborhood's approximate 1,200 residents, Gus Sackos, 21, fits the aver age neighborhood age of 21.6 years old — nearly 12 years younger than the city's 33. Sackos lives on Hilyard Street in what is known by neighbors simply as the "garbage house" for the number of beer cans on the front porch. Most mornings, this landmark serves as an example of some of the types of residences found in the area. "Some of the frequent vis itors are strange men wearing various outfits and costumes, wandering around the wee hours of the morning, push ing shopping carts," Sackos said. "Although these guys are often very friendly, they have a tendency to make our front couches their home, which is completely unac ceptable code for the 'garbage house.'" Senior Shane Morrison lives above Sackos in the house. "Each journey up to my house is like a game of Russian roulette, never knowing whether the story is going to collapse or not," Morrison said. "However, there is nothing better than waking up to blue skies and an invigorating game of win dow ball." Like many others in the zone, this duplex was once a single house owned by one owner. The only store in this area is the Hilyard Street Market — located on the corner of East 17th Avenue and Hilyard Street — which con sists of beer, candy and snacks. Various restaurants are located within walking distance. Aron Glatzer is a freelance reporter for the Emerald. www.bryoga.com -Brain Respiration Yoga ^YOGA Gallery Stress Management Body Stretching Breathing Meditation Energy Healing Weight Control Improve Concentration 541-686-0207 535 High Street Eugene, OR Ask about student discounts Best prices for all students! • $10 curbside delivery • 20% off selected floor models • 20% off previously displayed futon mattresses!!! HURRY IN FOR THE BEST SELECTION! Financing Available OAC 521 Main St. • Springfield, Or 97477 • (541) 744-3343 2 -www.michaelsfutons.com Rooms rent quickly so call today! (541) 343-1255 • Private rooms & boths • Full meal service • Academic discounts www.the<ollegian.<om The roommate factor For college students, living away from home can be a test of temper and sanity, but there are ways of coping By Jonah Schrogin • Freelance Reporter Co-ed. Same sex. Best friend. Residence hall buddies. There are many options to consider when thinking about a roommate. Students can live by themselves in a single residence hall room or in a one-bedroom apart ment. It's possible to rent an apartment for two, three or four people. And some live in a house that can accommo date up to eight people. Sophomore Michael Thompson lived in a single res idence hall room this year after living in a double last year. He said it was important to share a room for one year, but he en joyed having the extra space of a single. "It's hard to share such a small Space with another per son," he said. "Once you've had the experience of sharing, there's no need to do it for an other year." Thompson said even though he lived in a single room, "It's still community liv ing." He said he liked that there was always someone around, and that he did not have to worry about making his own food. "If you're coming back (to the residence halls), a single is the way to go," he said. Another possibility is to live with one other person, be it a random roommate, a friend or a significant other. A student, who did not want to give her name, lived with a male friend in a two-person apartment. "I didn't expect to be the only one who was cleaning all the time," she said. "Eventually, about two months ago, I went on strike, and my apartment's been disgusting ever since." The mess got so bad she stopped enjoying coming home. She said a reason for their problems was the lack of communication early in the year. She said she will use her knowledge from this year to ensure a better living situation next year. "I'm going to have to lay firmer ground rules (with my new roommates) from the be ginning," she said. "We just fig ured we would work it out as we went along which has not worked out." Based on her experience, liv ing with a friend of the oppo site sex was difficult. "Try to know the person you're living with," she said. "You should really make sure you're compatible with that person. It has the potential to ruin a friendship." Junior Brian Taylor is living with his girlfriend of two years this year and is planning on doing so next year as well. "We have disagreements and then it sucks, but other than that it's pretty good," he said. "I'd do it again if I had to." Taylor said a benefit of liv ing with his girlfriend is that he is never alone, and he doesn't have to go back and’ forth between her place and his. He said living together is not the best situation for all couples, however. "It depends on the type of relationship you have," he said. "It doesn't work for every body. You have to evaluate your relationship and see if you're at that point." There is also the possibility of living with three or four people of the same sex. Junior Nikki Probst is living with three other girls, all of whom she knew prior to mov ing in with them. She said some of the chal lenges of living with three other people include having people pay bills on time and sharing things such as food and chores. She said there is always hustle and bustle in four-bedroom apartments. "I think it's good because you're not always by yourself, it makes the utilities really cheap, and you have a guaran teed Friday night date," she said. Probst reiterated the impor tance of knowing the people you're going to live with. "If you don't really know them that well, things can ex plode in your face," she said. Sophomore Ben Nussbaum lived in a house with four fe males and one male this year. He said he liked his living situation especially because he missed out on living in the res idence halls a year ago. "I got lucky and got some roommates that were pretty low maintenance as far as the drama factor is concerned," he said. Nussbaum said the most in teresting part of living in a co ed house was when two of his roommates started dating. Nussbaum said in-house dat ing could create problems, but after the couple broke up, the two were still best friends. Even though this situation worked out, Nussbaum advised against in-house dating. "Try to establish a no-dating in-house rule because it will help avoid drama," he said. Nussbaum said living in a co-ed situation could be fine if a person has a personality compatible with living with the opposite sex. "It's a lot of fun," he said. "I got lucky with having good roommates, and that's what it comes down to in any living situation is having good roommates." Jonah Schrogin is a freelance re porter for the Emerald.
