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.