<p>hey guys
i got off the housing waitlist today…im in lambeth
thanks for all the input, pricing information, etc.</p>
<p>rollz: you’ll love it there. I know some people hate Lambeth, but i know i had a blast that year and made getting a real apt third year all that much sweeter. I know it made the transition much easier too, as while Lambeth has some responsibilities of living in an apt but there’s no utilities and if stuff breaks it’s really darn simple to get it fixed. Good social scene too, and you’ll have nice calves by the time you leave (see the hill). Have fun!</p>
<p>Our child is a resident this year at Grandmarc. While the apartment is attractive, the management has not been quite truthful in answering our questions. We were told that AT&T cell service was available at Grandmarc. When we moved our child in last week, there was no AT&T cell service. We had to purchase a microcell to boost service, a costly expenditure. Other parents were in the lobby upset because they too had been misled about this. We were told the pool closed at midnight and this was enforced by security. Our child tells us this is when the pool just begins getting cranked up for the night. Students are told they are responsible for calling the tow truck, and waiting for it to arrive, when someone is parked in their space. In the meantime, if they park elsewhere, they may be towed. And parking costs $60.00 per month. Yet another concern is the criminal activity in the area behind the corner. There have been four incidents affecting students since the first of August of this year. This concerns me greatly. I expect that we will be looking for alternate housing next year.</p>
<p>Okay so this thread is really old first of all.
Now, when I went to live off grounds, I did not even consider the corner. With that said let me defend a few things:
Is it YOU or your child who is upset over the phone, pool, towing, etc? Children are independent people at college and it is up to them to decide what actually bothers them not you (not once did you say any of this bothered them, just you, which is why I asked). It sounds like you are complaining because you have to pay, does your child offer to pay or have a part time job? If the costs bother you, make your child work to afford them, then you would really know how they feel!! Trust me!! I had 2 jobs in college, I did not waste time or money on things I did not want.
Second, the incidents all happen late at night (with 2 exceptions I can think of last year, one of which was ON CENTRAL GROUNDS at 7pm, scary). Your child just needs to get in the apartment at a safe hour and not be out alone. This is true no matter where you live, except up near Hollymead commuting like I did last semester (which seriously unless you are a grad student who needs super quiet and doesn’t mind exchaging a 30 min commute, including parking and busing in, for the safety up there, is not for you).</p>
<p>Haha my GrandMarc subletter in summer never told me about this either! It makes it annoying to synchronise visits to your apartment gathering.</p>
<p>GrandMarc’s management is curious, to say the least. </p>
<p>Parking costs $60 a month, but it’s a steal for the Corner. People who live in GrandMarc seem to be living there for their social / night life (frat and sorority types abound). </p>
<p>The pool…is an interesting situation. GrandMarc has no visible security guards. In fact … one time I was going down there at 2 am to relax with my significant other only to find that 100 glass bottles were at the pool and there were cans everywhere; this happened twice at the end of every summer session. Often, it wouldn’t get cleaned up for 24-48 hours.</p>
<p>It’s funny – the management will prefer to constantly clean up after their residents’ mess and destruction of common property (lights, signs) – rather than enforce order. But I suspect it may make business sense for them. To crack down offenders would drive many future residents away and give it an “uptight” reputation.</p>
<p>Of course I only knew about this situation because rent basically gets slashed in half each summer (because GrandMarc tenants have to compete with much cheaper apartments for the summer sublet housing market).</p>
<p>Hazelorb, It is very commendable that you, by choice or necessity, are contributing to the costs of your education at UVA. The post I wrote was not about my child’s opinion of Grandmarc. My purpose in wriitng the post was to provide information about GM to parents and students who will soon be researching options for housing for next year. This process began for us in late October last year and there were few reviews available. Since we encountered some things that were not as expected from information we had at leasing time, I wanted to share that with others. Grandmarc is an extension of dorm life, as I fully expected. I do really like that my child is living in a community of other students, in a nice apartment, and within walking distance to the campus. </p>
<p>Safety in the area near the Corner is still of concern to me, and other parents I know. The fact is that students continue to be targeted and robbed in this area, even when walking with another person. Yes, it would be wise for them to be “home” before eleven pm, but many are not and return to their housing from varous venues at late hours. Their behavior and choices do not excuse crimes against them. I hope that the City of Charlottesville will place security cameras in these areas as other cities have done in their urban crime prone areas. Perhaps that will discourage those targeting students.</p>
<p>A very eloquent post with some good ideas. :)</p>
<p>This group is a great way for parents to get involved, informed and advocate for needed improvements.</p>
<p>[U.Va</a>. Parents Committee | Parents DO Make a Difference](<a href=“http://www.uvaparents.org/]U.Va”>http://www.uvaparents.org/)</p>
<p>@ erwinrd - Respectfully, When our son decided to attend UVa we eagerly looked into the UVa Parents Committee, ready to get involved before he even started his first class. In the information section we were hit with the following:
Many first year parents are just figuring out how to come up with $24,000-$48,000 to cover expenses. An additional $2,500 is not always easily found. You may be missing many parents willing and able to participate with this condition. I’m sure you would not turn away people willing to help, however it can be hard for one to come forward and offer when one is made to feel they are not keeping up with the other parents. It does not put forth the idea of inclusion, but exclusion.</p>
<p>This is certainly my two cents, but you may want to know how this comes across.</p>
<p>@blueiguana - I’m not on the UVa Parents Committee. I was making a recommendation solely on the quality of material I have received from UVa Parents Committee that seemed to be concerned about issues like student safety and off grounds housing which are concerns of teacher56. I really appreciate that these efforts are being made. While I knew fundraising would naturally be a necessary part of how UVa Parents completes worthwhile projects, I had not applied to join yet so I didn’t know the donation expectations. I was just trying to be helpful.</p>
<p>You were helpful. My point would have been better made directly to the Parents Committee. I should not have assumed a connection.</p>
<p>The natural tradeoff of living on the Corner is increased risk of crime – I myself knew this when I chose to live there this summer. The Corner already has relatively heavy police presence. The thing is, be alert. Criminals like to choose easy-looking, inattentive victims. I’ve walked alone at night for a long long time for my four years here, and if you appear attentive to your environment, no one will pick on you.</p>