<p>I'm contemplating applying to BT, but it's location really bothers me. It's in the boonies. How much is there to do in Blacksburg? Is there transportation? Please tell all. Thanks.</p>
<p>It’d help a little to know where you’re coming from as to whether Blacksburg is in “the boonies” or not. I’ve lived in the boonies (one neighbor within a half mile of my house, and them for only half the year) and Blacksburg feels like an urban metropolis compared to there, but if you’re coming from a huge city like NYC or Chicago then I could see how Blacksburg could feel like the boonies.</p>
<p>There’s really quite a bit to do in Blacksburg. One thing to remember is that it is a college town, and most of what’s around is catered to college students. There are a lot of restaraunts downtown. Here’s a partial list ([Downtown</a> Merchants of Blacksburg](<a href=“http://www.downtownblacksburg.com/merchants.aspx?type=Restaurant]Downtown”>http://www.downtownblacksburg.com/merchants.aspx?type=Restaurant) all of these are within easy walking distance from campus. There are also several bars but they tend to be pretty strict as far as age goes, and some even require two forms of ID. There’s an 18 and up comedy club on Wednesdays which is more or less exploding in popularity now, to the point that to get a seat (not a good seat, but a seat) you have to show up an hour and a half early, minimum. And this is during the summer, before the bulk of the students show up. Different places around downtown have live music sometimes, but you kind of have to keep an eye open to see when/where/who it’ll be. They usually post flyers at Moes or around campus though.</p>
<p>There is also a good bit of stuff to do around campus. Intramural sports are really popular, as are pick up games around campus. VT brings in a couple bands each year (since I’ve been here we’ve had 311, Third Eye Blind, Reel Big Fish and a few others, not including NAS, Dave Mathews Band and John Mayer who came for a memorial concert.) There are also special events like plays or stand-up comedians that come on campus sometimes.</p>
<p>Transportation is good. The bus system which is free to students runs all around campus, to the further away parts of downtown, to the mall/Walmart in Christiansburg, and to all major apartment complexes. It runs till 2:30 on weekends to accomidate VT’s excellent houseparty scene.</p>
<p>There’s my quick overview. If there’s anything else you have questions about fire away.</p>
<p>Thanks chuy. Really, I’m not expecting a huge city or parade of things. I just would like a nice college town with enough things to do to keep me sane. From what you described, it seems like I’d get adjusted to it, not right away, but I’d adjust.</p>
<p>By the way, I’m originally from Brooklyn, NY, but I moved to Chester, VA about 4 1/2 years ago. So I’m an in-stater :). I think I’ve got accustomed to the slower pace of Virginia.</p>
<p>Is anyone here familiar with Pheasant Run Crossing, the townhomes, in Blacksburg? What can my daughter expect? Re: its reputation for noise, management, partying, etc.?</p>
<p>Open response to Tia3</p>
<p>I’m VERY familiar with Pheasant Run Crossing, and know someone who used to work security out there under Allied Barton Security. Allied Barton Security was hired by raines property management to provide security at Pheasant Run as well as Pheasant Run Crossing, University Place, and Clover Valley townhomes last year as those locations have become absolute animal house environments with their drinking parties. The security officer in question is an exceptional security officer as well as a private investigator. He has since left Allied Barton and has gone on to formulate his own private investigation and security company (Bulldog Investigations and Security). As for the rest of Allied Barton, their morale is quite low as they are underpaid and under-equipped (reasons why the security officer mentioned previously left the company). It’s also unrealistic for ONE security officer to be expected to patrol FOUR locations… but security is looked at by Raines property management as a necessary evil, and primarily only on location to be a visible presence.</p>
<p>additional information:</p>
<p>[CollegiateTimes.com</a> - Avoiding off-campus party busts](<a href=“http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/9526]CollegiateTimes.com”>Avoiding off-campus party busts)
[Blacksburg</a> man told police he may have hit McCloskey - Roanoke.com](<a href=“http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/50193]Blacksburg”>http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/50193)
[Urban</a> Dictionary: The 407](<a href=“http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20407]Urban”>Urban Dictionary: The 407)
[Village</a> at Blacksburg Apartment Ratings, Reviews, Map, Rents, and other Blacksburg apartments for rent from ApartmentRatings.com](<a href=“http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/VA-Blacksburg-Village-at-Blacksburg.html]Village”>http://www.apartmentratings.com/rate/VA-Blacksburg-Village-at-Blacksburg.html)</p>
<p>Making matters worse, the other apartment complexes and townhouses (Village at Blacksburg, Terrace View, and foxwoods among others) don’t even want to acknowledge there is a problem… property managers are afraid that if they were to clamp down on the binge drinking parties they would loose renters (and therefore revenue). </p>
<p>Pheasant Run and Pheasant Run Crossing remain two of the worst locations for these parties. Don’t take my word for it, visit these locations some friday or saturday night, particularly around football season. Your best bet is to have your daughter rent from a privately owned property /apartment OUTSIDE one of these developments. They are currently nothing but trouble.</p>
<p>Tia3, also suggest you read:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/virginia-tech/750044-parents-apartments-around-vt-binge-drinking.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/virginia-tech/750044-parents-apartments-around-vt-binge-drinking.html</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://www.collegiatetimes.com/pdf/alcoholTask.pdf[/url]”>http://www.collegiatetimes.com/pdf/alcoholTask.pdf</a></p>
<p>If you’re not familiar with Smiller he’s a local ■■■■■, going around to message boards and newspaper websites railing on anything and everything to do with VT. Take anything he says with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>And if you’re not familiar with Chuy, he’s one of the local V-Tech binge drinker attendees who think’s it’s acceptable behavior, and all in good fun for the V-tech students to stagger around Blacksburg intoxicated. </p>
<p>Chuy, I never asked anyone to take what I say as gospel… the information I’ve posted is well documented if you know where to look and I’ve even provided statistical information from Tech’s alcohol abuse prevention center… Tech has reluctantly acknowledged that things have gotten way out of hand. All someone has to do is drive around Blacksburg on the weekends and visit the apartment complexes or watch what’s going on at Kroger in terms of the Natural Light beer purchases, and the tech students. So in terms of you not liking me bringing a very dangerous situation to light, well … you know where you can put your unhappiness with that don’t you?</p>
<p>If the vendetta he has against VT isn’t clear enough from these posts feel free to look at his history, and it’ll be even more apparent.</p>
<p>Hmm…let’s talk about history…</p>
<p>Chuy: "When I get drunk I take my belt off and wear it around my neck, but not at bars, only at houseparties. I’ve never figured out why or when it started. "</p>
<p>"Have drink and be merry. Just drink slowly and drink some water while you’re going to be safe. "</p>
<p>“It depends on a lot of things. If you’re drinking on an empty stomach and are a pretty light guy then 4 or 5 beers in a short period of time could get you going pretty well. If you’ve got a better tolerance, are drinking while you’re eating, and you spread it out over a couple hours you may be able to throw back 10 or 12 and, while not being sober by any stretch of the imagination, not be hammered.”</p>
<p>1 was from a “post stupid things you do” thread, and yes, that’s a stupid thing I do. Doesn’t hurt anybody though. 2 is good advice, not sure why you’re bringing up me encouraging responsible drinking (drinking water between beers and drinking slowly) in this thread, and 3 is was in a thread where a guy asked what people thought his alcohol tolerance would be, and I was using those examples, which I think you’ll find to be pretty accurate (10 beers while eating over a few hours is not going to get someone with a high alcohol tolerance hammered, would you like to argue that?) to show that many factors play into how much alcohol you will be able to consume before getting hammered. They’re all from the college life forum, and drinking is a part of many people’s college lives, and when people had questions about drinking I answered them. To be honest the only quote of mine which was at all embarrassing was the first and if I were that bothered by it I wouldn’t have put it on an internet message board.</p>
<p>“but I moved to Chester, VA about 4 1/2 years ago”</p>
<p>I live in Chesterfield =O</p>
<p>dude smiler, get a life man. seriously, no one cares. You seem like the one who needs a beer. No one cares that you stalk people with your little private investigator, or that you stalk chuy and find all his posts and then misuse them. Get a life man your a *<strong><em>, I’m sick of it. Your making VT look bad and potentially making kids not come here and having parents urge their kids from going here. Thats just stupid, immature, and obviously you have some personal vendetta against VT students. Probably some drunk kids called you a *</em></strong>, and now you hate your life.</p>
<p>I didnt realize it would block that word, but it starts with a d ends with an e and is generally followed by the word “bag”</p>
<p>People in college drink, at every college. I mean i have friends at extremely strict christian colleges who drink all the time. Its just something that a very substantial portion of college students do, always have and probably always will. Its fun, a stress reliever, and as long as you don’t get in a car (and do it cautiously, like drink water in between as chuy was misquoted by smiler on) then its generally a harmless activity. I’m so sick of this conversation being on here every time i stop by to check out VT’s forum. Jeez. Can’t we talk about something important? Like how we are going to stomp on Alabama in 10 days or so?</p>
<p>esmitty, I would hope that a student (or parent for that matter) with any sense would not allow their choice of college to be influenced by a few posts in a community forum! smiller, for whatever reason, feels obligated to highlight what he/she perceives to be an alcohol problem at this school. (unfortunately the ■■■■■ feeling comes from the fact that the subject is brought up in EVERY post he/she contributes) </p>
<p>The thing is, what he/she has brought up isn’t a knock on VT. There is drinking in every college in the country (and always has been). I don’t doubt that there are places/times where it is more pronounced than others and if smiller wants to take the time to point out what he/she perceives to be more “active” spots, to take up his/her time and dig up articles, etc., that is his/her right, but most intelligent kids/parents will keep in mind it isn’t the gospel; it is a biased opinion.</p>
<p>I don’t have any links 
but from what I have heard from many kids there, grads and current students alike, the non-drinker/ non-partier type kids have no trouble finding fun and enjoying themselves immensely at VT. It is all in what you want to do.</p>
<p>60% of VT students… have 8 or fewer drinks per week, or do not drink.
75% of VT students… indicate that not drinking, or having only a few drinks, is more fun than getting drunk.
76% of VT students… reduce their risk of negative outcomes by not chugging or funneling drinks.
76% of VT students … believe that encouraging someone to engage in high-risk drinking is not cool.
77% of VT students… drink 2 or fewer times a week, or do not drink.
80% of VT students… have 3-or-fewer drinks when in a potentially intimate situation, and 54% don’t drink.
90% of VT students… believe that bragging about drinking alcohol consumption is not cool.
More than 15,000 VT students… do not miss class because of drinking, or attend class with a hangover.</p>
<p>That doesn’t sound like a school with a bad binge drinking problem… at least not to me</p>
<p>[Drinking</a> Behaviors of VT Students](<a href=“http://www.alcohol.vt.edu/joinUs.htm]Drinking”>http://www.alcohol.vt.edu/joinUs.htm)</p>
<p>That is good info to share esmitty, thanks for doing so. It seems to me that with the workload the kids have up there in most of those intense majors, I don’t see how one could keep up if the partying atmosphere were abnormal. My kid is working a ton more- including weekends, etc- than either his dad or I ever did.</p>
<p>Esmitty, boy what an intellectual posting you put up there. And as an FYI, I’m not anti-VT per se. What I very much am, is pro responsibility… the town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech continue to ignore the problem rather then address the issue. I am not against a few college students having a beer, but that is NOT what I’m describing. The behavior that I have witnessed, and that my private investigator friend has witnessed is very irresponsible, immature, and pathetic behavior. It is a negative reflection on Virginia Tech (PER VIRGINIA TECH’S OWN ALCOHOL ABUSE PREVENTION DIRECTOR) and needs to be addressed. The issue becomes one of money… drinking in itself is not a bad thing, but Tech students and alumni should not be running around yelling “go hokies” and promoting Tech as a prestigious university on the one hand, and acting like a group of immature A… (a censored word im sure) on the other! </p>
<p>I’m not even necessarily saying that the responsibility to address the issue is solely Virginia Tech’s. The town of Blacksburg administration certainly should apply pressure on the apartment complexes to “clamp down” on the binge drinking parties, be it by security or by other means. The situation does however make Blacksburg a less enjoyable and even dangerous place to live for those of us who aren’t Virginia Tech students. Is it really so much for me to desire the Binge drinking problem to be addressed in a more aggressive manner? </p>
<p>The VT parents need to know what is going on, many of them reside in Richmond and Northern Virginia, and I’m fairly certain they would rather not have their sons and daughters endangered by intoxicated drivers, or by other hazards of Animal house life. </p>
<p>You’re posting portrays you as very immature and angry… (paraphrasing) “your constant complaining about the binge drinking may prevent some kids from going here!” Gee, am I supposed to feel bad about that? If I was a VTech parent from afar I wouldnt want my daughter living near one of these apartment complexes during football game evenings. </p>
<p>I’m not asking people on this board to necessarily take my word for it. I invite you, all of you who are a little more intelligent and rational then Esmitty to come look for yourself. Visit the Village of Blacksburg, Pheasant Run and Pheasant Run Crossing, Roanoke Street in the heart of downtown Blacksburg, on a typical Friday or Saturday night. Don’t take my word for it, but come and look. Then perhaps you’ll understand why I continue to keep pointing out what is going on to those that don’t know. Only through awareness will this possibly change, and it ultimately is going to have to be pressure from those who hold the purse strings.</p>
<p>Look at all the finger pointing that transpired after the VT shootings… disgustingly little has changed in terms of on Campus security. Here is another issue where Tech (and in this case the town of Blacksburg) looks the other way, because at least through their actions, they seem to feel that the almighty dollar outweighs human safety issues. Absolutely disgusting.</p>
<p>“More then 15,000 students do not miss a class from drinking…”</p>
<p>Is that supposed to be an impressive statistic from a campus of approximately 25,000?</p>
<p>This is NOT my report, this is Virginia Tech’s report… take a look.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.collegiatetimes.com/pdf/alcoholTask.pdf[/url]”>http://www.collegiatetimes.com/pdf/alcoholTask.pdf</a></p>
<p>“On February 22, 2006, Dr. Charles Steger, President of Virginia Tech, commissioned a campuswide Alcohol Abuse Prevention Taskforce. This was prompted in good part by statistics that pointed to the increased misuse and abuse of alcohol among students at the University. The number of students consuming alcohol—and the number of
alcohol related violations—had steadily increased during the previous four years. In 2005, 79.8% of students at Virginia Tech consumed alcohol, with 58.4% of students having engaged in recent binge drinking. (In keeping with the standard, national definition, binge drinking is defined as the consumption of five or more drinks in one sitting.) In addition, alcohol use was measured at high levels for both underage and of age students, with some student organizations facing heightened challenges in this area. For example, 75% of students in Greekletter
organizations participated in bingedrinking activity. Finally, in relation to national averages, Virginia Tech students consumed more alcohol, and engaged more widely in binge drinking practices, than peers at other schools.1”</p>
<p>Gee, I’m sorry… considering that from what I understand binge drinking among college students has become a major problem nationwide… I would thing that the statement “in relation to national averages, Virginia Tech students consumed more alcohol” and the 79% statistic in regards to binge activities within Fraternities, would imply that there is indeed a major problem?</p>
<p>I’m sorry, my bad… big home game coming on Sept 12th. Go Hokies, pass the keg, and all that,</p>