Not The College Park I Knew

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Maryland - College Park
1

<p>Was doing some musing today and thought this would fit on CC.</p>

<p>I am now almost done with 3/4 of my college career, and College Park has, in my opinion, changed for the worse.</p>

<p>When I was an incoming freshman, I could proudly post on these boards that College Park was no crap town, despite some students' assertions to the contrary. It had everything you needed+an independent book store, an independent coffee shop, a bar with live music, and a place to buy used CDs and video games. </p>

<p>Three years later, the independent book shop has closed down for lack of business, the coffee shop because of legal problems, the used CD and video games u-hauled to a nearby city, and the bar with live music has gone downhill (higher covers, open only sporadically - recently the Diamondback ran an article about how it was involved in legal troubles and may shut its doors forever). The Varsity Grille, a quieter bar with trivia nights and jam bands, opened - then closed. A few great independently owned restaurants also opened their doors only to shut down merely months later, but then, the restaurant business is tough, I guess. There is still a vacant store front for one and something pretty crappy has replaced the other, which I imagine won't last long.</p>

<p>Over-priced high-rise housing for students has shot up everywhere, big towering apartment complexes at $900 bucks a room. That's right, a 2 br apartment for $1800. OUCH.</p>

<p>What made CP a true college town and not just a collection of a lot of food and desserts (hey, it still has that, at least), namely its independent businesses - especially the coffee and book shop - seem to be there one second, gone the next. Sure, driving up and down route 1 might yield another cool coffee shop a few miles south, and certainly there's a used CD store a mile North. But well, it's just not like it used to be.</p>

<p>I can't say the town of College Park should deter anyone from attending MD, oh, I'm not quite there yet...if it doesn't have what you need, there's a thriving bus system and a metro stop, anyway. But I can no longer say it "measures up"............CP still has its hidden treasures, but what I thought was a town on the upswing has turned out to just be a town on the....swing.</p>

<p>Maybe the next batch of incoming freshmen will have a whole slew of their own (new) favorite independent book shops, coffee shops, and used CD stores...</p>

2

<p>UMCP I respect you, but I have to say this is life and business. Bullet was an 87 grad and that town is the exact same 20+ yrs later, just the names of the businesses have changed. In Bullet’s day there was the VOO and the Cellar, from what I understand the VOO is gone. This place was so well known that people had “VOO shoes” because you knew that if you went there your shoes would never be the same.
Varsity Grille did not even exist. There was also an ice cream place like Thomas’s Sweets, but alas it is gone. However 7 Seas (I think that is the name) still exists, the fundome hotel exists still.</p>

<p>That being said RTE 1 is still basically the same, only the names have changed.</p>

<p>Life changes and moves on. Mom and Pop shops are closing all across America, CP is no different when it comes to the economy. Actually, they are probably hit harder because of disposable income.</p>

<p>You may think UMDCP has changed, but in reality it has always changed for every student from freshman to senior, the only thing that has remained constant is EASTON and the KNOX BOXES :eek:</p>

3

<p>umcp, I enjoyed the editorial … I think bookstores everywhere are under pressure from the cyberworld …</p>

<p>b&p, the “Over-priced high-rise housing” is a policy issue and permanent, not just the ebb and flow of business as usual …</p>

4

<p>I do NOT find it good at all that CP is the same as it was 20+ years ago (also true according to MY parents!). In terms of academics, the University of Maryland has risen exponentially in that time frame. The town has not moved with it. I do not think CP is a BAD town, no, not at all…there are far worse I can think of. But it’s not making the kind of progress you’d hope it would towards becoming more funky, hip, and artsy if you will.</p>

<p>I guess I should have said “But well, I just don’t think of it like I used to” instead of “But well, it’s just not like it used to be.” Because it is like it used to be…which is the problem. It’s not on an upswing, it’s just on a perpetual revolving door swing, with things looking up for a bit, then going back down.</p>

<p>My rose-tinted glasses have been removed…hence why it’s “not how I knew it”.</p>

<p>I agree that I’m afraid the overpriced high rises are here to stay. Vacancy rates in apartment complexes are sky-high, yet the rates aren’t going down and the quality isn’t going up. What’s going on there…?</p>

<p>What makes Smith’s Northampton “cool and funky” and CP “a great place to grab cheap beer and food”? Do we blame the permanent residents, or the students?</p>

<p>"the only thing that has remained constant is EASTON and the KNOX BOXES "</p>

<p>LOL that’s true.</p>

<p>And yes…I do think the next four years will be full of totally different treasures and crappy bars :slight_smile: </p>

<p>Wish we could jostle with the proportions a bit however…</p>

5

<p>quick question to bulletandpima</p>

<p>why do you refer to yourself in the third person?</p>

6

<p>Maybe it was pima that was talking? Like Bullet and Pima as two people?</p>

7

<p>I am Pima, Bullet is my DH who graduated from UMDCP in the late 80’s. SO when I say Bullet, I am not speaking in a third person, Bullet is actually a real person, and my other half.</p>

<p>UMCP you are also transitioning from the college kid to the adult. Trust me you will go back in 15 yrs and still rub the nose of the Terp (hopefully it won’t fly away :wink: ) you will see that the town has changed and the Stamp has changed, but in the end of the day you will look at Denton and say I dated so and so who lived there. Also you will proudly show to your children the freak of nature that exists on the campus…BLACK SQUIRRELS!</p>

<p>Bullet took DS to the campus tour for freshman’s 2 yrs ago and he came home saying HOLY ***** the dorms haven’t changed a bit in 20 yrs. You too will one day come home and look at your spouse saying HOLY ***** Easton is still there!</p>

8

<p>

</p>

<p>Okay, I was excited about S attending UMCP in the fall until I read this part…lol…</p>

9

<p>I personally don’t care about the book or video game store, or Sante Fe.</p>

<p>In my time (4 years):
We lost Wawa, but gained the wonderful Jason’s Deli.
Ledo’s is moving to Knox Road by this summer. (So jealous!!)
We also gained a Yogi Berry.
Chipotle is still there.
Lost Vertigo (which I never went to), and the video game store (which I never went to).
Lost college perk (which I never went to).
Gained Turtle (which I never go to, but am glad that it reduces the crowds at Cornerstone).</p>

<p>I think downtown CP suffers from being in a place with high turnover, so it’s hard for business (especially non-chains) to stick around. It will always be in flux. We we always lose places that some people love, and that some people don’t care about. We will always gain things that some people rave about (Yogi Berry!!) and places that don’t really matter (the shoe repair shop).</p>

<p>The dorms may not have changed, but most of them have been updated. They’re getting A/C in most north campus dorms (Cumberland got it last year, I think Denton is next on the list), and they’re building Oakland Hall, which looks GIGANTIC by the way. They’ve renovated dorms–Denton got updated after the tornado, other buildings have had touchups. There’s wireless in every building and room. To say that they haven’t changed in feel may be accurate–they’re still the 12x14 rectangle with paint that reminds you of a mental hospital, but they’ve certainly been updated. And to be fair, they’re pretty par for the course in terms of dorms nationwide. You should see what Teachers College students at Columbia pay $900/month for.</p>

10

<p>I recently went back to the midwestern college town where I lived back in the dinosaur ages. The hottest bar in the downtown area (known as the “meat market”) is now a kid’s museum, the dive bar is still there that has the awesome deep fried cauliflower, two of the little restaurants have been replaced by different ones, but hey…the “head shop” (that you had to climb a rickety staircase to get up to) is still there, and still busy!</p>

<p>I agree with the others who have said that some of it is a product of today’s economic times, and some of it is just part of these kinds of towns always changing. It’s part of the deal.</p>

<p>“they’re still the 12x14 rectangle with paint that reminds you of a mental hospital…” what a great description!!!</p>

11

<p>Jason’s Deli and Yogi Berry are ok restaurants, but they’re just more food? I dunno how those compare to what we lost.</p>

<p>It’s fine that you never went to the independent book or coffee shop, but you do realize that those represent something that Jason’s Deli and Yogi Berry don’t, right? They were a place to chill…a place to see shows or attend lectures…they are not just a place to spend money eating out. Used CD stores serve a similar purpose of providing a venue to talk about under the radar music, meet with people who are “into” the same things you are, etc. If you like spending $8 on a sandwich and bonding over that, that’s fine, but it’s a bit different than having a place that’s STRUCTURED to bring people together to talk about books, music, current events, or any other things which would actually make a college town a thoughtful and more intellectual environment. They contributed to the community and the sense of community, and Jason’s Deli and Yogi Berry don’t do that. Though they do serve yummy food that drains my wallet - I’ll give them that.</p>

<p>Fe, well, that’s more debatable, but again it at least tried to bring in acts and other entertainment besides binge drinking and comfort food (some acts which were good, and some that…weren’t…and some that were admittedly accompanied by binge drinking). Thirsty Turtle does not do that. They had a mechanical bull once <em>eye roll</em>.</p>

<p>I’m not saying Fe, the Perk (coffeeshop), Vertigo, and CD-game exchange were the BEST at doing what their “type” of establishments do. Obviously the Ottobar, 9:30 club, etc. are better than Fe, obviously Soundgarden in Baltimore and plenty of CD shops in Adams Morgan trumped CD-Game Exchange, maybe some places in DC are better than the Perk, Vertigo was no Politics & Prose. But they are a certain type of establishment that is at its core different than Jason’s Deli and Yogi Berry. Could they have been run better, done better things, yes. </p>

<p>I want to know why College Park can’t be a place that has a reputation that’s fun, artsy, and funky. Other College towns do it. I don’t know who is to blame…the students…the city…I don’t know. But there’s gotta be a way to transform this place, and keep it that way. I don’t think it’s just a “reality of business” that good places move in and then move out to be replaced by Jasons Delis, Yogi Berries, etc…other cities maintain their weird and artsy or intellectual reputation, like Northampton and Austin and Cambridge and Takoma Park to some extent. I think there must be a way to make this place better.</p>

12

<p>Apparently CD-Game Exchange moved because the county began to enforce a bunch of restrictions on resale of used merchandise that made it impossible for them (i.e., anything used bought from the public has to be held for a certain amount of time before resale, etc.).
You could go to Big Planet and talk about comics. That’s kind of funky.</p>

13

<p>I’m glad that the comic shop is still here! So is Berwyn Cafe thankfully.</p>

<p>Also, there’s a skate shop now. It doesn’t look like it’s getting much business, though. </p>

<p>But then, Big Planet’s been around for awhile and also doesn’t seem to get a huge amount of business haha.</p>

14

<p>

</p>

<p>It’s because the culture at our school is not generally an artsy/funky crowd. The dominant culture at our school is the big sports driven, house/frat party crowd. Obviously, people find their niches, and that’s what places like Vertigo were–niche places. Unfortunately, a niche place like that can’t survive with a small student base, especially a base that leaves every summer. I would argue that we don’t need those places structured around talking about books, music, and culture to make our town “intellectual” because having places doesn’t make your town intellectual, the conversations do. And people will have those conversations and get togethers at other places if places like Vertigo or the game exchange leave. Sure, it would be wonderful if we could have everything, but we can’t. It doesn’t make a place less thoughtful not to have it–it just means the thoughtful people will meet somewhere else.</p>

15

<p>Remember Albrecht’s, The Rendezvous, Purple Pizza, Howies Subs, Italian Gardens, Varsity Grill, etc… And, when Bentley’s was the new place in town. All great memories.</p>

16

<p>“The dominant culture at our school is the big sports driven, house/frat party crowd.”</p>

<p>I don’t think this is true.</p>

<p>Government and Politics, English, History, engineering etc. are all hugely popular majors at Maryland. The people here are not dumb jocks, even though most of them do participate in dumb jock activities.</p>

<p>There was a time when MD was not a good school. That was 20 years ago. The place needs to evolve. Having a town that reflects an atmosphere of academia is going to cause positive feedback - it’s going to cause more intellectual people to apply, it’s going to provide outlets for those on the fence so that they don’t just follow their friends to a frat house every night, etc. Part of going to university is ACTIVELY cultivating an “I want to change the world” attitude, ACTIVELY recruiting that set of people.</p>

<p>I’m not going to say, well, that’s how it is and that’s how it will always be. If MD wants to make an effort to rise to the top, it can - other state universities have done it…Berkeley…UMich…UNC-Chapel Hill…we can be next, and the transformation of College Park will help.</p>

17

<p>

</p>

<p>I would say that UMD does actively cultivate that. The two things that really stand out to me at Maryland is our commitment to community service and innovation. How many universities can boast programs like Gemstone, Quest, and Hinman where students create research based and practical projects and develop them largely on their own over a period of 2-3 years? How many universities have over 20 Alternative Break trips (not counting Habitat and trips run by non CSL offices) and still have to turn away over a hundred applicants every year? </p>

<p>That’s why I think your reservations about CP as a college town aren’t the top priority. It doesn’t have to be about the town–the campus itself cultivates this atmosphere of student leaders engaged in work that will change the world. The university has no control over the town. It’s up to business leaders to take a chance on a venture that might not guarantee them financial success. And even if they don’t–it won’t stop students from being engaged.</p>

<p>And I would say that even if we’re not dumb jocks (which I never said we were), wouldn’t you agree that more people will go to the football and basketball games than an interesting lecture? It might not be the dominant theme, but is a dominant culture at our university.</p>

18

<p>I think most universities have special programs.</p>

<p>But, this thread isn’t about what’s on campus, it’s about the town ;). </p>

<p>The on-campus life is great, but that’s not the only thing that matters. CP shouldn’t be THE priority, but there’s no reason it can’t be one of them.</p>

<p>The university has started active work on this with their East Campus project, which I think is a great step in the right direction. </p>

<p>In terms of the students…it’s not an either-or choice. You can attend a sports game as well as other activities. If students are sports-crazed at all costs and aren’t interested in anything else, that’s a really crappy environment for a university. Maybe that is the environment at CP…but if so then I don’t understand your point. That’s not exactly a good thing. And it should be actively changed through all avenues possible, on campus and off.</p>

19

<p>Of course all U’s have special programs, but how many other universities are as problem solving based as Maryland’s? I think that’s something special about our students.</p>

<p>I would classify MD’s social scene as “traditionally college” in terms of the typical things MD students will do on the weekends/evenings. Of course it’s not an either or choice on what you do–I’ve attended music recitals and orchestra concerts myself this year (and I really like football)–I’m just saying that the sports games and pop concerts and bars are WAAAAYYY more popular than academic symposiums, guest lectures (though Honors kids tend to show up to those when they’re in AA), and classical theater and musical performances. Therefore, if that’s the culture that businesses can make the most stable income by catering to…that’s the culture they will cater too.</p>

<p>The East Campus project is a step in the right direction because the University will actually have a say in the culture of that area–which means it will more accurately reflect the diversity of the university. What I was trying to say is that the University has no say over what stores are in downtown CP, that businesses that are gained and lost there are purely business decisions. Who knows? In 3 years it may completely change and be that funky atmosphere you crave…but know that it would only be temporary, as I think the area will always be in flux.</p>

<p>PS. I like this debate over CP’s soul.</p>

20

<p>Seems like I read something somewhere that a new city plan is being implemented for College Park? Am I making that up?</p>