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February 13, 2017
COLLEGIATETIMES
COLLEGIATE LIVING
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Apartment living: What you may forget SAMANTHA SMITH lifestyles editor
solutions.collegemedia.com advertising@collegemedia.com The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Monday and Thursday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The Collegiate Times is a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to provide educational experience in business and production of mass media for Virginia Tech students. © Collegiate Times, 2017. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.
Moving into an apartment for the first time can be exciting — and daunting. There are so many things you need to remember, ranging from big things, like your bedroom furniture, to things so small they are often forgotten. Here is a comprehensive list of those tiny but essential apartment assets:
Pizza slicer After a long day of moving into your new place, a slice of pizza can be the equivalent to heaven on Earth. You open the box of delicious pizza, ready to dig in, and you notice that the pizza isn’t cut all the way. No biggie, you just go to pull out your pizza slicer — but it’s not there. You can still eat the pizza, but it’s just all-over-the-place messy.
PAGE 2 February 13, 2017
Felt pads I had forgotten these when moving into my first apartment, and it wasn’t actually an issue until a few months in when my roommates and I noticed the scratches that stretched across the
hardwood floor in my living room. We tried everything from wood stain to a brown Sharpie, but nothing worked. We ended up having to pay money for our complex to repair it, but to know it could have been prevented by some felt pads on the bottom of our kitchen chairs made it that much worse.
Extension cords It seems that in every apartment, the outlets are never in the place you need them to be. They are always in the most inconvenient spot — like completely across the room right where you want to put your dresser. This was definitely the case in my room, so I now have a whole maze of extension cords running along my walls to ensure that I always have an open outlet wherever I need one.
Curtains My favorite thing about my apartment is that there are a lot of windows throughout the whole space — especially in my bedroom. This can be great for when I’m sitting at my desk and need some inspiration or when I’m doing some relaxing yoga, but it is not great for when I am
trying to sleep in after a long night at the library. I didn’t have them in my freshman dorm room, so curtains were something that completely slipped my mind while apartment shopping. However, Amazon was a lifesaver as usual, and I was able to have blackout curtains shipped to my doorstep in two days.
Colander For most college students, cooking means something easy and cheap, which makes pasta a go-to. When I first moved into my new place, I decided that I would make some pasta to save for dinner for the next few days. I’m not a great cook, so I was somewhat proud of myself when everything went off without a hitch. That is, until I realized that I didn’t actually have a colander. One angry trip to Kroger later and the problem was fixed, but I hope that others can learn from my mistake.
Toilet plunger This is something that you don’t realize you need until you absolutely need it — and I’m just going to leave it at that.
A look at life lived inside one of Blacksburg’s newest apartment complexes, The Retreat, located directly off of Prices Fork Road. photo editor
It was the end of junior year and I was running out of options for where to live my senior year — thankfully, I heard about The Retreat through a friend and signed the lease immediately. It has now been a full semester since moving into The Retreat, and overall I am very happy with it.
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FILE 2016 / COLLEGIATE TIMES
1711 APARTMENTS
x 4 Bedrooms, 2 Full Baths x Includes some utilities x Spacious bedrooms and living area
x Some pets accepted x Furnished apartments available x On Main Street BT Route
208 South Main Street Blacksburg, VA 24060 www.pointewestmanagement.com Phone: 540.953.1341 Email: pointewestmanagement@gmail.com
Febnruary 13, 2017 PAGE 3
The biggest complaint I hear from people is that The Retreat is simply too far from campus and the reality of it is, it’s not. Prior to living at The Retreat, I spent my sophomore and junior years at The Village. From The Village to Burruss Hall by car it would take an average of five minutes; at The Retreat, it is no different. Now, if you do not have a car, that is where you might feel the distance. However, The Retreat has done its best to accommodate for that by bringing out a new bus route called Carpenter Boulevard. The bus stops right next to the clubhouse every 25 and 55 minutes on the hour during the week, so as long as you plan accordingly there should be no issue being late to class. The Retreat even offers a more fitnessbased travel option by having a bike share program similar to the Citi-bikes you see in New York City. Simply download the app, reserve a bike and make your way to campus. The biggest issue I have with The Retreat is the pricing. The cheapest housing option at The Retreat is $635, not including furniture or electricity. The price alone almost drove me away from choosing The Retreat until I looked at all the amenities that are offered.
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The pool area includes huge flat screen TVs, grills, a surround-sound music system, outdoor couches, hammocks, a volleyball court and plenty of lounge chairs.”
I have visited friends in many different complexes around Blacksburg and I can say with certainty that The Retreat by far has the best amenities. The clubhouse is the nicest and largest I have ever seen, including a two story gym, a computer lab with a free printer, a small cafe and a mail room. There is also a ton of study space including two private study lounges, two pool tables, a golf simulator, two tanning beds, an outdoor deck, a sauna and a shower. To top it all off, the clubhouse is open 24/7 to residents. Outside of the clubhouse, The Retreat offers a huge pool area that overlooks the hills. The pool area includes huge flat screen TVs, grills, a surroundsound music system, outdoor couches, hammocks, a volleyball court and plenty of lounge chairs. This area is open every day until 10 p.m. and residents are allowed to bring two guests with them. Outside of the pool area, there is a running trail that goes around the complex for anyone who enjoys outdoor jogs. As for the living spaces themselves, the interior of The Retreat is really nice. I currently live in a five bedroom Tallmadge and the space is large enough to fit all five of us comfortably. My room is very spacious, it includes a private bathroom and walk-in closet. Since my roommates and I chose the furnished option when we signed our lease, we were all given a Tempur-Pedic queen-sized bed. The living room and kitchen space is also very spacious and filled with nice utilities. On top of that, The Retreat is pet friendly. The only other issue I have aside from the price is with trash. The Retreat has decided to place only one trash dump for the entire complex in the far corner of the complex. I live on the other side of the complex, so I usually have to drive my trash to the dump. It has the space to place other smaller dumps around the complex, but for some reason it has yet to do so. Granted this isn’t much of an issue when I think about all that is offered to me at this complex, I would rate The Retreat a four out of five stars.
NOW LEASING
ARMAHN RASSULI
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An insider’s look: The Retreat
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Foxridge Location: 2 miles from campus, off of Prices Fork Road Layout & Rate: one-, two-, three- or fourbedroom apartments with or without dens, about $400 per person
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Washer/Dryer: offers on-site laundry facilities in each building
Location: less than a mile away, on Hunt Club Road
Layout & Rate: twobedroom — luxury $400, deluxe $480, premier $495, three-bedroom — luxury $440, premier $470, four-bedroom — luxury $465, premier $475
Layout & Rate: one-, two-, three- or fourbedroom apartments and townhomes, ranges from $385–$919
Washer/Dryer: included Pet Policy: not allowed
Roommate Search: offers roommate matching services in office or online
Roommate Search: not offered
Utilities: rent includes gas heat, gas to heat water and trash removal Internet: high-speed Internet connections are included in all apartments
Location: about 0.2 miles from campus Layout & Rate: two-, three-, four-bedroom apartments from $719, four-bedroom townhomes $770 Washer/Dryer: included in unit Pet Policy: not allowed
Terrace View
Location: about 2 miles from campus
Pet Policy: pet-friendly community
The Edge
PAGE 4 February 13, 2017
Maple Ridge
Utilities: trash removal Internet: not included
University Terrace
Washer/Dryer: option to have included, most buildings have a laundry facility Pet Policy: pet-friendly community Utilities: includes DIRECTV, water, sewer, trash with an option to include heat and hot water Internet: high-speed Internet included
Collegiate Suites
The Village Location: less than a mile from campus, on Patrick Henry Drive Layout & Rate: four-bedroom, two-bath $545, two-bedroom, one-bath $590 Washer/Dryer: in unit Pet Policy: no pets except fish in small tanks approved by management Roommate Search: roommate matching available Utilities: water/sewer (Village West), trash removal included Internet: super high-speed Internet included with bandwidth up to one gigabit
Pheasant Run
Location: about 1.5 miles from campus
Location: about 1.5 miles from campus
Layout & Rate: four-bedroom, two-bath from $975
Layout & Rate: four-bedroom $430, two-bedroom $480, one-bedroom suite $590
Layout & Rate: four bedrooms, from $1600
Washer/Dryer: included in unit
Washer/Dryer: included
Pet Policy: permitted
Pet Policy: permitted
Pet Policy: not allowed
Utilities: varies per property
Utilities: sewer, trash and water
Utilities: electic central heat, A/C
Location: about 1 mile from campus, off of Progress Street
Washer/Dryer: included in unit
Internet: Ethernet connections
KATELYN MEADE assistant lifestyles editor
This is one of my favorites because it’s so easy, it’s delicious and it yields tons of leftovers. Simply pour a little bit of olive oil (or vegetable oil or melted butter, whatever you have) in the bottom of the Crock-Pot, then dump a bag of mini carrots into the pot. Top the carrots with raw chicken (I like to use thighs because chicken breasts tend to shred in the Crock-Pot, but really any chicken will do) and a chopped-up onion. Pour in a half of a cup of balsamic vinegar and whatever spices you like (I normally do salt, pepper, garlic powder and oregano), then set the Crock-Pot to four hours on high or eight hours on low and go live your life without a worry.
Chicken fajitas Another easy one: all you need is an onion, a bell pepper, chicken breasts (they shred the easiest) and seasoning. Chop up the onion and pepper and put them in the bottom, then put chicken breasts in and your seasonings on top. I normally put cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper in there, but you can easily swap that out for a packet of taco or fajita seasoning
for under a dollar at the grocery store. Again for this one, four hours on high or eight hours on low, then take the chicken breasts out and shred them (just take a fork and start to tear it apart — if it doesn’t fall apart easily, it’s not done). Grab some tortillas and sour cream (or not, if you’re trying to keep things light) and there you have it — fajitas!
Turkey and sweet potato chili This is a chili recipe that is friendly with just about any diet you could possibly be on. The only downside is that you have to dirty up two pans. For this recipe, you have to brown the turkey before putting it in the Crock-Pot; simply put the ground turkey in a skillet and begin browning it. When it’s just about there, add in some chopped peppers and onions so they can sautee along with the turkey. When the turkey is brown and the onions translucent, put it in the Crock-Pot and add in a chopped sweet potato (try to chop them pretty small or it’ll take longer for the sweet potatoes to get soft), two cans of stewed tomatoes, and spice it up. At the very least, you want to add salt,
pepper and cumin. I like mine to be a little spicier so I add a bunch of chili powder, some hot sauce (whatever you’ve got, I use tabasco and sriracha) and worcestershire sauce. This recipe takes about three hours on high or six on low, but since the meat is already cooked, you can dig into this one whenever the potatoes get soft and the flavors come together.
Lemon chicken If you’re like me and add lemon to everything, this one is for you, and it is easy as can be. Put some chopped potatoes and whatever chicken you have in the Crock-Pot, potatoes on the bottom and chicken on the top. Juice a lemon and add some olive oil (or again, whatever you have) and whatever spices you like (I normally add salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic) to the juice and pour it over your potato/ chicken combo. This is another four high, eight low recipe, but about an hour (or half hour if it’s on high) before it’s done add in some green beans or broccoli and let it cook that last bit. And voila — a well balanced meal coated in lemony goodness ready to be consumed.
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As college students, we all live very busy lives. We run around all day with nothing more than a banana or a granola bar in our backpacks and then get home and think, “Crap, what am I going to do for dinner?” And then we order a pizza. We’ve all done it. But wouldn’t it be nice to walk into your building and smell something delicious, then realize that heavenly smell is coming from your apartment, even though you’ve been gone all day? That is the magic of the Crock-Pot. Crock-Pots are one of the most convenient things that you can have in your kitchen. You simply put the uncooked ingredients of your dinner in, turn the Crock-Pot on and then hours later — dinner is served. The best part? You only have to clean one dish. Crock-Pot cooking will enhance your college experience, as well as make sure your wallet stays full and your waist stays slim. Here are some of my go-to Crock-Pot recipes:
Balsamic chicken
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Crock-Pot recipes: College cooking simplified
February 13, 2017 PAGE 5
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Navigating Blacksburg Transit’s bus services A condensed overview of the updated routes and rides provided by Blacksburg Transit’s buses in 2017. SAMANTHA SMITH
Progress Street
lifestyles editor
This route makes a loop from Squires Student Center, to North Main Street, to Progress Street and then to Patrick Henry Drive and Toms Creek Road. There is an on-campus time check at Squires Student Center as well as an off-campus time check at The Village on Patrick Henry. Monday through Friday, this route runs from 7 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. about every 10 to 15 minutes. Monday through Thursday after 3:15 p.m., this route will run until 9:30 p.m. for every 15 minutes. On Fridays after 3:15 p.m., this route will run until 9:15 p.m., stopping every 15 minutes until 5:45 p.m., when stops will occur every half hour.
For most students who live off campus, the Blacksburg Transit system is the lifeline between the various apartment complexes in town and campus. Some are lucky and can afford a parking pass, but the rest of us have to show up at the bus stop a half hour before class starts in rain, snow and everything in between. The bus schedule can be intimidating if it is your first time living off campus, so here is a breakdown of the different bus lines that connect Tech to the rest of the Blacksburg and Christiansburg area.
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CRC/Hospital This line provides service from the Drillfield all the way to the Corporate Research Center. The on-campus time check for this line is at Newman library, leaving at five minutes, 25 minutes and 45 minutes after the hour. The off-campus time check is at the Knollwood Apartments, with buses departing at 10 minutes, 30 minutes and 50 minutes after the hour. This route starts at 6:45 a.m. and runs until 6:25 p.m. After 6:25 p.m., the bus only runs from Newman Library to the VCOM stop until 9:30 p.m. This line only runs during the week and when Virginia Tech classes are in session.
KAILA NATHANIEL / COLLEGIATE TIMES
A cadet boards a Blacksburg Transit bus, Oct. 18, 2016. Carpenter Boulevard This bus runs only Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. with time checks at Carpenter Boulevard and Squires West. This bus travels around campus and out toward The Retreat, one of Blacksburg’s newest apartment complexes. On days when the bus is not in service, students can travel via the Hethwood busses.
Hokie Express
PAGE 6 February 13, 2017
Hethwood/Harding Avenue The Harding Avenue line has stops along Roanoke Street and Harding Avenue, returning to campus. The Hethwood line is split into two lines, Hethwood A and Hethwood B, each running every 10–15 minutes until 7 p.m. and providing service to Foxridge and Hethwood Apartment Homes. These routes combine during the week after 9:15 p.m. and during times of reduced service and weekends. The on-campus time check for the Hethwood A line is at Burruss Hall, with an off-campus time check at Stroubles Circle. The Hethwood B on-campus time check is at Torgersen Hall, with its off-campus time check at Tall Oaks and Foxhunt.
This route does a loop, connecting campus and the Oak Lane Community, and only runs during full service times. Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., this line runs every 15 minutes, and it runs every 30 minutes on evenings and weekends. Monday through Thursday, the route will run continuously from 7 a.m. until 12:45 a.m., going until 2:45 a.m. on Fridays. Service for Saturdays will go from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. until 2:45 a.m., with Sunday hours from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. through 11:15 p.m.
Main Street During normal full-service weekdays,
this line will run from 7 a.m. until 6:45 p.m., coming every 15 to 20 minutes. After 6:45 p.m., this line will run on an hourly basis until 12:15 a.m. from Monday through Thursday, until 2:15 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 11:15 p.m. on Sundays. This route goes along Main Street from Whipple Drive off of North Main all the way down to Industrial Park Drive off of South Main. There is a time check for both of these routes at Squires East and Squires West, with an off-campus time check at Fairfax Road and Liberty Lane.
Patrick Henry This route runs during the week from 7 a.m. through 6:45 p.m. and until 5:30 p.m. on Fridays, only running during full service times. Since North Main, Progress Street and University City Boulevard no longer serve the Seneca Drive, Patrick Henry Drive and Progress Street areas, this route serves as a supplement to those routes. As of Sept. 21 of this semester, this route now has a time check at Torgersen Hall, with an off-campus time check at Patrick Henry and Seneca Westbound.
Toms Creek B The Toms Creek B route has service on Toms Creek Road, University City Boulevard where the Chasewood Downs and Shawnee apartments are located, Patrick Henry Drive and Progress Street. The route runs from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. during normal service hours during the week, coming every 10 minutes until 12:30 p.m. when it then changes to every 15 minutes and then switches again to every 30 at 5:45 p.m. However, anyone who rides this bus knows that runs are more like 15 or 17 minutes apart, and what used to be a reliable bus now is never on time since the UCB construction. The bus comes on late nights Mondays through Thursdays from 10:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. hourly and until 2:30 a.m. on Fridays. On Saturdays the bus runs from 9:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
Two Town Trolley The Two Town Trolley provides service to Christiansburg stopping at popular locations such as the New River Mall, Walmart and LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, departing from Squires East. Due to its popularity, the New River Mall serves as the off-campus time check for this route. On Monday through
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February 13, 2017 PAGE 7
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The University City Boulevard route provides service from main campus to the Sturbridge apartments and was added as a year-round route in July due to the construction on University City Boulevard. The UCB route runs from 7 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. every 15 to 20 minutes Monday through Thursday. On Friday, the UCB route runs from 7 a.m. until 3:25 p.m. every 10 to 15 minutes. The UMall route runs from 8:45 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. every 20 minutes. At 5:45, the UMall route will provide service to University Mall and Sturbridge Square apartments every 15 minutes until 9:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday. After 9:45 p.m., the bus will stop
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hourly until 11:45 p.m. On Friday, the UMall bus will run from 8:45 a.m. to 9:55 p.m. every 20 minutes, serving Sturbridge Square after 3:30 p.m. The Friday late-night hours start at 10:45 and continue on until 1:45 a.m., coming every hour. On Saturdays and Sundays, the UMall route will service both Sturbridge and University Mall. On Saturday, service will go from 8:55 a.m. to 1:55 a.m., coming every hour. On Sunday, UMall service will start at 11:45 a.m. until 10:45 p.m., with a bus coming every hour. After a few days of taking the bus on a regular basis, the schedules and routes will begin to make much more sense. Until then, Blacksburg Transit does have an app that you can use on your smartphone, or you can always check its website for route changes and updates. However, beware — while we do have a great overall bus system in Blacksburg, with all of the construction and changes this semester, the risk of late buses or a skipped run always lurks.
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Friday, the bus runs from 7:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. with a gap between 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. During the day on Saturdays, the bus runs 10:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and runs Sundays from 12:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Late-night service is offered on Friday and Saturday nights, running from 6:15 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. This route comes every hour during late-night service and does not stop at the hospital on the weekends.
PAGE 8 February 13, 2017
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