3/12/2004

Finding the right apartment for you

Hilary O’Connell
Daily Kent Stater

When Kent State students make the choice to live off campus, many are faced with the question: What kind of environment do I want to live in?

Heidi Gerlosky, senior sign language interpreting major, said it basically boils down to a person’s priorities.

“It depends on whether you value your scholastic study time, or you want to have the freedom to play music or be as loud as you want,” she said.

For a year, Gerlosky lived in a single in Leebrick in Tri-Towers. Leebrick has quiet hours that are in effect most of the day.

“It was a good place to study, and there weren’t any hallway distractions,” she said. “But I was told a good handful of times to turn my music down, and when you can’t even listen to your music in your own home, it starts to get to you.”

Gerlosky now lives in College Towers where she does not have to worry about how loud her music is, but now she gets to hear her neighbor’s loud rap music over her own.

Some places off campus such as University Townhomes have earned the reputation for being louder and more active than other places.

Mike McKeon, senior advertising major, said he used to live in University Townhomes.

“They aren’t as loud as everyone really thinks,” he said. “Not that they didn’t get crazy at times, but for the most part, they aren’t that bad. It kind of comes with the territory when you live in a place like that.”

McKeon now lives in a residential area on North Willow Street where he said it is much quieter.

Dale Terrace on the east side of campus is a pretty quiet place to live, said Alex Arevalo, senior archeology major.

“It is pretty calm most of the time,” he said. “Sometimes there are outbreaks when the police need to come, but mostly it is pretty chill. There are a lot of families that live over here, but for the most part people are pretty respectful.”

Kate Snyder, sophomore advertising major, said Whitehall East Townhomes can get rowdy at times.

“It gets pretty crazy on certain nights,” she said. “Mainly on Thursdays and Fridays people go a little nuts. But the rest of the week it is fine. But then again, Thursdays and Fridays are a little crazy all over Kent anyway.”

E-mail: hoconnel@kent.edu