Comments on: Student Housing Proposed at Northgate http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/ Helping imagine a great college town for a great university Fri, 25 Jan 2013 04:03:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: CMB http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/comment-page-1/#comment-38461 CMB Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:50:05 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/#comment-38461 I COMPLETELY agree that a grocery store is absolutely necessary for College Park. It's the one thing I absolutely hate about this area. Ridiculous that we don't have a place within walking distance to pick up food items other than WaWa and CVS. That said, for those students who dont want to have a car- there are several options- taking a cab, for example, to and from the grocery store (I did it in grad school) is cheaper than paying car insurance and gas and for a permit. Flex and/or Zip Car are now both available by the metro and on campus, and perfect for those type of once a week or so trips. There's also Peapod (Giant) and Safeway, both companies deliver groceries right to you in college park - the delivery charge is minimal compared to gas and parking and insurance. Lastly, there ARE people who bring back groceries on public transit- it takes advance planning, but you can get a little grocery cart thing at the container store, linens n things, etc and it's not that hard. Least best option and comes with some hassle, but it can be done. I COMPLETELY agree that a grocery store is absolutely necessary for College Park. It’s the one thing I absolutely hate about this area. Ridiculous that we don’t have a place within walking distance to pick up food items other than WaWa and CVS.

That said, for those students who dont want to have a car- there are several options- taking a cab, for example, to and from the grocery store (I did it in grad school) is cheaper than paying car insurance and gas and for a permit. Flex and/or Zip Car are now both available by the metro and on campus, and perfect for those type of once a week or so trips. There’s also Peapod (Giant) and Safeway, both companies deliver groceries right to you in college park – the delivery charge is minimal compared to gas and parking and insurance. Lastly, there ARE people who bring back groceries on public transit- it takes advance planning, but you can get a little grocery cart thing at the container store, linens n things, etc and it’s not that hard. Least best option and comes with some hassle, but it can be done.

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]]> By: Kevin Fallon UM '93 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/comment-page-1/#comment-37858 Kevin Fallon UM '93 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:28:47 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/#comment-37858 when i was a student and living near campus i wanted so badly to not have a car. problem was grocery shopping. if i live in old town how am i to do a week's worth of grocery shopping at the giant in g'belt without a car? i cant haul all those bags on a bus? forgive me for not knowing what flex car is - that was not available "back in the day" - i will go google it now. point is: there needs to be a full service grocery store in downtown CP or east campus or on the cafritz site (or both cafritz and east campus) - we have been saying this for 20+ years now. when i was a student and living near campus i wanted so badly to not have a car. problem was grocery shopping. if i live in old town how am i to do a week’s worth of grocery shopping at the giant in g’belt without a car? i cant haul all those bags on a bus? forgive me for not knowing what flex car is – that was not available “back in the day” – i will go google it now.

point is: there needs to be a full service grocery store in downtown CP or east campus or on the cafritz site (or both cafritz and east campus) – we have been saying this for 20+ years now.

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]]> By: CMB http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/comment-page-1/#comment-37666 CMB Sat, 18 Aug 2007 13:31:45 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/#comment-37666 Although I agree that ideally considerable parking should not be required because of proximity to the University and public transit, the reality is that in my experience a majority of UMD students still have and drive cars regardless of where they live or how close they are to public transit. Theoretically it is even less necessary for on-campus students to have cars (between FlexCar, the UMD Shuttle routes, public buses, and proximity to metro), but still many, many of them do. Another example is any one of the apartment homes in Old Town that have huge graveled parking lots and 5 or 6 cars, even though these properties are right on the Maryland shuttle line and within walking distance to the metro and flexcar. It seems to me that regardless of public (or university) transit optins, students will still want and drive cars. Although I agree that ideally considerable parking should not be required because of proximity to the University and public transit, the reality is that in my experience a majority of UMD students still have and drive cars regardless of where they live or how close they are to public transit. Theoretically it is even less necessary for on-campus students to have cars (between FlexCar, the UMD Shuttle routes, public buses, and proximity to metro), but still many, many of them do. Another example is any one of the apartment homes in Old Town that have huge graveled parking lots and 5 or 6 cars, even though these properties are right on the Maryland shuttle line and within walking distance to the metro and flexcar. It seems to me that regardless of public (or university) transit optins, students will still want and drive cars.

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]]> By: Kevin Fallon UM '93 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/comment-page-1/#comment-37490 Kevin Fallon UM '93 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 15:02:23 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/#comment-37490 Also - if my memory serves me correctly, the View didnt exactly capitalize on its facade that faces the creek. I seem to recall that it is a concrete wall or the parking decks that face the creek. seems like a missed opportunity. could have been a wall of windows overlooking the creek from a fitness center or lounge or even individual units. i hope the hilton to the south and this project to the north (as well as Mazza) take better advantage of the views facing the creek / woods. we should do a better job of incorporating the few natural attributes that we have. id hate to see another monstrous project with its back to the creek. Also – if my memory serves me correctly, the View didnt exactly capitalize on its facade that faces the creek. I seem to recall that it is a concrete wall or the parking decks that face the creek. seems like a missed opportunity. could have been a wall of windows overlooking the creek from a fitness center or lounge or even individual units. i hope the hilton to the south and this project to the north (as well as Mazza) take better advantage of the views facing the creek / woods. we should do a better job of incorporating the few natural attributes that we have. id hate to see another monstrous project with its back to the creek.

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]]> By: David Daddio http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/comment-page-1/#comment-37478 David Daddio Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:47:12 +0000 http://rethinkcollegepark.net/blog/2007/440/#comment-37478 Yes, the Paint Branch Trail does run directly behind the property and this project would be required to connect to the bridge behind the University View. The trail is lit between the View and campus, but will not be lit between Mazza and campus. Yes, the Paint Branch Trail does run directly behind the property and this project would be required to connect to the bridge behind the University View. The trail is lit between the View and campus, but will not be lit between Mazza and campus.

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