Living in a college dorm isn’t for everyone and for some, finding an alternative living situation is a necessity.
Dorm life can be overwhelming and stressful. Assigning roommates isn’t a perfect science and sometimes people don’t get along. The ideal living situation changes from person to person but figuring out what works and what doesn’t is a part of living away from home.
Less than a mile down the road from The College at Brockport is The Brock. There students can find an alternate form of student housing. The Brock is an apartment style building where students can experience the feeling of living on their own and being independent while still attending college. The Student Townhomes on campus are similar, but they are strictly for juniors and seniors.
When a student lives on campus, they pay a fee per semester and are then given a parking pass that is assigned to a specific parking lot. Between professors, commuters and residents, parking lots at The College at Brockport fill up fast. At The Brock there is ample on-site parking for residents only that is included in the price of monthly rent.
“No, in our little area there’s never an issue. I can get a parking spot here but getting to campus or around anywhere in town during prime hours is practically impossible,” said Zakk Mount, a resident at The Brock and a junior at Brockport.
The College at Brockport provides on and off campus transportation and so does The Brock. However, if a resident attends a different school they are responsible for finding an alternative form of transportation.
Although most of the residents are from The College at Brockport, students from other colleges are welcome to apply to live at The Brock.
The Brockport campus gives their students access to a variety of facilities, such as study rooms in the Drake Memorial Library and a 158,000 sq. ft. fitness center. These rooms are spread throughout the campus and are open to the public. At The Brock, residents have access to a small fitness center, a game room equipped with a pool table and a ping pong and table as well as study center. All of these amenities are in the lower levels of the building and are for residents only.
Having access to private facilities is a perk but every living situation has a down side. Residents find that it is often loud or noisy at inappropriate hours.
“There’s always dogs barking, like right now in the background,” said Jared George, a resident at The Brock and a junior at Brockport.
Since The Brock doesn’t have any resident advisors or strict guidelines that the students have to follow, there is a higher chance of everyday disturbances. When asked about the quality of the apartment itself the two gentlemen could not find anything negative to comment on. However, one Google review of the apartments found a myriad of issues.
“The staff are extremely unhelpful. My apartment had dozens of problems including broken toilet seats, lights that didn’t work, doors that didn’t close, and horrible internet service,” said Lauren Grzenda, a former resident at The Brock.
The owner made a formal apology to Grzenda and stated that they are working to fix the response time of maintenance requests. The Brock’s website states that they are in the process of updating their facility, renovations are happening now and will continue through next year.
Apartment style living is a large responsibility and is not for everyone. For students that are looking for a more private or secluded environment, The Brock is an option that is conveniently located near The College at Brockport and is open to new and incoming students.
Written and Edited By: Lexie Cutmore, Bridget Robson, Alexis Bott, Matt Lauster, Zach Wagner
Canalside Chronicles Staff
