Coach Spotlight: Katie Stone

1st year Americorps member
College Coach
Tulane University

Interview with Katie Stone

1. What brought you to CoFo?
Well, I always knew I wanted to work in the non-profit sector, and had often considered Americorps. I lived in New Orleans before graduation, where Americorps does a ton of amazing work, and I also saw a documentary called "Left Behind" about public schools in New Orleans that made me want to focus on education reform. I saw CoFo as a way to get into that sector. I didn't even know it would be as awesome as it is!

2. What is your favorite thing about working here?
Well it used to be Sara McCabe's scones, but since our beloved Marketing Director left, I guess I'd have to say Andrew Galen's effusive personality and sparkling charm.
Or just the really open and welcoming community of coaches and ability to build strong relationships with amazing teenagers. But everyone will say that, right?

3. Where is your favorite place in the office?
When I am not hanging out with Team Lauren (whoop whoop) in our "Cave" (aka the only office without windows), I like to visit the Space Team in their awesome windowed room. They are always welcoming to distraction, and plus, there are some great beards going on in there.

4. If you could describe CoFo in 5 words, what would they be?
A glass case of emotion

5. What is your favorite thing about living in Austin?
The fact that every random gas station you walk into seems to have a better selection of craft beer than most liquor stores elsewhere.

6. Describe your most memorable CoFo moment.
Recently, we were brainstorming for an open-ended essay using what we call the "Adversity Checklist." This is a list of things we believe colleges view as difficult for students, and it helps them to formulate essays on obstacles they have overcome. One of my student checked that nearly everything on the list had occurred in his lifetime: family members in jail, experiences with drugs, single parent household, indebtedness. He did not, however, check the last box, which asks, "have you or your family members ever suffered from depression?" When I asked about it, he told me, "Miss, we're brown! The only time we get depressed is when someone steals our burro!" This was obviously a joke, and a potentially offensive one at that, but I think the overall situation highlights a lot of our students' attitudes toward life: things go wrong, but they don't get down. They laugh it off and move on.

7. What is a hidden talent you have?
I can cross one eye.

8.What advice would you give future coaches?
Don't be afraid to annoy the crap out of your students, and potentially have them hate you a little for a bit. One of Senior Coach Tabitha's students told me this at the senior lock in. She said that she hid from Tab for a while and never wanted to see her, but now that she is a graduate, she realizes that what Tabitha did for her, what she made her do, was the best thing anyone could have done. And now she loves Tab! I now aspire to have my students hate me in the fall. TOUGH LOVE.

Summer at the Springs!

Now that the official Austin summer has begun, in all of its sweaty, sunny, steering wheel burning your hands glory, it is also the official beginning to the best time to visit Barton Springs pool.  Barton Springs, for all of you soon to be Austinites, is the best Austin swimmin’ hole and the perfect place to cool off when this Austin summer starts to slowly melt your brain.  Three acres big and fed entirely from underground springs, the Barton is also 68 degrees year round- cold in the winter, but per-fecto in the summer months.  The springs attract a ton of people from all walks of Austin life, so while you get your tan on be sure to people watch and get a real taste of what Austin is all about.

Coach Spotlight: Laura Saiz

2nd Year CoFo Member
College Completion Coach A.K.A. College Persistence Coach
Vassar

Interview with Laura Saiz

1. What brought you to CoFo?

The short version: I super dig non-profits, my best friend/roommate/yogi at Vassar was from Austin and convinced me to start my post-grad job search there, found CoFo on the AmeriCorps website, read the description for College Completion Coach, remembered how rocky my transition from big public high school in L.A. to tiny private school in New York was, realized I was jealous because I wanted a Completion Coach while in college, then realized I wanted to be that Completion Coach for someone else. Bam! Now I’m here writing run-on sentences.

2. What is your favorite thing about working here?

It’s a tie between my endearing and sometimes wacky students, and my endearing and sometimes wacky co-workers.

3. Where is your favorite place in the office?

The bottom cupboards in the Completion room. If you are small enough you can fit in one of them and wait for someone to sit down before popping out at them and giving them a good scare/mild heart attack. Good times.

4. If you could describe CoFo in 5 words, what would they be?

On hold with fin-aid? Dance.

5. What is your favorite thing about living in Austin?

Breakfast tacos, specifically Torchy’s breakfast tacos. Oh, and all my friends I guess.

6. Describe your most memorable CoFo moment.

For my birthday last year the other Completion Coaches arranged a surprise Jennifer Lopez mini-dance party on my behalf. Best. Surprise. Ever

7. What is a hidden talent you have?

Being sassy and getting everyone I know to watch the greatest movie of all time, Selena.

8.What advice would you give future coaches?

Be prepared for your students to teach you.  

Strange Office Events

On April 30th, Ben completed the challenge of eating a very old, 3lbs 7oz can of Bush’s Best Baked Beans (Homestyle. Flavored with bacon.) This can was in the CoFo Kitchen for years. He now holds 2 titles “2012 Bean Champion of the WORLD (Manor)” and "World's Gassiest Man."

CoFo Kickball

So many CoFo's love Kickball that we had to have two teams this season! This Wednesday was the game everyone was looking forward to, Cofo-West vs. Cofo-East. It was a tough battle but Cofo-West won with a score of 6-1. Cofo-West will be in the playoffs next week!

If you want to learn more about ATX Sports and Adventures, check out their website!

http://www.atxsa.com/sports/kickball

Coach Spotlight: Koehler Briceno

Position: Senior Coach

2nd year CoFo member

University of North Carolina

Interview with Koehler

1. What brought you to CoFo? After I graduated from UNC, I immediately applied to graduate schools. In the interim, I did a 6-month trip through Latin America with one of my college friends. During that time, I realized that I wasn’t ready to dedicate my life to a career without having some hands-on LIVING and working experiences. I decided that I wanted to come to Texas because I had interned with students from farmworker backgrounds from Texas the previous summer, and knew that I wanted to continue to work with Latino communities. For some whacko reason, that guided my gaze to Texas, and I started applying to AmeriCorps jobs (while still traveling!) that focused on farmworker issues and access to education.  As soon as I read the job description of College Forward, I was immediately drawn to the hands-on approach and office environment that they boasted of. I grew even more excited with every interview (both of them were conducted in interenet café’s in Colombia), and was thrilled to be invited to join to CoFo team in 2010.

2.  What is your favorite thing about working here? My favorite thing is the CoFo vibe. I love that I am able to bounce off ideas with my co-workers, and take a lap around the office if I have a question. Everyone is so open and willing to share class lessons, strategies for approaching tricky topics in or out of the classroom, and cool things to do in Austin. My first year at CoFo felt like my freshman year in college, where so many people were fresh and new to Austin and ready to explore. It’s inspiring to experience the energy and innumerous perspectives that my co-workers bring to every day in the office.

3. Where is your favorite place in the office? Alright- this may not be my “favorite” place in the office, but it’s definitely the place where I spend the most time: The Cave. Although there are no windows, we have made sure to decorate the walls beautifully. There’s a very noble portrait of Abraham Lincoln (who was, himself, a Lobo), a sassy poster of Patrick Swayze, a Dia De Los Muertos Skull Pinata, puppies, snow flakes, barnyard animals, batman characters, you name it.  I think that the isolation of the office really inspired our creativity and BOY does it show (thumbs up sign).

4. If you could describe CoFo with 5 words, what would they be? Facial hair encouraged; not leggings.

5. What is your favorite thing about living in Austin? There are free fun things happening on a daily basis: South by Southwest is once (or twice) in a lifetime, you can go topless to whatever you want if you so choose, food trucks are funky and delicious, there are tons of freshwater springs with freezing water, it’s AmeriCorps* affordable. Summer weather persists about 10 months a year, musicality is encouraged (as are jorts), and whoever you are, you will have an amazing time on 6^th street.

6. Describe your most memorable CoFo moment. Well. I hope it will be this upcoming Monday, April 30^th, when Ben Moriarty will become the “Bean Conqueror” and “2012 Bean Champion of the WORLD (Manor)” by eating a 3 lb 7oz can of Bush’s Best Baked Beans (Homestyle. Flavored with bacon.) in one work day. I can’t wait. We made him a crown and a pendant and he’s going to enter to staff meeting with his fight song “Prince Ali” (from Aladdin).

7. What is a hidden talent you have? I’m an amazing singer. That’s not hidden, though. Another musically-inclined talent of mine: getting songs stuck in people’s heads without them even suspecting it.

8. What advice would you give to future coaches? La Plaza serves breakfast tacos until 11AM. Take advantage of that, but not too much advantage, because breakfast tacos in general are pretty addictive. Also- your kids will love you whether you’re shy, funny, creepy, serious, etc. They’ll also love the program as much as you do, so bring enthusiasm along with you to work.

15th Annual Buda Wiener Dog Races

Along with Eeyore's Birthday, the Buda Weiner Dog Races are this weekend! Buda is about 15 minutes south of Austin close to Kyle, TX where we have 2 schools that we serve. Some of our students and coaches will be volunteering at this evenet.

Check out all of the fun activities planned for this event!

http://www.budalions.com/countryfair/2012-apps/BLC%20Weiner%20Dog%20Races%202012%20Schedule.pdf

Eeyore's Birthday 2012

Hello again, friends! Guess what? There is another fun festival this weekend! It is called Eeyore's Birthday.


"What is this glorious event?" you may be asking yourself. Well...

Eeyore's Birthday Party is a day-long festival taking place annually in Austin, Texas since 1963. It typically occurs on the last Saturday of April in Austin's Pease Park It includes live music, food and drink vending which benefit local non-profit organizations, attendees in colorful costumes, and very large drum circles. The event is frequented by children and families, with specific events presented for them by the event organizers.

Why celebrate Eeyore?

Eeyore's Birthday Party began in 1963 as a spring party and picnic for Department of English students at the University of Texas at Austin by Lloyd W. Birdwell, Jr. and other UT students. It was named for Eeyore, a chronically depressed donkey in A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories who, in one story, believes his friends have forgotten his birthday only to discover they have planned a surprise party for him^. Despite its name, the event does not fall on the official birthday of the fictional character. The original event featured a trashcan full of lemonade, beer, honey sandwiches, a live, flower-draped donkey, and a may pole (in keeping with the event's proximity to May Day). For many years the party was a UT tradition, but subsequently the annual Birthday Party became a tradition in Austin's hippie subculture.

Global Youth Service Day 2012

This weekend we celebrated Global Youth Service Day! All of our high school students must complete 40 hours of Community Service as members of College Forward. We plan several events for our students throughout the year. Check out our coaches and students working hard for Global Youth Service Day!

What is GYSD??

Global Youth Service Day is an annual campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities each day of the year through service and service-learning. Established in 1988, Global Youth Service Day is the largest and longest-running service event in the world, and the only day of service dedicated to children and youth. GYSD is celebrated each year in over 100 countries.

Each year, millions of children and youth around the world work together with schools, youth organizations, nonprofits, community and faith-based organizations, volunteer and national service programs, government agencies, faith communities, and other individuals to address the world’s most critical issues and change their communities on Global Youth Service Day.

Want more information?

Check out the website. -> http://gysd.org/

Harp Seals love Fridays!

Apartment Spotlight: Avenue A

1.       Why did you choose to live at Avenue A Apartments? How long have you lived there?

·         I chose to live at Avenue A apartments because it was located in Hyde Park, which was exactly the neighborhood I desired. It is close to cool Hyde Park coffeehouses and restaurants, but is also located right off of Guadalupe, a main thoroughfare. This is great for accessible bus routes and general travel. I’ve lived there one year.

2.       What are a few things you like about the complex?

·         I like that the building is quiet, there are laundry machines on-site, and that it is well-located between a lot of general amenities and attractions (close to Walgreen’s pharmacy, grocery stores, coffeehouses, easy to get on either I-35, Mopac or Highway 290- main highways).  

·         The management company, Lee Properties, has been very easy to work with. They are very responsive to maintenance requests and polite. They even held a Happy Hour for tenants at the beginning of the year and my boyfriend and I won Austin City Limit passes!

3.       What are a few things you do not like about the complex?

·         The units kind of resemble a Comfort Inn room when you first walk in- they are ALL studio apartments or 1-bedroom (size of a studio but with partial wall). The A/C unit is at the front wall, so it gets pretty steamy in the summer.

4.       What are your neighbors like?

·         Nearly all of my neighbors are upperclassmen UT students or graduate students. Some are single, older residents. Because of the size of the units, there are no families or large pets. Everyone is pretty quiet and I have never had a bad encounter with a neighbor.

5.       How much does it cost to live in a 1 bedroom? 2 bedroom?

·         Only studio/ 1 brm is available. Rent is $650/mo, and includes water, gas, an internet cable box, and trash. The only other utility to pay is electricity.

6.       If some of our future Austinites have more questions, would you mind if they contacted you via email?

·         Please do! I’ve enjoyed living at Avenue A apartments and would recommend it to any single person or couple looking to live in tight quarters. csikes@collegeforward.org.

Apartment Spotlight: University Village

1.       Why did you choose to live at University Village? How long have you lived there? Bottom line: University Village Apartments is cheap. Last year, I lived in Hyde Park and was able to take advantage of all the cool restaurants, bars, and parks it had to offer. It was a great experience, but my bank account definitely took a hit. The Riverside area is very affordable for AmeriCorps members and is down the road from South Congress and Barton Springs.  I’ve lived here since August of this year.

2.       What are a few things you like about the complex? UVA is a student-housing apartment complex, so it definitely caters to younger people looking to enjoy their college years. There are two sand volleyball courts and a good-sized pool that people take advantage of frequently when it’s nice out, aka 10 out of 12 months in Austin. This year, it’s been a lot of fun having people from work over on the weekends for epic battles on the volleyball court. There are also E-buses that take you downtown and back on weekend nights.

3.       What are a few things you do not like about the complex? There isn’t a lot of parking available, even for residents, which is very frustrating because towing is a problem. If you didn’t pay for a covered or “reserved” parking space, finding parking on weekend nights can take up to ten minutes. It can also be a pretty loud area to live. These apartment complexes are some of the biggest I’ve seen and it is not unusual to hear loud music from passing-by cars and random people talking very loudly as constant background noise. UVA is also located in somewhat of a food desert, with an HEB down the street surrounded by every fast food chain known to man.

4.       What are your neighbors like? Neighbors are generally students at UT Austin or ACC, or young adults looking to live super cheap. The general income level is on the lower side of the spectrum (e.g. AmeriCorps members), and it is easy to strike up a conversation in the pool or get in on a pick-up volleyball game.

5.       How much does it cost to live in a 4 bedroom apartment? For a four-person, completely furnished apartment I pay $435 per month, utilities, internet, and cable included. We each have our own bedroom and bathroom, and we share a decent-sized common area and kitchen.

6. If some of our future Austinites have more questions, would you mind if they contacted you via       email. I’ve been tricked into giving out my email before, but what the heck: nzarazua@collegeforward.org

College Challenge 2012

On March 31st, we had our annual fundraiser called College Challenge. We invite our funders, students, school partners, staff, and americorps members to join us in a night of trivia at the Bob Bullock Museum. We raised over $150,000! Jesse Tow who was on Jeopardy last week was for sale. The highest bidder got him on their team for $2,100.

Also, at the College Challege we debuted our new CoFo video! If you are a little confused about what you will be up to next year or you just want to see what our office/culture/community looks like, please watch it and share it! It was made by a group of current Americorps members. Hollaaaaa.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AqRKJKdY84

COLLEGE FORWARD AMERICORPS MEMBER ON JEOPARADY TODAY!

That's right, College Forward's very own Jesse Tow made it onto Jeopardy and the episode is airing today!  The CoFo community will be watching on a big screen in the office.  If you have a chance to do so, record or watch the show and cheer him on!  We're proud to have such a wonderful, brilliant workforce.

Good luck Jesse!

Smilez.

Honk!TX 2012

Greetings again, future Austinites!

Here is another awesome festival to look forward to!!

What is a HONK! Band?

Across the country and around the world, a new type of street band is emerging.
Acoustic and mobile, HONK bands borrow repertoire and inspiration from a diverse set of folk music traditions, including New Orleans second line brass bands, European klezmer, Balkan and Romani music, and Brazilian Afro Bloc and Frevo traditions, as well as the passion and spirit of Mardi Gras and Carnaval. These unique bands all share a commitment to several core principles: everywhere they go, they perform to celebrate; some to protest; some to proclaim; and for all of them: to have fun.

HONK!TX is a different kind of festival that presents music to Austin in an unprecedented fashion. Twenty community street bands participate in transforming everyday locations into organic stages where the line between crowd and performers dissolves. HONK!TX’s unique format demonstrates the potential for creative use of our public spaces without the need for amplification or artificial stages.

A festival of this scope requires extensive collaboration with the iconic businesses and people that make Austin what it is. And because the festival requires extensive planning and accounting, meetings with stakeholders – neighborhood associations, city staff, local businesses, and interested citizens – have become an integral part of the planning process. Additionally, several local businesses and cultural institutions, have expressed support in the form of generous donations.

HONK!TX also depends on the generosity of Austinites and asks them to join the team of volunteers and offer to host visiting musicians, help transport the bands, consider in-kind food donations or invest time and energy to help make sure the festival runs smoothly.

Want more info??->    http://www.honktx.org/

Apartment Spotlight: Promontory Point

1.       Why did you choose to live at Promontory Point? How long have you lived there?

·         When I was first looking for a place to live, I searched everywhere on craigslist, but I still was not sure how to actually find an apartment because I was not familiar with Austin yet. Lucky for me, Michelle, who is a 2^nd year College Coach, posted on College Forward Facebook group that she already signed the lease with Promontory Point and was looking for a roommate. I emailed her to see if I could be her roommate and she said YES! I have lived at Promontory Point since August 2011. J

2.       What are a few things you like about the complex?

·         It is a 2 bed/2 bathroom and the layout is perfect for roommates because the bedrooms (and bathrooms) are on opposite sides of the living room and kitchen, so both people have their own space. Also, both bedrooms have walk in closets! There is a washer and dryer included. We have a small balcony where I occasionally do jump ropes and Michelle planted colorful flowers in two little pots. We also have a fireplace!  We never thought we would use it, but we used it whenever we felt like it was cold enough to light the fire and made some s’mores J The complex is basically at the corner of Hwy 290 and 183 and I-35 is only about a mile from the complex, so we have easy access to everything. Our drive to College Forward office is just a little over 10 minutes.  We live near gas stations, Target, Walmart, HEB, Hobby Lobby, the post office, movie theatre and etc.

3.       What are a few things you do not like about the complex?

·         We have a fitness room, but the treadmill and elliptical machine doesn’t work properly L

·          The maintenance people are super friendly, but they are inconsistent… When we place a work order, sometimes it might be fixed the next day, but sometimes it might not be fixed for a week. We usually have to call again to remind them if they don’t come fix stuff right away.

·         Whoever was living above us never slept!! We could hear them walking or running around even at 4am. Thankfully, they recently moved away.

4.       What are your neighbors like?

·         We don’t know our neighbors too well, but I’ve seen families with small children. Kids play outside whenever the weather is nice. I’ve also seen people in 20s-30s who could be working or attending school.

5.       How much does it cost to live in a 1 bedroom? 2 bedroom?

·         I think 1 bedroom is about $600. We pay $730 for 2bed/2bathroom. When we pay for rent, water, internet, and electricity bills every month, it comes out to about $450 per person.

6.       If some of our future Austinites have more questions, would you mind if they contacted you via email

·         Sure! Since Michelle will be leaving me L and I am hoping to stay at College Forward for another year, I might need a new roommate if anyone is interested.

elee@collegeforward.org

SXSW 2012

Greetings again friends! It has been over a week since our last post because last week was our Spring Break. Some CoFo coaches decided to ditch the crowded streets of Austin and head out of Texas. For many of us music, film and technology fans we stuck around and tried to find as much free entertainment as possible.

Below is a brief history of the event.

The first South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival (SXSW) was held in 1987 in Austin, Texas. Despite the fact that Austin was not a Top 20 major market at the time, the background and character of the city made it a perfect location for the conference. Austin was considered a fairly cosmopolitan town for its size because of the University of Texas, which draws people from all over the world. As home to the state government and Texas Legislature it has also always been a popular party town, with a reputation that goes back to the 19th century when numerous nightspots and bars were populated by General Custer's troops after the Civil War. These nightspots are located in the same areas where the 6th Street and 4th Street club and bar scenes now exist.

Austin's eclectic music scene goes back to early in the city's history (from Mexican, German and colonial origins) and encompasses a wide variety of music including country, folk, jazz, blues and rock. Central Austin boasts more original music nightclubs in a concentrated area than any other city in the world.

The classic problem facing Austin musicians was being isolated from the rest of the world here in the middle of Texas. SXSW was a way to reach out to the rest of the world, and bring them here to do business. To do that successfully, SXSW needed to appeal to people other than local artists whether they were from Austin, Ft. Worth, Chicago, Toronto, Munich or Tokyo.

National interest in SXSW was immediate. For years, music businesses on both coasts had been intrigued by what was going on in Austin. The cosmic cowboy, blues, punk and other scenes had already proven that Austin was a receptive place for bands to be creative. With SXSW, music industry executives gained a good excuse to visit.

International interest in SXSW began the second year due to many Austin and American bands finding their first success in Europe. Conversely, there was a lot of interest from SXSW registrants in the international bands who came to perform. SXSW now has offices in Ireland, Germany, Australia and Japan who help bring SXSW registrants to Austin.

The music event has grown from 700 registrants in 1987 to over 16,000 registrants. As Austin has grown and diversified, film companies and high-tech companies have played a major role in the Austin and the Texas economies. In 1994, SXSW added a film and interactive component to accommodate these growth industries. SXSW Film and SXSW Interactive events together attract approximately 32,000 registrants to Austin every March.

SXSW's original goal was to create an event that would act as a tool for creative people and the companies they work with to develop their careers, to bring together people from a wide area to meet and share ideas. That continues to be the goal today whether it is music, film or the internet. And Austin continues to be the perfect location.

Office Events: Employee Appreciation Day

Friday, March 2nd, was Employee Appreciation Day. We celebrated by leaving the office at 3:30 and heading to the beautiful East Metropolitan Park in Manor, TX. We had an ice cream social, played beach volleyball, basketball, and smiled a lot. Above is the proof.

Happy Monday!

Interview with a CoFo Rockstar: Max Parrott

Classy Nudes performing @ Trailer Space Records

Max Parrott, seen above playing bass, is a Senior College Coach @ Connally High School

1.      How would you describe your bands ‘sound’?

                  

      Always a challenging question. I’m going to say DIY (do-it-yourself) rock n’ roll with elements of punk rock. We definitely play loud and it sounds real raw and there’s signing that verges on shouting, but there’s also melodies and stories buried in there.

2.    What instrument do you play?

      I play the bass guitar. I have a Mexican made Fender J bass, which I’ve modified with new pick-ups. It sounds ok if you turn up loud enough but it’s getting to the point where I need a new American-made bass.

3.   How long have you guys been playing together?

 We’ve been pumping out loud music of our house since August when we moved in. But we’ve only been playing shows since around Christmas. We’re still in the process of making all the booking contacts which bands need to play on the reg.

4.   Are you playing during SXSW?

Yep, we’re playing one house party on Thursday and then a gallery show on Friday. We’re also going to be giving out home-made tapes at those shows.

5.  If you could meet any musician, who would it be and why?

    

 Any musician? I ought to pick someone who’s dead to make things interesting. It’s toss-up between Aaliyah and Kurt Cobain. I’m a 90’s nostalgia freak.

6.  What are some of your favorite Austin bands?

 Austin Bands: Bad Sports, Literature, White Denim, Unknown Relatives, Hatchet Wound, Grape St.

7.  What are some of the best Venues to see live music in Austin?

Venues: For Austin bands I like Cheer-up Charlie’s, Hotel Vegas, and 29^th St. Ballroom. For out-of-town bands, it’s all about the Mohawk.

8.   What is your spirit animal?

     

I feel like my spirit animal changes daily. I had a student tell me I was a koala, lately I’ve been feeling like a prawn, check this guy out, it’s a foot-long! That’s me, I’m a super-prawn, mysterious and majestic.

9.   How much does College Forward ROCK?

College Forward rocks harder than diamonds. It’s like all the embers of Van Halen had one collective baby with Andrew W.K. and then that baby got possessed by Elvis. It’s great.

Student Spotlight: Stephen Dominguez

One of our College Forward studnets made the paper recently! Check out Stephen Dominguez from Manor New Tech High School! The link below will take you to the article and a video.

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/born-to-dance-manor-student-brings-his-skills-2184944.html

Apartment Spotlight: Eastside Commons

1.       Why did you choose to live at Eastside Commons? How long have you lived there?

I chose to live at Eastside because I love the location; I’m five minutes from UT’s campus and a 10 minute bike ride from downtown! Plus, it’s the only apartment complex on Manor Road that has a pool! Rent prices are going up but with a roommate, it’s still manageable.

2.       What are a few things you like about the complex?

The location is awesome. There are lots of restaurants within walking distance and the variety of food is spectacular; anywhere from greasy grimy b-fast tacos to fancy-shmancy organic delicacies. There is a community garden just a hop, skip, and a jump over from my apartment that I often walk my dog over to because he likes to stare at the chickens. There is an elementary school and family-infested zone in the neighborhood. So for the most part, it is a really safe area. My landlord is also very friendly and works hard to help me with any issue I may have. There is also a bar RIGHT NEXT to my apartment, so walking home is easy peasy. It is also a very pet-friendly place. Almost everyone owns an animal in some form.

3.       What are a few things you do not like about the complex?

Sometimes, my lovely neighbors… tend to stay up waaay later than me and are loud.

4.       What are your neighbors like?

A lot of great people live right next door to me. Almost every night I’m invited to play a board game, climb the roof to look at the skyline, or eat some yummy grilled food. Everyone is so friendly and looking for a good time with good people. I often arrive home to the sound of great music blasting from someone’s window and I can’t escape several kind salutations as I unlock my apartment door. And everyone is different in their own unique way, so I love getting to meet new neighbors!

5.       How much does it cost to live in a 1 bedroom? 2 bedroom?

Funny you should mention it… rent is of-course going up. A one-bedroom is now $720/mo and a two-bedroom is $799/mo. I typically have to pay around $450/mo and that includes utilities! I suggest if someone is seriously considering Eastside, to go ahead and contact the landlord to see what apartments when be open when they move because they may be able to keep the lower rent cost if they reserve for July/August now…

6.       If some of our future Austinites have more questions, would you mind if they contacted you via email?

Sho-nuf. That means, sure enough. And yes, they can contact me. thavlin@collegeforward.org

Check out the website, http://www.eastsidecommons.net/