Townhouses vs Univercity lodging

Solotak

So i got offered townhouses in the spring semester but i'm contemplating about the univercity lodging. Has anyone lived or has checked out univercity? What's it like and how is it socially for a student. I want to meet heaps of students and toke but not sure how strict the sfu res townhouse people are. Any experiences?

Can anyone whose lived/been in either option tell me what they thought about it and things to be aware of.

Cheers

NukeChem

Keep in mind UniverCity rentals are under the Residential Tenancy Act while uni rez is not.

Solotak

Okay, i'm unfamiliar with that but is that meant to be a bad thing? I just want to smoke some buddha without getting harassed by the authorities. I heard Vancouver is meant to be pretty chill about weed but this uni seems to be pretty strict. I'm hoping this is just some formal thing they just have to write in the contracts and everyone turns a blind eye when it comes to toking.

SpectreFire

If you're smoking inside your own apartment on Univercity, then it's same as as anywhere else where you're fine unless your landlord walks in.

If you want to smoke on the balcony, don't. People can smell it, and people there may or may not report you to the landlord or the police.

If you want to do it in a townhouse... it depends on who your room-mates, if they don't care, fine do it. But if one of your roomies does care, and will report you to security if you do, then obviously you don't smoke.

It's no difference here than there is at any campus in any city. If you're around people who don't give a shit, then you're fine.


Chances are, you're better off not living on Univercity if you want to smoke, because that's generally thought of as a medium-high end neighbourhood, and people there don't really care much for illegal activities and drugs going around. Not to mention, whoever you're renting the suite from, will likely make it very clear that he/she does not want anyone doing drugs in their suite. If you want to smoke, then you're probably better off living in a townhouse.

But then the townhouses look like utter shit and are miles beneath the comforts of a nice Univercity suite.

NukeChem

The Residential Tenancy Act has some protections in the law as far as rent increases and evictions go.

Solotak

Also i can't find any info on the sfu townhouses but there doesn't seem to be a bus stop nearby or any ATM's or shops for that matter. So to get anywhere off the mountain i'd have to walk like 10 min to get to a bus stop or to the nearest eatery??

collegestudent

there is a bus stop by townhouses at the lightstop where you turn up to townhouses. its like a 45 second walk.

anonymous1

The walk from townhouses to buses is actually shorter than my current walk from my UniverCity apartment to the closest bus stop.

As for meeting people, univercity is more of a mixture of working/retired people + students. I haven't met many people here. Just a couple elevator conversations with non-students.

If meeting people is important to you, I'd do a semester in rez. I met more people in a week in rez than I have in months in univercity.

Technically rez has a no drugs policy. I'd be reluctant to do anything right in a townhouse since it can get you kicked out. My townhouse roommates just took a walk to the nearby forest to smoke up.

From the residence contract:
"3.13 Drugs
The possession, use, trafficking (which includes
manufacturing, selling, giving, administering, transporting,
sending, delivering, distributing) or offering to do anything
related to the possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs
(including marijuana) is prohibited. Any involvement, whether
direct or indirect, in any illegal drug or drug-related activity is
prohibited. Possession of paraphernalia that is associated with
the possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs is prohibited.
These activities will result in eviction and possible referral to
the RCMP."

Solotak

cool, it's reassuring to know this coz i'm now gonna be a res townhouse student. I was hesitant about townhouses because i thought they don't really capture "res" since it's just like sharing a place anywhere else. But when you said you meet people at res, was this only at the dorms? I'm probably looking way too into it, i'll just have to make the most of my term and go along for the ride.

Also, are there really bears on the mountain? =O

anonymous1

Well I met more people in other buildings, because you're forced to share bathrooms, common rooms, and kitchens with more than just 3 other people. But I also didn't really make much of an effort to meet new people by the time I was in townhouses, since I'd already been in rez for 2 years prior to moving to townhouses.

But they organize rez-wide events, as well as events specific for townhouse residents...you could always go to these to meet people, or go to the shadow or highland pub on Wednesdays and Thursdays...lots of rez kids go, at least at the beginning of the semester.