APARTMENT GUIDE
9
YARD SALE
Living near athletic events has its own set of problems, advantages
BY CAITY LOTHAMER
clothamer@kansan.com
With spring around the corner, one of the biggest decisions for most students is where to live.
For Kristin Wark, Rexford junior, and Nicole Birnbaum, Overland Park junior, the answer to this question lies in the 1000 block of Illinois Street, near Memorial Stadium.
Wark and Birnbaum moved into their house at the beginning of August and have since gotten used to living near the home of tailgating.
"The biggest thing is location. Look for a place that is near campus, and it will be a better college experience," Birnbaum said. "I hated driving to campus. I like living in a house rather than an apartment. I feel that there is more room, and we wanted more responsibility."
During the football season, Birnbaum, Wark and their third roommate, Wichita junior Abby Babst, worked together to sell parking spots in their front yard.
On game days, the girls woke up at 7:30 a.m. to prepare. It became an all-
There was a lot of work that came along with the fun of tailgating before the game.
day event, sometimes lasting until 8 p.m.
The girls fit anywhere from six to seven cars on their lawn and four or five in the driveway. The charge to park ranged from $25 to $40, and some fans paid the roommates for the entire season. The three roommates each made about $100 a game.
"We made sure that there was always two of us here," Wark said. "It is the best job ever because we get paid to hang out with our friends and drink all day."
To rent the lot, they needed someone to hold signs and manage the money and supplies.
The atmosphere was a friendly one for Birnbaum and Wark. As beginners at selling parking, the girls relied on their neighbors who had experience in selling their lot from the
previous season.
"Our landlord sold our neighbors' backyard to a family. The family had minors drinking and they were fined $1,000 because of it."
"We had each other's back. Our neighbors when we were first moving in heard that we did not have air conditioning and brought over fans and also helped us out with tailgating and parking," Birnbaum said. "It's nice living next door to guys; it's kind of like dorm life but better."
With the advantages of living so close to the stadium, the girls also experienced some drawbacks to selling their lot for tailgating purposes.
They were able to sell only their front yard, while their landlord sold their backyard to families for the entire season.
KRISTIN WARK Rexford junior
One of their problems was letting strangers into their home to use their bathroom. Most of the time they tried to let only their friends in, but some of the tailgaters offered to pay $50, or they brought a package of toilet paper for the entire season.
"It was tough, but we managed it pretty well. We made sure all of our valuables were put away and locked all of our bedroom doors. We didn't allow anyone to go upstairs, either," Wark said.
Strangers were not the only setback Birnbaum and Wark faced.
After the first game, a warning was issued to all of the homeowners that undercover policemen
would be patrolling the tailgating areas to make sure that all of the attendees were of age.
"Our landlord sold our neighbors' backyard to a family. The family had minors drinking, and they were fined $1,000 because of it," Wark said. "I guess we're kind of lucky, no tickets and nothing of ours have been stolen."
Both girls plan to live in the same house next year and hope to sell parking again, but next year may be different because of a change made by their landlord. There may not be any parking available on Illinois Street for tailgating come next season.
"We love the location, but without the parking, it would suck. But we would still tailgate with our friends," Birnbaum and Wark said.
Call Park 25!
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FEBRUARY 28,2008