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Less is more or more is less?
[It depends on who you talk to]
By Guillaume Doane, Jayplay writer
When the door to my apartment swings open, I walk into emptiness. No dog gaits with a wagging tail to welcome my arrival. I come in with no place to hang my coat, no table on which to set my keys. Posters and unopened cardboard boxes congregate on the floors in the living room. I have no couch or dining room table. The one-bedroom apartment that I call home isn't really a home. It's a $405 storage compartment, and my bedroom serves merely as a pit stop. I sleep and then I'm off.
When it comes to living, I apply Mies Vanderohe's minimalist philosophy of "less is more." The less I have to deal with and less time I have to spend at home, the more convenient life is. But apartments and homes can suit different needs. So I set out to find out what others in Lawrence were looking for.
My trip to discover what Lawrence could offer for renters led me through the doors of Jefferson Commons, 2500 W. 31st St. A bright yellow sheet of paper lured my attention, which listed the top 40 reasons to live at Jefferson Commons. They included a pool, Jacuzzi, weight room, tanning bed, furnished apartments and individual leasing. Jefferson Commons is one of two complexes in town that offer each tenants the opportunity to sign individual leases. The other complex that offers it is Legends, 4101 W. 24th Place.
photo illustration: Jeff Brandsted
But apartments and homes can suit different needs. So I set out to find what others in Lawrence were looking for.
"The parents love it," says Chrissy Neibarger, resident services manager at Jefferson Commons. "The parents don't have to take responsibility for other kids living in the apartment." Neibarger says individual leasing is effective for people who can't find a place to live but prefer to have roommates. Tenants fill out preference cards for the complex to match them up with people of similar interests. Jefferson Commons also organizes social functions for people to meet and pair up in a desired living situation. Neibarger says individual leasing serves as the most effective recruiting method for students. Ninety-five percent of people living at the complex are students.
Sheila Sudbeck is a "more means more" kind of renter. Sudbeck is living her first year at Jefferson Commons after living her freshman year at the residence halls. The Seneca sophomore says she enjoyed the transition from dorm life to her apartment, especially because of the amenities the complex provides. "If something breaks down you always have a maintenance man," Sudbeck says, alluding to how older establishments in town can't offer this sort of luxury.
While more perks sate the needs of Jefferson Commons' residents, Brad Wheeler, Topeka freshman, would prefer it if Lawrence had fewer apartment complexes. I caught up with Wheeler on the front steps of his home, Hashinger Hall. Wheeler sat on a bench with his legs crossed, holding a cigarette in his right
hand. "I think it's disgustingly typical of American architecture," Wheeler says. "I'd prefer living in an established area." Wheeler's ideal place to live would be a house between Eleventh and Sixteenth Streets and between the University campus and Massachusetts Street. He says he's interested in the historic district of Lawrence and older neighborhoods that have character. As an architecture student, he says a building is not supposed to define the person. The person should define the building. "I'm actually turned off by the amenities," Wheeler says. "I don't want a swimming pool. When the hell are you going to swim in Kansas?"
Corey Brinkerhoff, owner of Brinkerhoff Realtors, says Lawrence developers have built too many apartments. When apartments outnumber renters, a city is considered over-built. This excessive number of apartments means lower rent prices to court potential renters. Brinkerhoff says the expansion of apartments on the west side of town has had adverse effects on other parts of town, especially the neighborhoods bordering the east side of campus, labeled by some as the "student ghetto."
Brinkerhoff says the proliferation of establishments in the west entices private developers to keep up with the changes and upgrade "student ghetto" houses, which is currently happening on the 1300 block of Ohio Street. He says the price of those houses is related to their conditions.
More apartments in Lawrence could also mean lower rent prices at some apartment complexes. Park 25 Apartments, 2401 W. 25th St., charms renters with the "Early Bird Special," a free first month of rent for all units without a washer and dryer. Jefferson Commons offers a similar deal, tempting renters with a $50 deposit.
Lawrence developers present numerous possibilities for renters. Whether it's lavish perks or the natural luxury of simplicity that suit a student's needs, a door will always swing open for someone to walk in and set down their keys. But I still choose to throw mine on the floor.
— Guillaume Doane can be reached at gdoane@kansan.com.
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Jayplay 3.11.04