yo - a few words about our new home town:
It is not as bad as the 'haters' would have you believe. In fact, it's pretty hip, and i think it's the perfect place to go to med school.
Okay - Claremont.
Claremont is where your rich white parents retire and their rich punk kids come to hang out. It has a lot of money, but its not obnoxious... there are some great private owed shops, clean streets, a downtown "village" and an all around peaceful atmosphere. The "village" is a conglomeration of schmancy restaurants, yuppy watering holes, delectable dessert shops, and a 'trying to be urban but clearly-for-those-with-cash' music and art scene. Outside of the village you'll find the Claremont colleges (5 elite liberal arts undergrad schools on one campus), a lot of strip shops and a very suburban/residential lifestyle. I like claremont, but there is something kinda eerie about it's too perfect solitude and peacefulness... it felt kind of sterile to me. (but that's just me..).
Oh, downtown claremont is about 6 miles (door-to-door) from westernU. And only 16 miles (door-to-chair) to the ski basin.
Chino Hills:
Nice place but I thought it was too suburban and too far from school (about 10 miles but through residential streets) for my tastes. It is set on the rolling hills that provide incredible views of the san-bernadino's and mt. baldy. You'll find costco and lowe's and all that jazz along with every other chain america has to offer. for some, this is perfect, but again i prefer a less suburban feel. I didn't find the 'downtown' area but i'm certain there must be one.... locals feel free to chime in here....
Pomona:
During the interview, I got some dirty vibes from this town. And if you ask anybody outside of pomona, you'll soon find that they view it as a 'hole'. However, upon further investigation, the city definitely redeemed itself.
Pomona was a once thriving city that has since taken a turn for the worse. Now, thanks to some major private investment, there is a huge push to revive the area. So when youre down there it feels like good things are comin! There are restaurants / coffee houses being developed and a blossoming but not-quite-there art scene. Whats cool about pomona is its urban, industrial feel. Work/live lofts are becoming the in thing out there. It has a huge punk scene and a general feeling of originality .... something that was lacking in the aforementioned locations. Its also right next to campus.
Check out
www.secondstreetpromenade.com (i got a place there) and
www.artecopartners.com (annoying website dont know if these are built yet). If you contact secondstreetpromenade, youll talk to Jason hes awesome... I know that they have 2 one-bedroom lofts and 1 three bedroom lofts left. This place is right on antique row and above a new pizza parlor / bar that just opened ... should be a kick-ass place to live. (drawback its right in front of the railroad tracks).. When you talk to Jason, tell him Jay the med-student sent you... hopefully this will get you in the door. Hes one of the big entrepreneurs in pomona. This guy has a vision of what hes gonna make happen in the next three years... this includes restaurant row, 3,300 more units in the city, a train that doesnt blow its horns every 4 seconds, and an increased police force. Im pretty excited about the way things are goin over there... thats how i ultimately made my decision.
Prices: from my experience, for a decent place anywhere, youre lookin at
one bedroom: $850-1300
two bedroom: $1200-1600
three bedroom:$1300-2200
I guess this is to be expected...
If youre lookin to share a room in a house, youll obviously find things much cheaper, but youll also have to deal with pre-existing clutter.
Also Kdkdshah is definitely worthy of rooming with. Hes smart but not weird, young but not immature, friendly but not annoying. (sorry to quantify you K, but im tryin to help you out). If youre blind rooming, id definitely consider him, you wont regret it.
Anyway thats all i got... ill be happy to field questions if you got em. Again lookin forward to hangin with all of you soon. Im moving there in the beginning of June and takin the summer prep program. If anyones around then, Id love to meet up.
cheers
-s2m
JakeHarley said:
Good point....I never know when Easter is.
Well...I am planning on being out of town the rest of the weekends this month, including the last weekend of the month when my g-friend and I are going down to Cali to look around.
By the way, Skooled: What did you see when you went down recently? Whereabouts are you thinking of living?
