By Alec Williams
I have always had a soft spot for Walnut Ridge. That may have been caused by it being my first real experience in college housing, the sense of independence you have when you have your own kitchen or the fact that it was a little cheaper than Bunting. CMU decided to update the apartments over the summer, so it perhaps is time to revisit.
Before the recent renovations, the moment you stepped into a Walnut Ridge apartment you could tell by every square inch that this building was built in the 80’s for cheap. Now? You can only kind of tell that it was.
For the most part the building has stayed the same; the ceilings are still water stained from leaks, the couches still have that confusing lumpiness and the lighting feels about as comforting as an angry German mother.
The rest of the rooms remained the same, including
the bedrooms. So, don’t you worry, those windows have been there since the Reagan administration. Sturdy.
What is new, however, is the kitchen and bathroom, which were in the need of it the most. The original kitchens seem to have been torn out completely and replaced with new counters, cabinets, flooring, plumbing and appliances. No microwave though, because what kind of college student needs a microwave?
Another notable addition to the kitchen is its lighting, which I dare say could be described as modern and less similar to an angry German mother. As a whole, the kitchens are simplistic, but that’s definitely not a bad thing. The last time CMU tried something complex
with their buildings we ended up with the never-ending stairs of Escalante.
The bathrooms follow in line with the kitchens; simple, new and now without all the mold. The floor has been retiled with flooring that doesn’t remind you of an insane asylum as much as the old ones did.
The sinks, cabinets and counters are also new. Though, the cabinets are completely lacking in drawers. I assume the tenants are perhaps expected to toss their toiletries in a nice, organized pile.
Notably, the bathtubs have been taken clean out of the bathrooms and replaced with a standing shower. Though, I’m not sure taking a bath in a dorm bathtub was the best idea in the first place so I doubt they will be
missed too much.
The toilets are also new, but for some tenants, not so functional. Toilet-related repairs had to be made for at least one apartment during the first week of school.
The lighting is also brand new, which can make for a rude awakening during a good ol’ Walnut Ridge hangover.
For fairness sake, I used to live here so it’s likely I have an overly critical eye.
Chrisinda Rogers, however, is a brand new tenant and did not experience Walnut Ridge before its facelift.
“As a whole? It’s okay… It could have been worse,” Rogers said as we talked on the lumpy couches.
“It could have been a lot worse.”
