September 17, 2007
More student party complaints
This from a neighbor on Cherry Street:
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Quite a doozie- I arrived home at 1:30 AM to see an RPD Paddy
wagon and patrol car stationed in front of a house on the 200 block
of Cherry (maybe 2 or 3 houses from Idlewood) with lights going and
kids and trash everywhere. I had to park a block or so away and when
I got out of the car, you could hear the roar of 300 to 400 partying
college students swarmed in the backyard of the house, screaming at
the top of their lungs. Bikes and cars parked everywhere and kids
wandering the streets with open containers of beer looking for a
place to pee.I sat on my front porch in amazement as the police
left and more and more kids with more and more beer arrived and the
NOISE GOT LOUDER AND LOUDER! At 2AM, the RPD returned- this time 5
patrol cars and a paddy wagon with lights blazing. They entered the
backyard on foot with flashlights to disperse the crowd and swarms of
kids swelled into the streets. It took the officers maybe 25 minutes
to walk the streets sending the 300 or 400 partiers on their way as
the streets were choked with alcohol impaired children, most on foot
or on bike and all loud. All finally calmed down but after a half
hour or so the dull roar started back up although I finally made it
to sleep.200 and 300 blocks Cherry used to be among the most peaceful on the
Hill with the proximity to Hollywood Cemetery. This garbage has got
to stop.
Can 300 people physically fit in an Oregon Hill backyard?
You live a couple blocks off from VCU campus and it is the fall of the increasingly largest freshmen class in the country in a area known for hosting the home for a good portion of the scene kids.
Comes with their life style and these guys have to live somewhere.
comes with the territory mate.
sounds like it was a hell of a party too.
Oh, yes. Yes they can.
Poe’s Pub is significantly larger than my yard and that place has an occupancy of 80. Let’s say 100 to 120 with no furniture.
neighborhoods change. i bet your house is worth a lot more now that all these “children” have started to move in, too.
It doesn’t “come with the territory”. The homeowners in a neighborhood will ultimately determine what is tolerated. Contacting students’ landlords is often more effective in the long run than calling the cops. While it may be inevitable that students will show a tendency toward disruptive behavior, there is every possibility and very good reason to help them recognize the value of respect and consideration. Justifying inaction by saying “kids will be kids” is not only defeatist and cynical, it invites escalation of the problem.
There’s a chance that there exists a parallel universe in which the presence of scattered pbr cans and the strong tang of stale urine increase a house’s value.
You’ve got to fight, for your right, to party.
It used to get really interesting when a backyard would get crammed with that many kids and then the Millennium Falcon would start playing.
While I believe the homeowner’s complaints are justified, the excerpt above is an exaggeration, leaving the reader to figure what details are true and what details are “expanded”. There were NOT 400 kids in the street.
Whether there were 300 or 400 or just 20 people is beside the point. This is about neighbors getting on and living in harmony. we are a diverse group, not just students but families, retirees, working people. Some of us have to get up very early and go to work, even at weekends. Many of us have babies and children. We all need to be able to sleep at night. No one enjoys calling the cops, it’s just not that kind of neighborhood. If the cops come, the message is, you’re pissing people off. Take the noise indoors after 11pm; don’t abuse your neighbors’ tolerance by having a parties every night; show some respect; live & let live.
Agreed, Liz. And I think your way of communicating this issue is for more productive that the email excerpt above.
Lt Drew, Richmond Police sector 413 head has estimated the total kids at the party at 400 (in the backyard and later in the street). She also stated that it took 6 officers to disperse the students, hence no arrests.
People have been partying in Oregon Hill for many years. Common sense and a little consideration do wonders in life. Putting a “party location” on line is irresponsible. Let’s all work on being more considerate and community minded and treat our neighbors like we want to be treated. Now THERES a concept!
[...] The still new&shiney Oregon Hill dives into what happens when the VCU students return… [...]
400 students at a party? Well done Oregon Hill, well done.
Oregon Hill residents just like to develop an elitist attitude because they live in a neighborhood that used to be dangerous decades ago. You guys are the minority now; there are more students than there are families or houseowners. If you don’t like it, then you should probably move away from the VCU campus. What did you expect?
I think Oregon Hill residents have been for the most part pretty tolerant towards students, but we do require respect for the neighborhood and neighbors.
Yes, you are less likely to get beaten in the street for not doing so, but you are much more likely to get thrown out of school by your dean.
If you don’t like that, then you should probably move away from Oregon Hill.
haha, you are going to get thrown out by your dean for having a party…
thats rich
I would also add that no, you are not going to get thrown out of school for having a (responsible) party. This neighborhood throws some great parties.
But yeah, excessive noise, litter, fights- these things are disrespectful and will get the wrong kind of attention.
Michael, 10/3, Were you alive decades ago? How do you know what “The Hill” was like? If you came to OUR neighborhood and started trouble, it was a DANGEROUS place …. for YOU!
Our parents were down the street, sleeping. Our kids asleep, getting ready to go school the next morning. Our men going to work each and every morning to build downtown and that damn bridge. Working towards going to church on Sunday with the kids. St. Andrews required 6 days not 5 days of school.
Get Real People! Have respect for the people that built this neighborhood. YOU are and will always be the minority. Not us!
Have a party! We’ll bring the keg, but when it’s time to go, IT’S TIME TO GO!!!!
Since you don’t understand the history of this place IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO GO!!!!
BYE-BYE
okay so i live on 200 block of cherry. and believe it or not its really easy to fit 300 or 400 people in our backyards. its basically one GIANT yard for the entire row of houses. no fences or anything. also there are no houses behind us. either way this person complaining must live in the appartments accross the street because every house on the 200 block is vcu students. soooo you’re not a homeownder who has been here forever so you can complain. you are merely just another renter. either way. get the **** over yourself and let college kids party like they want to on weekends. its a freakin block off campus people
I think the lack of respect by students for other residents is pretty evident by some of the responses on here. Frankly, it reflects pretty badly on VCU.
If your party causes enough disturbances, noise, and litter then you deserve to be busted.
There are ways to party without having this happen. If you are in college, I sincerely hope you are smart enough to figure that out.