Whenever you see news stories about UC Berkeley, you see images of Sproul Plaza or Sather Gate and/or the Campanile. Basically, parts of the campus that have been around for a long time.

But in coverage of USC, I've noticed that national publications show images of USC University Village, which opened in August 2017, to represent the campus.

I've seen this even before yesterday's scandal news.

It's odd that something that didn't exist a couple years ago has become so "university looking" that it has come to represent a historic campus.


(I go to USC University Village every so often because it has an Amazon Store, and I could order something online at night and pick it up the next day without extra cost. Or I could drop off a return at no extra cost. It's kind of nice and "university looking" but I wouldn't want UC Berkeley to have such a thing -- which, I'm sure, is an unpopular opinion around here.)

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involves in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

It is my understanding that the surrounding community has
benefitted greatly from the employment opportunities.

Looks like a very cool project. Good form by the troy-boyzs.
Development idea of Robert S. Harris, emeritus dean of the uSC School of Architecture.

bearister said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involves in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

It is my understanding that the surrounding community has
benefitted greatly from the employment opportunities.

---

Of course. But that's neither here nor there.

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involved in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

You beat me to it. It looks like The Trojan Grove. Caruso is on the universities board.

Looks like the room pictured there was before influencer Olivia Jade decorated it with 100% Amazon-sourced finery.
Oddly, there is a shot of her in her room with oversized OJ initials. Not sure she understood the irony.

OaktownBear said:

---

bearister said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involves in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

It is my understanding that the surrounding community has
benefitted greatly from the employment opportunities.

---

I wonder if the surrounding community is benefiting from the influx of bribery money to the area.

---

LOL!

As we say in India, thank you for doing the needfull.

I was there in February, not knowing what it was at first. Went to see the Space Shuttle. My reaction was that's a lot of brick for earthquake country. (I know they're likely large glued in panels.) I thought it was senior housing and needed landscaping. Then my bro told me we were at U$C, as we walked into the Trader Joe's.

socaliganbear said:

---

bearister said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involves in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

It is my understanding that the surrounding community has
benefitted greatly from the employment opportunities.

---

Of course. But that's neither here nor there.

---

Well, that is certainly Cal's philosophy with regard to its surrounding community.

bearister said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

bearister said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involves in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

It is my understanding that the surrounding community has
benefitted greatly from the employment opportunities.

---

Of course. But that's neither here nor there.

---

Well, that is certainly Cal's philosophy with regard to its surrounding community.

---

And what's Cal's philosophy on taking bribes to let in unqualified dunderheads into its school.

Seriously, you choose today to continue to your love affair with USC AND take shots at Cal? I see that USC humility has rubbed off on you.

bearister said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

bearister said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involves in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

It is my understanding that the surrounding community has
benefitted greatly from the employment opportunities.

---

Of course. But that's neither here nor there.

---

Well, that is certainly Cal's philosophy with regard to its surrounding community.

---

That we don't employ thousands in the community? We're one of the biggest employers in the Bay.

Target, Trader Joe's, etc
Seems huge for dorms

Country club college living

It has that faux historic look that is reminiscent of many of Geoff Palmer's developments in LA.

We need a Trader Joe's built in to the new student housing at the People's Park location.

hanky1 said:

---

It has that faux historic look that is reminiscent of many of Geoff Palmer's developments in LA.

---

Yep.

https://la.curbed.com/2015/3/16/9980318/broadway-palace-geoff-palmer

https://la.curbed.com/2015/4/22/9968090/geoff-palmer-speaks-becomes-even-more-unlikable

https://la.curbed.com/2014/11/25/10017950/7-awful-stories-about-the-man-destroying-downtown-la

This view in 2019:

This view in 2015:

i heard that many college dorms now offer maid service, and have talked to parents that think that's a great idea

HoopDreams said:

---

i heard that many college dorms now offer maid service, and have talked to parents that think that's a great idea

---

We're one class away from rich socal parents demanding personal wake up butlers for their kids.

HoopDreams said:

---

i heard that many college dorms now offer maid service, and have talked to parents that think that's a great idea

---

hey, I'm old but this has been a thing for a while no?

It's definitely still a thing at English universities. I remember finding one of the maid staff in the bedroom coming back from a class one day. Very nice lady, very weird environment.

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involved in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

I enjoyed laughing at that. I like a lot of Caruso's projects but it does have a fauxness to it. Would have been great, however, to get the project built in Carlsbad. True loss there.....but so typiCAL.

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involved in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

I haven't spent too much time at The Grove, which is next to Pan Pacific Park, which is where I played Little League Baseball and had my 8th birthday party.

But I was truly shocked when I first stepped foot in the Americana in Glendale a few years ago.

That place is pretty crazy.

Here's a recent article on somebody who lives there:
https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/apartments-americana-at-brand/

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involved in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

LOLOLOL

socaliganbear said:

---

hanky1 said:

---

It has that faux historic look that is reminiscent of many of Geoff Palmer's developments in LA.

---

Yep.

https://la.curbed.com/2015/3/16/9980318/broadway-palace-geoff-palmer

https://la.curbed.com/2015/4/22/9968090/geoff-palmer-speaks-becomes-even-more-unlikable

https://la.curbed.com/2014/11/25/10017950/7-awful-stories-about-the-man-destroying-downtown-la

---

Those chintzy DTLA Palmer developments are really bad. It's a ring of ****e surrounding downtown. Beyond being ugly, those sky bridges created a dead zone between two areas with a lot of street level activity. It's amazing how much damage one developer can cause.

LACalFan said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

hanky1 said:

---

It has that faux historic look that is reminiscent of many of Geoff Palmer's developments in LA.

---

Yep.

https://la.curbed.com/2015/3/16/9980318/broadway-palace-geoff-palmer

https://la.curbed.com/2015/4/22/9968090/geoff-palmer-speaks-becomes-even-more-unlikable

https://la.curbed.com/2014/11/25/10017950/7-awful-stories-about-the-man-destroying-downtown-la

---

Those chintzy DTLA Palmer developments are really bad. It's a ring of ****e surrounding downtown. Beyond being ugly, those sky bridges created a dead zone between two areas with a lot of street level activity. It's amazing how much damage one developer can cause.

---

They are really terrible. The model for DTLA is Tom Gilmore who was a visionary in developing first the Old Bank District at 4th and Main, and then expanding out. That area is now a thriving model for urban reinvigoration and development.

But lest we forget, I think USC might be the most corrupt institution in America. Seriously, top to bottom, to the very core.

okaydo said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involved in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

LOLOLOL

---

I'm sorry to say but Aunt Becky and Mossimo probably aren't very smart. Their kid is friends with the USC BOD prez, goes on spring break on their yacht. They're worth $80m, have a brand...and they use a fixer to get into U$C? It sounds like they could have made a phone call, ask if there's someone to talk to...but no. What weirdness.

re: the Grove...disney theme mall but faker.

Another one:

(To be fair, I've seen some publications use the campus, but it's mostly the L.A. Times and Esquire.)

Everything everyone says about USC has been proven true. It's a safe space for the corrupt and privileged looking for an easy ride.

bearister said:

---

OaktownBear said:

---

bearister said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

bearister said:

---

socaliganbear said:

---

It's like a Vegas hotelier opened up a college.

"Welcome to beautiful Venice!"

Actually, was Rick Caruso involves in this? Because it has all the fauxness of a Caruso project.

---

It is my understanding that the surrounding community has
benefitted greatly from the employment opportunities.

---

Of course. But that's neither here nor there.

---

Well, that is certainly Cal's philosophy with regard to its surrounding community.

---

And what's Cal's philosophy on taking bribes to let in unqualified dunderheads into its school.

Seriously, you choose today to continue to your love affair with USC AND take shots at Cal? I see that USC humility has rubbed off on you.

---

I changed my mind after spending a lot of time there for 4 years. My daughter had a good time, got a good education, and a good job. I know more uppity Cal pr@cks from Piedmont and Orinda than I met at USC. And the good ole boys up North still go wink, wink and laugh at dumb jokes at the BoHo as they are getting their dumbf@ck spawn into Cal via back channels.

---

I am not aware of any special admissions (back channels) for non athletes at Cal. Can you please elaborate? By the way, I am glad that your daughter got a good education at USC. Cal and USC are not for everyone, it is important that your child finds the right place for them to thrive and grow and it sounds like USC was a good fit.