Winthrop students will soon have a new option for local off-campus housing. The Nest at University Center will be ready for move-in at the start of the fall 2021 semester. These luxury apartments pose a
possible threat to Walk2Campus apartments, which Winthrop students have frequented for years.
“Located just steps from the Winthrop University campus and within University Center, The Nest is the perfect off-campus housing destination to support an active academic and social lifestyle,” reads the thenestrockhill.com website.
“You’ll love coming home to our spacious fully-furnished and open floor plans coupled with modern high-end finishes. When you’re not spending time in your new home, you’ll love lounging by the pool, working up a sweat in the fitness center or exploring the many shops, restaurants & entertainment just steps from your front door.”
The nuance and aesthetic of The Nest apartments are already starting to appeal to current Walk2Campus residents.
“We spend a lot on rent for what we’re given,” Zander Orlin, a junior theatre tech and design major, said. “First of all, the layout of the website design [for The Nest] is so much more professional and also easy because on the [Walk2Campus] website, it’s harder to find the portal for your account.”
On top of The Nest’s website appearance and overall professionalism, current Walk2Campus students also think The Nest’s apartment sizes and amenities are superior.
“There’s four baths [in The Nest’s four-bedroom layout] and we only have two in our four-bedroom,” Miranda Campagna, a junior theatre education major, said.
Campagna is also hopeful about the overall safety The Nest will be able to provide to future renters.
“I feel like anyone could get into [Walk2Campus] if they wanted to. Because although we do have keycard access into the building, a lot of times people hold the doors open for other people,” Campagna said. “And like, say we order Postmates; sometimes, they can make it in the building even though they don’t have a key card and that to me doesn’t sound very safe.”
Lauren Pilling, a junior theatre education major, recalled the first day she moved into her Walk2Campus apartment. “When we walked into our apartment, we had this overwhelming smell of cigarettes that had been in the couch when we moved in and there was just dirt everywhere,” Pilling said.
Walk2Campus residents pay about $575 per month in rent for a twelve-month lease for a four-bedroom apartment. The Nest tenants will pay about $650 per month for a four-bedroom apartment.
“[The Nest’s rent] is still not that bad, that’s a hundred more dollars [than Walk2Campus rent] for a nicer and bigger apartment…if I wasn’t in a lease, I would move in there,” Pilling said. “Although, I would like to praise Walk2Campus for how they handle the issue with pool parties happening during COVID. I think they are taking good COVID measures.”
It is important to Winthrop commuters to have ample options for local, off-campus housing, and with the addition of new apartments adjacent to campus on top of the already present, Walk2Campus apartments, Winthrop commuters will have plenty of options for the fall 2021 semester and onward.
Photo by Gabrielle Reed
