Best Columbia Dorms

"The quintessential Columbia freshman experience (don't let those people in Carman tell you anything different)! You're almost guaranteed a single (small, but still larger than some in Wallach/Hartley), except for the few poor souls who get put in walk through doubles like me. Honestly, the walk through double was great until my roommate got a boyfriend who basically moved in, but it was very spacious. Higher floors facing campus get killer views of Low that you'll miss when you're an upperclassman. Being right on campus is also so convenient, considering it takes two steps to get to Hamilton or Butler, and you have the beautiful quad right outside. Bathrooms are individual/single use at a time, which is really nice to get some privacy, etc, but they definitely do tend to get nasty, especially on the weekends when they aren't cleaned for a while. Elevators can be a nightmare at big rush hours, so definitely plan to leave a bit early, or get used to taking the stairs. There's no kitchen at all, only a microwave in the floor lounge, so if you want to cook make friends with someone in Furnald or the LLC right next door. But of course, John Jay offers the best access to the best dining halls, with John Jay and JJ's place right on the first floor/basement. Definitely super convenient and a massive plus. Some floors became closer than others, but the lounges and floor communities are generally pretty good, and people get to know their neighbors."

"PROS: Great bathrooms, air conditioning, (relatively) spacious rooms. Right by Lerner Hall and 114th st. Floor lounges. Practice rooms. CONS: Tucked into its own little corner, so relatively longer walk to classes than other dorms. Elevators are occasionally out of service. Gym is small and quickly gets crowded. Difficult to do laundry on the weekends. Basement kitchen is a little musty."

"I had a nice single room on the girls floor. Bathrooms and shower stalls were always cleaned up by cleaning staff. Location is a bit far up north from main campus. "

"I stayed here in 2009 to 2010 so this review is dated. Anyway, this residential hall is for law students. Each room is a studio unit. It was about a 10 minute walk to the law school building, though when it's snowing hard, it can take up to 30 minutes to walk to school because the roads can be slippery. Each unit is furnished with a bed, two tables, two chairs, cabinets, a portable heater in addition to the air conditioner and heater (I didn't know about the portable heater, and it was already very cold and I was wondering when they would turn on the heaters; I'm from a tropical country so I didn't know what that thing was). The common areas were clean, so you just need to clean your own room. There is a doorman, so they're strict about who you let in your unit, unless you have declared it at the start of your stay (e.g. that you're going to be staying with your partner)."

"Lived in the IRC (554) , in a one-bedroom double. The rooms are really big with high ceilings, and the kitchen/bathroom were great. All in all an excellent dorm. It does get pretty loud on weekends/nights, mostly due to being next to all the frats. One major downside is pests, had a mouse problem in the building all year and saw a roach once."