Best UC Berkeley dorms

Number 5

"Yes, Clark Kerr is far, but it has various good qualities. I usually ate at crossroads, but that was just because there were more options there (the food quality at Clark Kerr is just as good). It was the cheapest option for me since I lived in a quad. Living in a quad was actually super fun since the room was quite large. There are a bunch of athletes living in CK, so, if you are into that, more power to you. I would say my favorite part of Clark Kerr was feeling like I lived far enough from campus. It felt like a whole other little community.

I'll talk about some negatives. Clark Kerr is kind of far, but that encourages you to pick up biking, skating, or scootering to school! Plus, a 5 minute bus ride is always available (AC transit and the Night Shuttle). Other dorms have security monitors , so I did feel that (in theory) CK was less safe. Someone can simply wait for a distracted student to leave a door open, and sneak their way into the dorms. Nevertheless, I never experienced anything like that; it is a possibility though.

Almost forgot, Ck is closer to frat parties hehe" - 4 years ago

We collected 14 dorm reviews for Clark Kerr

Number 4

"Overall was great because there was weekly cleaning from a sweet lady, which allowed the place to stay clean constantly. the bathroom was huge and so people can use the restroom and shower and brush their teeth separately. I lived in the double double and so even though there were 4 people in the apartment, it still felt very spacious. I felt very safe around the complex for most the time (even though we had an incident once)... It's gated so only residents can enter in. The only flaw is the location, since its only a few steps away from peoples park and right behind the parking lot of taco bell which gets really loud at times. " - 2 years ago

We collected 2 dorm reviews for Channing-Bowditch

Number 3

"I enjoyed living at Martinez as a transfer, but if I were going to do the whole experience all over again I would probably have some reservations. Yes, location and amenities at the building are good, however I had issues with water (?) leaks that appeared over my bed intermittently throughout the year I lived there. Sent in a service request, no response. I also had some issues with the washer & drying machines, as on two different instances a portion of my clothes were ruined by some gunk that dried on them. I never pursued trying to recoup my losses, as I learned it was an outside company that handled maintenance and complaints.

Last but not least, while the Martinez location is ideal in terms of where it is in relation to Crossroads dining hall and campus, it is also right next to People's Park. Where my room was we overlooked a courtyard where homeless folk would sometimes hang out. There were instances where me and my roommate were woken up by yelling, and in one case, we saw a homeless man assaulted from our window. The only way to TRY and tune it out was to shut the window, but we used the window to try and control the temperature in our room.

Now, given my complaints, Martinez is not a bad dorm. Overall it was a positive experience, and certainly worth the investment if you want to try and be involved with a community of transfer students or upperclassmen." - 4 years ago

We collected 4 dorm reviews for Martinez Commons

Number 2

"I think a double was pretty spacious compared to the other dorms at Berkeley! The ceiling is just concrete which was a bit ugly but it isn't a huge deal. I loved that the floor wasn't carpet. The walls were very weak (and thin and the door is not soundproof, so watch your volume) and dented way too easily... you could press your fingernail to the wall and it'd dent. The window doesn't open more than 6? or so inches and the window itself is a lot smaller than the windows in other dorms. Lighting was fine but you'll probably want to bring a desk lamp. There's plenty of room for all your belongings since you get an individual closet and two drawers under your bed.
I loved the lounges on each floor, the all-glass study lounges gave a great view of the bay and sunsets and were a great place to work with friends. The ping pong tables and pool tables were also super fun. The building was really clean because I lived there the first year it was built. There are three fast elevators.
The bathrooms are gender neutral which freaked me out a little at first but I quickly got used to it. The toilets and showers are in individual stall rooms with doors and walls that extend from floor to ceiling so they are definitely private enough. They were kind of gross a lot of the time but I guess that's not really a building problem, I remember they cleaned the bathroom pretty often.
Overall I think this is the best dorm but I might be biased as I had a really good time here." - 4 years ago

We collected 17 dorm reviews for Blackwell Hall

Number 1

"Great place for on-campus housing! Some apartments have beautiful views! The apartment rent is expensive. It is pretty close to campus though! Recommend applying for this place. " - 4 days ago

We collected 1 dorm reviews for Helen Diller Anchor House