Best UC Los Angeles dorms

It was a nice and quiet building to live in (but keep in mind that I lived it in during my first year, so I didn't have much to compare it to). I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to first-years who are trying to socialize and make friends. There were only a total of 6 freshmen on my floor (those in my room and the room next door) and the rest were upperclassmen, transfers, and some exchange students. No one really talked to each other unless they knew you, so it was pretty dead socially. As someone who is more of an introvert, I was fine with this, but I do feel like I missed out on a lot by not being in one of the classic buildings with all the other freshmen. The actual room itself was much more spacious in comparison to the classic dorms (I definitely recommend watching YouTube tours to see what it's like). In terms of location, it's on top of the death stairs which makes it a pain to walk to but also puts it in close distance to a lot of dining halls/ takeout places (with Rende and Feast being the closest). It took me around 15 minutes to walk to Powell if I was in a hurry but usually 20-25 minutes if I was taking my time. They switched out the washing and drying machines for new ones my year (2019-2020), but for some reason, there were still a couple of them that would not work. Overall though, it was a pretty solid building, and I don't have many complaints. - 4 years ago

Cons: The building is very old, so it's not the most pleasing site or smell. The plaza triples are nice because you get your own bathroom but on the other hand it severely lacks socialization- dorms with communal bathrooms are the best for that and I ended up getting adopted as an honorary floor member at dykstra to have that type of friend group. I don't know if this last one should be a con but it's very close to de never dining hall, which means you will constantly eat there and it gets depressing. Food gets better the higher you go up the Hill.
Pros: I cannot stress this enough because this was the best part of it: It's the closest (alongside dykstra) to campus. You will be able to roll out of bed and go to class (in 10 minutes if you book it). Also, if you take clusters your freshman year you'll most likely have the class in one of the lecture halls inside de neve, which is again very good for rolling out of bed. - 4 years ago

I stayed in Gardenia and it was overall a pretty nice experience. The rooms are big, even for three people. The AC is a little funky (you can't set a temp, only colder or not) but still works well. The bathrooms are communal and there were some issues with flooding of the showers on my floor. It's kinda far away from food though, as you have to walk to either the main De Neve Plaza or BCafe/Cafe 1919. There aren't many laundry machines, so you have to be proactive about putting your laundry in during the week. - 4 years ago

Probably the best dorm you can get at UCLA for a communal style dorm. The bathrooms are new and clean, location is central to all food and closest to campus (20 min to macgowan) and the gym (less then 5 min). I had both a deluxe triple and a double here, and both were great experiences. Would totally recommend if you are a sophomore or junior as it is less socially active and just want a nice quiet dorm. I have seen people become friends with each other through floor activities so if that is your thing, that can happen too, but not as common as very "freshman" dorms.

Only negative was that the air conditioner would never turn off so it was always cold and dry. Room services will not fix it and they never replied or came to help. I assume there is actually no way to turn it completely off. (at least on my floor - some floors had different air conditioning buttons). - 2 years ago

Pros: Gayley heights has prime location as it’s right across the street from Westwood village and it’s pretty close to campus. It has a lot of amenities like a nice study lounge in the lobby, a gym, and a good laundry unit. The apartments are brand new as well. Also the views are great.

Cons: Some rooms can be small and apartments almost all have either 6 or 8 people. This is fine for me because I like all my roommates but alot of people struggle with this. - 2 years ago