Is Cascadilla Hall the best dorm at Cornell?

Cascadilla Hall was built in 1864, so it definitely feels a bit slapped together in places. However, it's been renovated, and I never had complaints with living in Cascadilla. It's right in Collegetown, so it can get very noisy at night, especially when frats are partying across the gorge, so invest in a pair of quality earplugs! On the other hand, enjoying all that Collegetown has to offer couldn't be any more convenient. The hall is right next to the Cascadilla Gorge (gee, I wonder how it got its name), so taking a short hike on the trail is less than a minute away. Getting to classes shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes, unless you have closes in the Ag Quad, which might take 20 minutes to get to by foot. If you're lazy, the bus stop is a couple minutes walk and you can get pretty much anywhere in campus, although service isn't as frequent as I would have liked. I've heard room quality and size can be variable, but my double was about average in size; it definitely never felt cramped. One thing I did enjoy about my room was that the windows had alcoves and it was on the gorge side, which I used to snuggle myself into and enjoy the sound of the gorge while reading. The common kitchens were small, and the sink was almost always filled with dirty dishes. If you're planning on doing extensive cooking, be prepared to clean up other people's messes. The common spaces and lounges were comfy, and a TV lounge was available. The bathrooms were average, and are not private.

They say that Cascadilla Hall was originally built as a sanitarium. It still remains one today.

Casc is the best location, right in the middle of collegetown and really close to the engineering quad. If you don’t want to walk the slope and pay for the first expensive dining plan, casc is for you. The kitchen is big so I cooked a lot which saved money, on days I don’t feel like cooking I can just go across the street to buy a meal that’s cheaper than a meal swipe. The rooms you get vary by size, and floors 2-4 have high ceilings whereas 5-6 have low ceilings. Some rooms have an alcove which is like an extra wall that separates the wardrobes from the rest of the room, which came useful in changing. If your room is on the side that faces the parking lot, it’s pretty noisy, but if it’s on the side that faces the gorge you’ll hear the waterfall. The bathrooms are communal, which is really the only negative thing I have to say. Casc is a decent dorm with a great location.

Dilla is probably the next best option on-campus if you can't get a room on West. Really great location, especially for engineers. The 3rd and 4th floors are mostly external transfer students, so they were pretty social. The kitchens are spacious too, which is nice if you opt for a smaller meal plan. The building also has its own laundry room and mailroom. The rooms aren't that big and the building only has air-conditioning in the hallways. This year, the bathrooms weren't maintained too well either, but the situation was manageable. Overall, would recommend if your timeslot for housing isn't good enough for West.

Excellent location and good dorm with large doubles. Corner rooms especially are great because of windows/lighting. The building is old, but was renovated relatively recently and has good amenities. Only negative was the dirty bathroom, common in all dorms.