Is Mertz Hall the best dorm at Loyola University Chicago?

Mertz Hall is the largest hall at Loyola. 19 floors of only freshman and only 3 elevators with only 1 working 50% of the time. Bathrooms are communal and are disgusting even if its on the girls floor. Laundry room only on the first floor, but the location is great. Also, you will meet everyone here. I can give Mertz that.

Pros: If you live on the 6th floor or above, you can count on a pretty nice view of the L, the lake, or the city! There is plenty of space to store your things if you live in a double; however, if you live in a triple like I did, there are only 2 closets so I'd recommend some extra storage bins/shelves. Also, you will likely get a corner room if you are assigned to a triple which means double the windows! You don't have to worry about buying your own toilet paper, hand soap or cleaning the bathroom yourself since they are communal. There is plenty of wall space to personalize your area, too. There is a communal laundry room and kitchen as well as tables to study, couches and a TV on the first floor. I always ran into someone cooking/baking, and it was a good way to make friends! It's also an opportunity to bond when you meet someone new if you both live in Mertz. Take advantage of living around your friends because you'll miss it, especially if you're on the same floor. Mertz's central location is also one of it's biggest pros, since you are right across from Damen (which means less walking in the cold, cause let's be real- the weather super cold about 70% of the school year), a 5-8 minute walk from all class buildings, and right across the street from the Loyola red line station. Oh, and you are really close to the beach, which is great when it's warm out or you just want to feel more connected to nature. Cons: There isn't a whole lot of space for having people over, especially if you live in a triple, since there's barely enough room for 3 people living in it, anyways. The walls are pretty thin and you can hear music/talking/other things from the rooms on each side of you. Bunk beds if you're in a triple; I was lucky enough to have the bottom bunk, but if you have a top bunk, there is about 5 inches of space between your face and the ceiling. The carpets are dirty, full of hair and lint, and they are hard to clean, even if you have a vacuum. The bathrooms can also get pretty grimy (do NOT overestimate the cleanliness of girls), people tend to leave hair on the shower walls and sinks, and the toilets are self explanatory. The elevators are not super reliable, there is usually 1 out of service, and for 19 floors, it can make you late for class, so make sure you're leaving early enough to account for that. Same for coming back to your room- long line for the elevators heading back from class. Take the stairs if you can. Laundry can be competitive in the evenings, so I'd recommend washing your clothes either later at night or morning-early afternoon. And I do not recommend living with a friend from high school. Random roommates usually turn out OK. Moving in and out (especially moving out) is pretty hard since the entrance/exit of the building is not on the ground, there are stairs. Even if you get access to a key ID for the lower level, you still have to go down stairs. There is also limited parking on Loyola Ave.

Mertz is the freshmen dorm at Loyola (although not all freshmen stay there). Each floor has 4 communal bathrooms with 2 showers, 2 bathroom stalls, and 2 sinks each. There's a laundry room, kitchen, and hangout area on the 2nd floor. My room was pretty small but I think it got the job done. I think the best thing about Mertz is definitely its location. It is located right in front of Damen Student Center, Damen dining hall, AND right in front of the Loyola red line train stop. It was just so convenient having everything really close to the dorm. It especially came in handy when I had classes on the lake shore campus and it would only take me 5-8 mins to get to class from my dorm room. Also, since there are SOOOO many freshmen who live in Mertz, it is very easy to make friends.