Is West Buildings 2-8 the best dorm at UCSD?

I lived in the Village West building 8: There are mostly no elevators in all the apartments, which you will have to carry all your luggage on your own. HDH only offer trolleys on two to three specific days but those days are really stressful (e.g. only half hour parking by the curb) since everyone is moving in. Enjoy loud cars that travel along N Torrey Pines Road and construction noises at 11pm. Very true that 6 people has to share one bathroom, with the toilet and the shower separated. There are four stoves, but can never work at the same time. You will get crawly friends too to boost your college life. Only great thing is that HDH provides an average of 6 rolls of tissues per week and they give you trash bags too. The dorm is a relatively old dorm, so don't have high hopes. Unless you are someone whose major is at Rady or GPS, the Village is like at the very Northside of the campus. So if you are someone whose major is STEM, study the shuttle schedule well. You will need at least half an hour for transportation if you study at SIO for transit at Revelle and don't get frustrated when you see your connecting SIO shuttle leave in front of you (best training for EQ). The other great amenity at the Village is it is the dorm that is nearest to the Bistro, which is one of the high-end dining hall that eats the same sushi menu throughout the year (it's bland but ok). A lot of lounge and common area in the East side. *Disclaimer: only about on the west side of the Village

Pros: My room has a great oceanview, and it's really close to the Black Beach. We got a full kitchen and a fridge, so it's good for the people who like to cook. I share a room with my high school friend, so I think a double is not bad for me. There is a coffeehouse+market and a Bistro just in 3mins walk. They are convenient and offer good food options. There is a study room (but could be crowded) and a game room. Cons: The apartment is pretty remote on campus. Except for Rady and some ERC instruction classrooms, everything might take you more than 15 mins ( and MORE especially if you are a STEM student) by walking . The laundry sometimes could be frustrating( not enough machines and sometimes the driers do not function properly) If you are in a triple, it could be bad as the size of it is exactly the same as our double's.

I lived in a triple in the village west, although it was just me and one other person, as the third person never showed. It was definitely cramped but manageable. Extremely small closet and storage space, so don't bring a lot of clothes. The actual suite/apartment itself is nice. I like that the bathroom, sinks, and showers were all separate. So you could use one of the three without hogging the whole bathroom from other people. Kitchen space could be bigger, very limited storage and shelves. Overall it was not bad. Laundry services sucks, as the machines constantly break down and have problems, you also have to keep an eye on it and make sure not to leave it there for too long as people may sometimes steal your clothes. The market is one of the nicest parts of the village, as it has everything and accepts dining dollars. The bistro has good food per standards for the university, and also accepts dining dollars. Really good study lounges as well that are open 24/7.

The Village is super close to the beach and is generally quiet. The village market and CV food hall are nearby and the RIMAC gym is not too far as well. The downside of the location is the distance to most classes. You might have to get up a little earlier if you live here. As for the rooms, some outer buildings don’t have elevators, and you might, like me, live on the third floor. This is not a problem except move in and move out it a bit rough. I also lived in the tower which has a modern feel and great views. Overall rooms in the village are somewhat spacious, have a nice breeze from the ocean, and kitchens/bathrooms are kept clean by the wonderful staff. Would recommend highly if you don’t mind the extra 10-15 minutes it takes to get to clases. Also has multiple laundry rooms, study room which is always packed near midterms/finals, and a game room with decent games.

First the Pros: Very close to the best gym on campus Very close to the beach Kitchen included I had an ocean view from my bed The Bistro (has sushi for dining dollars) The Market (If you want frozen food or to make your own) One of the closer knit communities on campus, as only transfer students were housed here when I was living here. Mail room very close to the room. Now the Cons: Small bedroom for 3 people Cramped apartment for 7 people (2 rooms of 3, one room of 1) Apartment was a bit run down (things were broken and took a while to be fixed) White walls make me feel like I'm in an asylum and the included couch was very uncomfortable. All in all, I'd say these dorms are better than average.