East Halls Reviews

Stone Hall - East Unrenovated / Traditional Halls I was fortunate enough to live here my year, 2022-2023, and Stone is one of the last three buildings in East that are unrenovated. Living in this hall was very loud. Lots of people constantly yelling at night, especially since the outside is a hot spot in East. The first floor, which I lived on, was extremely hot, getting up to around 82 Degrees F at night, and with no air conditioning, it was extremely stuffy at times. Regardless, Stone is a nice place to be, as it gives you a sense of nostalgia, living in the older dorms. Pros: Location: Right next to Findlay Commons, the food there is really good, they have a Deli, quick orders, and the largest market on campus. You are also right n... See more

I lived in Snyder. Pros: - You're close to the IM building, tailgates, and stadiums - Lots of facilities, food, and access to buses - You have easy access to make friends with other first-year students - If you're into that, there's a lot of parties to go to, and the aforementioned tailgates, for nefarious activities. Cons: - You're close to the IM building, tailgates, and stadiums. Many nights will be loud, so don't count on having peace/quiet any time before 2:00AM. - The dorm is all first years, so you get all the problems that come with that (toss-up with whether or not floors not are covered in garbage or if things are destroyed) - You're pretty far from where a lot of classes are held. At best, you're a 15 minute walk away from th... See more

I am currently a Freshman as of writing this. I live in Pennypacker hall which is one of the older renovated halls in East. it is a really nice dorm and I would highly recommend living in East. It's easier to meet people in East than in other residence halls as everyone are freshman. In addition to this, the halls are nice all around. The rooms are a bit smaller than the other halls but overall they are nicer. I would recommend getting some lights for the room as the main light has a very clinical feel. The bathrooms are really nice.

I lived in Brumbaugh, which was the most recently built dorm at the time. The rooms were an okay size, but there definitely wasn’t a lot of room for personal items. The private bathrooms are nice, but it seems like having private bathrooms = people feeling more comfortable messing the whole place up. There were a few nice amenities, like a prayer room and a full kitchen, which was nice. The location can be really far from classes, which is irritating, but it’s a nice location for football games.

I stayed in Martin Hall, which was built in 2018. The room was very nice, as were the bathrooms (which are cleaned every weekday). Since East Halls is only for freshman, you are around people your age as soon as you enter college, which can be nice, but you still have to make an effort to meet people who live on the same floor or in your building. The location isn't that great, but there is a bus stop right next to East Halls, but it can get very crowded, especially on weekend nights and on mornings where it is rainy/very cold. The dining hall isn't too bad, and there are a decent amount of options if you don't want to eat in the buffet-style area.

I lived in Packer Hall, one of the handful of old residence halls that still haven't been renovated yet in East. In my experience visiting friends from other halls, other unrenovated buildings in East like Bigler and Curtin have near-identical layouts and amenities. My building has single-gender floors with communal bathrooms. The four shower stalls are dark, dank, and get pretty gross over time. There is a common area on each floor with space for a TV, tables and chairs, and a couch. A laundry room on every other floor with three sets of washers and dryers. My dorm had a breathable amount of space for two people with spacious desks, cupboards, mirrors, cork boards, ethernet ports, beds, closets, and microfridge unit. The room tended to get... See more

I lived in Bigler unrenovated. A lot of people complained that it wasn’t as nice as the other halls, but honestly it had character. It’s the closest to the creamery and walking to classes which is a plus. It’s really the people on your floor that make the experience.

Lived in Martin Hall the semester it was opened. Okay room, but nice and tall ceilings allowing for lofted beds. Good temperature control, good windows (though our room only looked out at the courtyard), good sound isolation (if you've got the windows closed), microwave/mini fridge combo-unit included. Doors lock automatically, so the only way to keep the door "unlocked" is to open the deadbolt to prevent the door from closing all the way, which sticks out like a sore thumb. Great common area with a water bottle filling station and a nice smart TV, but the floors alternated between common area layouts and the layout we had was way, way better than the other layout, so your mileage may vary. Dining hall was OK. Closes way too early (8pm). ... See more

We were the first people to stay in the renovated Tener hall, so it was brand new and super nice as expected. Bathrooms are separate but it is a whole unit with the toilet, shower, and sink together so you get your privacy even while brushing teeth or shaving your face. The rooms are AC and the furniture is really nice. The rooms are a bit small though, but I didn't mind that too much. The location is the biggest con, even the bus stop is about 5 minutes away. The HUB is about 15 minutes away walking.

I lived in renovated east as a freshman the past year (Earle Hall) and the building was very nice. The rooms are pretty small but that's to be expected. Bathrooms were single stall and very nice and cleaned every day. Earle Hall in particular is backed up to park avenue which means it's quite the hike to even Pollock road (15+ mins). It can also get loud at night (depending on the day as well as your neighbors) because, well, freshman. But overall east renovated is the best place for your freshman year imo.