To further honor the newly accepted class of 2018, Bwog is rolling out reviews of the freshman dorms on campus considering you kiddos need to pick where you want to live soon. Whether you prefer living in the same building as John Jay, or stay true to your love for Carman because it doesn’t get better, we’re sure you’ll make the right decision (or Columbia will for you). Up next is Hartley.

Location: Basically 115th and Amsterdam

• Nearby dorms: Connected by tunnel to Wallach and John Jay, less than 100 steps from Hamilton. It’s on campus, you’re close to basically everything.
• Nearby food: HamDel and Camille’s across the street, and you can get to JJ’s/John Jay through the “tunnels” (not actually as cool as the real tunnels, but still convenient).

Cost: $7,110/per year – standard freshman housing rate.

Amenities:

• Bathrooms: 3 showers/toilets per suite if you’re on 3-8 (with two toilets/showers on the “main floors” of the suites, which will be 3, 5, 6, and 8 and one on the weird extra bits, which are 4 and 7). 2, 9, and 10 have one bathroom per suite.
• AC/Heating: No AC definitely heating. It gets a little stuffy with the windows closed.
• Kitchen/Lounge: Every suite has a main lounge and a smaller lounge, with the kitchen on the main lounge’s floor. A and C suites have bigger lounges than B suite. The TVs are small and sort of sad, some of them have DVD players.
• Laundry: Large laundry room in the basement.
• Gym: Nope.
• Computers/Printers: Computer lab on the first floor with two printers. The “A” printer will never work but “B” is pretty reliable.
• Intra-transportation: Two main elevators that sandwich the lounge, they work almost always.
• Hardwood/Carpet: Nasty carpet everywhere but the bathroom. Don’t question the stains.
• Wi-Fi: Yes.
• Special Stuff: It feels the most like an apartment of any first year dorm, and because it’s part of the LLC (Living Learning Center) you’ll be living with upperclassmen as well. Best way to get a single as a sophomore.

A “normal” floor, divided into three suites.

Room Variety:

• Doubles: One huge double (214ish sq ft) per suite in A and C suites, two smaller doubles per suite in B.
• Everything else is singles, the biggest ranging from 129 sq ft (for upperclassmen) to a puny 92. First years can reasonably expect something around 100 sq ft.

Bwog recommendation:

• Great for people who like to cook and want a quieter space without the anti-social vibe that Furnald sometime gets. Very close to Hamilton and basically any academic building, plus you don’t have to go outside to eat when you’re on the way to John Jay or JJ’s Place.
• The A and C doubles are gigantic and have great views of campus. However, some of the singles can either have dismal views across Amsterdam or, worse, shafted with Wallach or Hamilton. B suite rooms generally have great views but the lounges are small and you’re living with the RA.
• Hit or miss depending on your suitemates. Some suites are really friendly and everyone hangs out in the lounge playing video games or talking. Other suites are absolutely silent and you won’t see anyone walking around except to leave for class. Another issue is LLC events: if you want to live in Hartley or Wallach as a sophomore, you’ll have to show up at a few of these. Some people absolutely love them (trips to the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Chinese New Year, to the Intrepid, etc.), some find them annoying as hell.
• The best way to get a single as a sophomore is to live in the LLC, and the best way to get into the LLC (you have to apply as an upperclassman to live there) is to live there your first year. So there’s that.

Certain floors are a little…confusing. For example, parts of 6C are on 7.

Resident opinions:

• “It’s sort of fucked up, but it’s a homey kind of fucked up.”
• “I really like it here. I cook a lot and it’s nice to not have parties right where I live.”
• “So close to Hamilton, it’s great. I roll out of bed two minutes before class starts and make it on time.”
• “I wanted to live in Carman but now that I live here it’s okay I guess.”
• “The sophomores are pretty chill. It’s nice to get advice from them about things like classes or admin stuff.”
• “It’s a roof over my head.”
• “I don’t live here but visiting my friends can be really confusing.”
• “Better than Wallach, which is like Furnald but without A/C.”