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). Our final dorm is John Jay.

Location: 548 W 113th St.

• Nearby dorms: Hartley, Wallach, Carman, and Furnald if you’re not completely lazy.
• Food: John Jay dining hall, Strokos, HamDel, Camille’s.

Cost: $7,110—the standard freshman rate.

Amenities:

• Bathrooms:  Floor bathrooms, male and female. Known to get dirty on weekends. Planned summer renovations: new single use bathrooms on each floor; one ADA bathroom on floors 12 – 14.
• AC/Heating: Heating that hasn’t worked particularly well for most of the 2013/14 year although in previous years it has been rumored to be steamy.  The lack of AC is ass, we gotta say.
• Floor kitchen/lounge: If you call a kitchen a microwave then yes.  Lounges come with HDTVs and sometimes whiteboard walls.  People will be hanging out in your John Jay lounge—it’s cool.
• Building lounge: Bwog wishes that there were less events happening in there because it is a beautiful room with great acoustics.  The only problem with the lounge is that the only desks in the place are right up next to the heater and it is so hot we are worried about fire hazards.
• Laundry: It’s tiny and has green walls. The machines are also in the habit of drenching clothes.  Protip: always dry your clothes on max heat because otherwise your clothes are going to be wet when you get it out.  Yes, that means your clothes will always shrink…sorry baggy grandpa sweatshirt! A renovation is planned for this summer that will relocate it closer to the elevators.
• Computers/Printers: JJ has no dedicated computer lab; Hartley’s lab is accessible through the link without going outside.
• Gym: No.
• Wi-Fi: Yes.
• Hardwood/Carpet: Luck of the draw, man.  

Room Variety: 

• Singles vary in size from just above 100 sq ft into some truly large 15th floor singles (albeit with slanted roofs).  There are a few doubles on each floor as well.

Bwog recommendation:

• John Jay self-selects a group of social people who anticipate being social but also having their own time; there’s a temperament that’s common here.
• Your floor will be social and bond, and if you’re like most John Jay residents, you’ll get super close with your floor.  On the other hand, there are plenty of people who find satisfaction outside of that.
• The singles are usually rectangular, which makes them feel smaller than they are, unfortunately.
• Floor bathrooms aren’t that bad as long as there isn’t yack everywhere.
• Marijuana is illegal.  Sometimes John Jay residents do illegal things.
• You’ll turn up in Carman as much as you want to, but at least you aren’t stuck with that.  You’ll also bring up “Carman Forever” way more than you think.
• Other planned summer renovations for floors 12-15: New flooring in rooms and hallways, new corridor lighting, and new doors with electronic locks (as opposed to Vings).

Resident opinons:

• “I love my floor!  We go out into the city and do things together on the weekend which is awesome.”
• “Singles can be small and that’s kind of a pain, but the balance between space and socialness is perfect.”
• “Hardwood floors in John Jay are  an unbelievably cool thing.  My carpet is grody as shit.”
• “Fuck the laundry room… I don’t get why anyone would have a party in there.”
• “I really appreciate the privacy I get with my John Jay single, but sometimes I feel like it’s too much. I’m not great friends with anyone on my floor and my floor is not a super-social one that keeps theirs doors open. So it’s kind of a wash. There are definitely some floors in John Jay, though, where everyone is really close. Personally, I’m pretty happy with my single and the convenience of the dining hall and proximity to Hamilton and Butler is great.”