Bwog doesn’t have the cash to “pimp your room,” and we certainly don’t want to raid it and then date you. So we bring you our semi-weekly feature, the “Cribs-esque” Room Hopping, continuing with…

freezerYou can graduate without walking into some places on campus even once. For most CU students, the Bayit is one of those places. Not for Bwog. Ben G’07 took Bwog on a tour of the six-story house on 112th street the other day, making sure to stop at its huge walk-in freezer (right).

What is the Bayit? “A welcoming home for Jewish students from every walk of life,” Ben says. “We keep a Kosher kitchen and observe the Sabbath, but only in common areas.”

Jewish students living in all of the Columbia schools (including grad schools) take turns cooking in Ben’s words, “balanced meals” several days a week, hang out watching movies off the Bayit Netflix account in their big-screen-TV-room, hold open-mic events, and host BBQs on the roof during the summers. Residents get all this for $900 a month — and free laundry.


lawstudentThese are perks Kevin (left), a 3rd year law student, can appreciate. He enjoys his sizable single in the Bayit, though it is closet-less and he had to purchase that clothes rack behind him there to hold his many suits.

Despite lack of closet, he has plenty of shelves to store the freebies he’s collected – all branded with the names of the law firms recruiting him. He pulls out umbrella after umbrella, etch-a-sketches, frisbees. “We get free things up the wazoo,” he says. He’s also acquired a mass of soaps, shampoos, and shower caps from staying at comp’d hotels around the country for law firm interviews.

He also owns a fondue pot. “Everyone should have a fondue pot or two,” he says, carefully unwrapping it from its box. “There’s another one over there,” he points.

Ben says he loves the community in the Bayit the most — e.g.: the members of the house are on a first name basis with their super/porter, Eric, who comes over for dinner often; you can sign up for “saves,” so if you can’t make it home for dinner, someone will save you a plate and write your name on it.

bensroomBen’s room is pretty large too, and exceptionally neat.

Fun fact: Ben is from Antwerp, Belgium. “If you’re from Antwerp, and you’re Jewish, chances are, you have something to do with diamonds,” he says. Sure enough, he’s an official diamond grader.

Don’t believe it?

diamondHe’s got a certificate to prove it (left). Another fun fact: The movie Snatch was filmed at the diamond dealership where he used to work!

So stroll into the Bayit at some point before you graduate. Chances are the cheery residents will welcome you with open arms, and if you’re around near seven o’clock on a weekday, stick around, they’ll probably feed you a “balanced” meal.