Housing approacheth. And, unless you’re on top of it, it’s probably coming up sooner than you think. Bwog’s got you covered; we’ll be rolling out two housing reviews per day until no residence hall is left un-reviewed. Prepare to get (even more) excited: this year, we’re reviewing Barnard residence halls, too. Reviews for all! Today’s residence hall is… Woodbridge!

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Location: 431 Riverside (115th and Riverside)

  • Nearby dorms: Schapiro
  • Stores and restaurants: MoWi, M2M, Vine, Ollie’s, Pinnacle

Cost:

  • $9,076 (same as Claremont, EC, Hogan, Watt, Ruggles, and Symposium)
Amenities:
  • Bathrooms: Each double has its very own! Gets cleaned once a week.
  • AC/Heating: No A/C, yes heat. The heat gets spotty, which you can really feel if you have windows that face the street, particularly Riverside. Also, beware the Riverside wind tunnel.
  • Kitchen/Lounge: Kitchen in every double, layouts vary in kitchen size/location. Lounges tend to be small but functional, though most students use the lounge as a second bedroom.
  • Laundry: In the basement, almost always lots of available washers and dryers. Have to walk outside for 5 steps to get there, so wear shoes.
  • Computers/Printers: One printer next to the security desk. Takes minutes to warm up, which feels like forever when you’re rushing out to class.
  • Gym: Treadmills and arctrainers on the first floor.
  • Intra-transportation: Slow elevators with swinging door. Old school!
  • Wi-Fi:  Yup. Works 99% of the time too.
  • Hardwood/Carpet: Carpet in most; hardwood in upper floors. Plastic tile in the kitchen/old dirty tile in the bathroom.

Room variety:

  • All two-person suites. Each line is very different in terms of layout.
  • Factors to consider when choosing a line: do you have to walk through the bedroom to get to the bathroom (disturbing your sleeping roommate)? How big is the kitchen counter space? Is there natural light (Woodbridge is kind of dark, especially if you’re on the shaft)? Can you/do you want to share the bedroom or will one person be in the ‘living room’?
  • Housing ranks the rooms by “demand:” H, K, C are high demand; D, G, I are low demand; all others are medium demand.

Numbers:

  • Woodbridge generally gets gobbled up by seniors, with some of the low-demand rooms going to juniors.

Bwog recommendation:

  • A very good option for seniors who want to live with someone but couldn’t get into Watt.
  • EC flats are another option, but then you gotta think about location and amenities.
  • Juniors with decent numbers looking at Woodbridge, good luck! Start looking into Watt or dropping down to General.


Resident opinions:

  • “So quiet, so unassuming. Go party with your friends in EC then hike back to your safe haven in Woodbridge. The ideal situation. And so much room.”
  • “If you’re into dirty carpets, there is no better choice!”
  • “If you value space, grown-up life and still want a nice community feeling of normal folks (not many weirdos), and would even give up warmth in the winter, Woodbridge is the best option for you. I don’t regret it, it’s perfect.”
  • “The new exercise room is great and the printer doesn’t hurt! No microwave though :( The kitchen makes for great roomie dates.”
  • “Living rooms are great-size spaces for small social gatherings with 5-10 friends.”
  • “The views are stunning but the heat is spotty for lines with windows onto riverside, which makes for unparalleled sunset spectacles on higher floors.”
  • “Cozy and comfortable housing with access to riverside park that’s very convenient in the summer.”
  • “The heating in our apartment hasn’t worked for most of this winter (currently surviving thanks to a space heater from the hospitality desk), but they are still going to have to drag me away from our bay window facing Riverside Drive in May.”
  • “Some of the rooms on the seventh floor have been recently renovated and are really lovely. Especially the kitchens and bathrooms feature new appliances and shower, and HARDWOOD. Instead of the standard bedroom-living room and bedroom fare, they’re divided into 2 separate bedrooms that each have doors! It’s great for privacy and feeling like a real person, but it’s not exactly well-suited for parties. Only the preternaturally old and curmudgeonly need apply.”
  • “Walking to Woodbridge down Riverside is going to be one of the worst things you will ever experience. Walking out of Woodbridge to a view of the Hudson around 3-4pm will be one the most beautiful things you will ever experience.”