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… the EC Highrise!

highrise

Location: 70 Morningside Dr.

  • Nearby dorms: Wien. Plimpton, sort of.
  • Stores and restaurants: HamDel, Appletree Market, SubsConscious, Kitchenette, Flat Top, that super nice Halal Guy

Cost: $9,076/year

Amenities:

  • AC/Heating: Yes and yes.
  • Kitchen/Lounge: Yes to both, and also there is a hall lounge. The kitchens are very pretty nice and have a dishwasher but, of course, no microwave. There isn’t a crazy amount of cabinet space for all five people living there, but it works if you are willing to share cooking supplies.
  • Computers/Printers: Labs with printers on the 10th and 18th floors.
  • Bathrooms: 1:5 bathroom to shower ratio, with a shower, bathtub, two sinks, and a toilet in a stall (with a door!)
  • Gym: There are two “exercise locations,” i.e.  several cardio machines on each floor, with a good amount of them still functioning. It’s awesome when you don’t want to trek to Dodge, but there are no weights, etc.
  • Intra-transportation: Two elevators that are pretty fast and efficient, even with the drunkards. When they break down (infrequent), it sucks.
  • Wi-Fi: Yes.
  • Hardwood/Carpet: Renovated suites have all-hardwood floors and a linoleum kitchen floor. Other suites have carpeted rooms, and the hallway and lounge are carpeted.
  • Laundry: A ton of machines (“high-efficiency”) in the basement where there is never a long wait.

Room Variety:

  • Most suites are 5-person with one double and three singles.
  • There is 1 coveted 6-person and 1 5-person suite on each floor that has all singles.
  • The sixth floor of EC has all doubles at 200 sq. ft. each.

Numbers:

  • 2-Person Flats: 30/1477
  • 5 Person (3 Sgl/1 Dbl): 20/2897
  • 5 Person Suite (All Sgl): 30/709
  • 6 Person Suite (All Sgl): 30/668
  • 6th Floor Doubles: 15/401

Bwog Recommendation:

  • The 5 person suites with 3 singles and 1 double are good for a sophomore pair with older friends looking to live in EC. But remember, it is still a double.
  • The 6th floor doubles are great choices for sophomores. But remember, you probably won’t see any of your friends ever again.
  • If you’re a senior and didn’t get your first-choice suite, look to the 5-persons in EC during Senior Regroup; they’re hot commodities.

Resident Opinions:

  • “If you don’t live in EC then you fucking suck.”
  • “East Campus housing is by far the best housing Columbia has to offer. Not only do you get the party atmosphere of Carman on a Saturday night, but you also get a pretty nice amount of space to share with your friends.”
  • “Be prepared to deal with a lot of drunk people on the elevators. Also it can get pretty loud on Friday and Saturday nights. But if you like to party hard, look no further.”
  • “I can get a surprising amount of work done in an EC highrise. They don’t seem to be too wild to me, and I have never regretted my choice.”
  • “This is my second year living in EC (I joined a group of seniors as a junior). God is it nice to finally have a single.”

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