Housing approacheth. And, unless you’re on top of it, it’s probably coming up sooner than you think. Before you start knocking on random doors and demanding to know how many tennis balls could fit into the room if the room is haunted what they’ve named their mouse and what its living habits are the room’s square footage, take a deep breath. 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! We’re kicking off the series with Watt, question mark optional. 

Location: 549 West 113th Street

• Nearby dorms: Across the street from Symposium and McBain. Around the block from Broadway and Hogan.
• Stores and restaurants: All the same locations as McBain and Nussbaum—you’ve got the best of Broadway at your disposal. Milano, Nussbaum & Wu, Dig Inn, Community, and International are practically next door. And they’re all it takes to survive.

Cost: $9,076/year

Amenities:

• Bathrooms: Private bathrooms in each single/double.
• AC/Heating: No AC, but many suites have multiple windows so it is possible to create great airflow. Erratic heating due to the building’s old age.
• Kitchen/Lounge: A tiny kitchen in each single/double. Amazing!
• Laundry: One dryer and washer on each floor.
• Computers/Printers: A printer in the lobby. Predictably, it was broken when Bwog visited.
• Gym: None.
• Intra-transportation: The world’s slowest elevator. You’ll want to take the stairs.
• Hardwood/Carpet: Hardwood.
• Bonus: Housing reports that in 2013, all rooms were equipped with “comfortable desk chairs.”

Room Variety:

• Studio Singles: Two on each floor, 171 sq. ft. and 185 sq. ft.
• Studio Doubles: By far the most common, with nine on each floor. They vary from 200 sq. ft. to nearly 250 sq. ft.
• 1-bedroom doubles: A bedroom plus a living area gives you lots of space—a total floor area of 365 sq. ft. Usually, one person gets the inside room and another sleeps outside, effectively making two rooms. There are only two of these per floor.
• 2-bedroom doubles: Like the 1-bedroom double, but each person gets their own room plus a common area for a total of 458 or 480 sq. ft. Two per floor, so good luck getting one.

Numbers:

• Studio doubles go to mostly Juniors and are pretty easy to snag if your number is sub 3000
• Studio singles go to very lucky Seniors. The numbers on this one are just depressing — you’ll probably need a number under (or very close to) 200 to even think about it
• 1-bedrooms go to the luckiest Juniors on the face of the planet (think numbers under 50)
• 2-bedrooms go to lucky Seniors with numbers around 500

Bwog Recommendation:

• Rising sophomores can try for Watt, but they won’t get it unless they’re really lucky.
• Rising juniors looking for a double should think of Watt as their first choice.
• The singles and 2-bedrooms are amazing options for rising seniors.

Resident Opinions:

• “I like the balcony… we can see Low Library and Butler out this window, and every frat house bedroom.”
• “It’s near-ish enough to the school, but it’s also close to Milano and 1020. It’s a good dorm. The space is comfortable.”
• “I didn’t think I would want my own bathroom or my own kitchen until I got one. I don’t think I could go back… with the kitchen, you can effectively go off the meal plan.”
• “The heater is kind of fixed now, but earlier in the semester the heat would draft up. It was just impossible to be in the top bed. During the snowstorm, the heater was so warm that we had to have both windows fully open and a fan in each one.”
• For the smaller rooms: “If you unbunk the beds, there’s not much space left. They give you a ton of furniture, which really has no use.”
• “The elevator is a bit slow and there’s no garbage chute, but everything else is great.”
• “I don’t like that there’s no lounge. It’s kind of annoying that I don’t know anyone on my floor. It really is like living in an apartment. The RA sends out emails, but nobody gives a shit.”

Gallery: