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… Wien!

Location: 411 W. 116th Street

• Nearby dorms: East Campus
• Nearby food: HamDel, Brownie’s, Strokos and Artopolis (sorta)

Cost: $7,324/per year (same as Broadway, Furnald, McBain, and Schapiro). This is the cheapest rate for non-freshman housing.

Amenities:

• Bathrooms: Recently renovated (2009-10), with separate men’s and women’s on every floor, as well as a handicap bathroom. They are quite nice, with 3 showers each.
• AC/Heating: No AC, fairly noisy radiator heating.
• Kitchen/Lounge: Spacious ground floor lounge with sparse seating and a piano; Kitchen Lounge on 2nd floor equipped with large refrigerator, oven, stove, microwave, dishwasher, lots of cabinet space, cable TV, 2 couches, and a large table with a few chairs. Floor lounges only on 5th, 7th, and 9th floors, equipped with cable TV, an average of 4 comfy chairs, a microwave, some cabinet space, and a kind of cool white board wall.
• Laundry: Small laundry room on 2nd floor equipped with 8 washers and 9 dryers
• Computers/Printers: Computer lab on 2nd floor equipped with 2 printers and 6 computers.
• Intra-transportation: Two elevators of mediocre speed. Only the left one goes to the top floor.
• Hardwood/Carpet: Recently carpeted hallways, hardwood flooring in a some doubles rooms, but mostly linoleum in singles.
• Wi-Fi: Yes.
• Special Stuff: YOU GET A SINK IN YOUR ROOM?!?! Seriously a personal sink… that’s basically a half-bath.

Room Variety:

• Singles: Around 28 per floor on the 3rd through 9th, 20 on the 10th, and 15 on the 11th and 12th. All range from 100 sq. ft. to 145 sq. ft., with an average around 120 sq. ft., which is most likely larger than what you’d get in Schapiro or Broadway.
• Doubles: 1 double on 4th through 9th floors at the north end of the hallway, 2 doubles on 11th and 12th floors at south end of the hallway. All are 200 sq. ft. There is one other double on the 12th floor (1202/04) that is 246 sq. ft. a.k.a. fit for a king.
• Walk-through Doubles: There are 3 to 4 walk-through doubles on each floor, with less on the 11th and 12th. The 42/3 rooms at the south end on the 3rd through 9th floors are significantly larger totaling 290 sq. ft., while the other dingles average 250 sq. ft. and can be as small as 200 sq. ft. on the 10th through 12th floors.

Numbers:

• Singles are a little unpredictable, but last year the final Wien single went to a rising sophomore with the number 2268
• Doubles are available to even unlucky rising sophomores—your lottery number needs to be below 3000
• Livable walk-through doubles go to rising sophomores and juniors with numbers around 1500. Tiny walk-though doubles go to rising sophomores with numbers around 3000

Bwog recommendation:

• East facing rooms on higher floors, around 8 and up, have a fantastic view of Morningside Park and East Harlem. These rooms get great light.
• The in-room sink is actually a big perk, so if you’re choosing between a single in McBain and a single in Wien, this might sway you.
• The 9th floor has super high ceilings (about 2 feet higher than the other floors) for no apparent reason. The 9th floor is also one of 3 floors that have a lounge. Therefore, the best rooms in Wien are east facing and on the 9th floor.
• The doubles vary drastically in size, so aim for the 42/3 south facing dingles, but be warned that some are pitifully small.

Resident opinions:

• “The in-room sink is actually super convenient for teeth brushing and cleaning up. The lack of a kitchen on the floor makes it annoying to cook, but some people do.”
• “I got a floor without a lounge, and it sucks not having somewhere to congregate on the floor. The bathrooms are immaculate though, which is a big deal for me.”
• “My floor always smells really bad for some reason. If there’s a bad smell on the floor you can smell it everywhere. The walls are also extremely thin. Some people below me are always singing and I hear them loud and clear.”
• “This is my second year in Wien and I love it. The sink is great, the bathrooms are brand new, and I don’t cook a lot so the lack of a floor kitchen isn’t a real issue for me.”

Gallery: