It’s that time of the year again: spring everlasting winter! And that can mean only one thing—the annual installment of Bwog’s housing reviews.  Today, we’re channeling the Talking Heads and “taking you to the River.”

Location: 628 West 114th Street (colloquially known as River)

• Nearby dorms: Schapiro, Broadway, Hogan
• Stores and restaurants: That one Halal cart, Amir’s, M2M, Morton Williams, pretty much anything on Broadway

Cost: 

• $8,522/year (same as Wallach, Harmony, and Nussbaum)

Amenities:

• Bathrooms: Four shared, gender-inclusive bathrooms per floor
• AC/Heating: There’s definitely heating, but there’s no AC.
• Kitchen/Lounge: There are two lounges/kitchens per floor, which amounts to one kitchen/lounge per “suite” (aka a side of one floor). Each of the lounges contains a refrigerator, an oven with a gas range, a dishwasher, a microwave, a dining table that comfortably seats four, a couch or two with some coffee tables, some extra chairs, and a television.
• Laundry: 4 semi-operational washers and dryers, all located in the basement
• Computers/Printers: Computer lab with one printer located in the basement
• Gym: Fitness room available in the basement
• Intra-transportation: One elevator and a stairwell. The basement is only accessible by the elevator.
• Wi-Fi: Yes
• Hardwood/Carpet: Hardwood
• Facilities: Bathrooms are cleaned once weekly by a maintenance crew. Recycling also comes by once a week. However, the cleanliness of the kitchens and the disposal of trash in dorm rooms are the resident’s responsibility.

Room variety:

• Approximately 130 singles, which can be broken down by “approximately 30 large singles” and “approximately 100 small singles.” The rooms vary in size, though the average square footage is around 120 sq. ft. Rooms generally range from 110-145 sq. ft. Check out the floor plans to see a breakdown of square footage and number of windows.
• There is also one walk-through double located on the first floor.

Third floor floorplan

Numbers: 

• Large corner rooms are the first to go, so a point value over 30 is necessary in order to snag one of those big guys.
• Hope is not lost for you 20 point folks… it is possible that juniors (especially with a mixed senior group) can claim spaces in River.

Bwog recommendation:

• After Watt studio singles run out, it’s worth it to consider River singles. The rooms are spacious, there’s a suite-like feel with the shared lounge area, and it’s close in proximity to the slew of restaurants/stores on Broadway while still close to Riverside for your nature fix.
• For 20 point people, don’t bank on River being available when your time rolls around during housing selection. Look at Broadway or Schapiro as a likelier option before River.

Resident opinions:

• “There’s a high bathroom-to-person ratio, which is pretty tight.”
• “As a junior who chose to live in River, I can’t emphasize enough how much better of a choice Broadway would have been. No rats. No roaches. No fucking shitty classical music. Goddamn. #MistakesImWatchingSophomoreFriendsMake.”
• “The RAs are generally pretty hands-off.”
• “It’s kinda far from campus, and walking through the snow to get to class in the winter can get pretty tedious.”
• “Even though the set-up is made to mimic a suite, living River can get kinda isolating. There often seems to be very little interaction.”
• “I was fortunate enough to get one of the big singles, and it’s pretty dope. I’m walking distance from my friends who live in Ruggles, but I don’t have to deal with the issues that accompany multiple-occupancy housing.”
• “River is downhill, which means that it’s an uphill trek whenever you’re going to campus. This is can be particularly daunting on cold mornings.”
• “The walls are thin AF.”

Gallery: