Housing is upon us. Bwog’s got you covered; we’ll be rolling out two housing reviews per day until no residence hall is left un-reviewed. Today’s residence hall is… Claremont!

Location: 47 Claremont

  • Nearby dorms: Pretty far from the rest of Columbia’s dorms, but it’s close to Elliot and the 600s.
  • Stores and restaurants:Ollie’s, the Vine, and Mo Willies are by far the closest, and Starbucks, M2M, and various halal carts aren’t too much of a walk. Fairway is pretty close, too. You’ll get used to some great places north of campus you probably never bothered to walk to before: Chapati House, Jin Ramen, Pisticci, Dino BBQ, and Falafel on Broadway. But 1020 and Westside are both distressingly far away.

Cost:

  • $9,076 (same as Watt, Woodbridge, EC, Hogan, and Ruggles)

Amenities:

  • Bathrooms: One per suite, so that can put you at seven heads to one shower. But they are spacious, and renovations make them look less like murder rooms, and more like hotel toilettes.
  • AC/Heating: No AC, but the Claremont wind tunnel and an open window can cool things down considerably. Heating is a bitch and a half. Hulking radiators are hooked to a central thermostat, so that only when all rooms fall below a certain temperature will the heat kick in. Likewise, the radiators will only turn off after all the rooms reach ridiculously high temperatures.
  • Kitchen/Lounge: Aside from EC townhouses, these are some of the largest and nicest kitchens available at Columbia: ample counter and cabinet space, full fridge and freezer, ovens with gas burners, large trash and recycling in the kitchen, and new microwaves complete with fans/vents. On the downside, the kitchen doubles as the lounge for a suite, with a dinky table and a few chairs.
  • Laundry: Laundry in the basement, fairly standard and never that busy.
  • Computers/Printers: Computer lab also in the basement, and the NINJa printer there is frequently jammed.
  • Gym: No gym.
  • Intra-transportation: One elevator, mainly used by those living on the 5th and 6th (the two highest) floors. Fairly speedy, but it is an old elevator with a pull door and has on occasion broken down with students inside for a few minutes.
  • Hardwood/Carpet: Hardwood.

Room variety:

  • 6 3-person suites, all singles.
  • 6 4-person suites, all singles.
  • One 5-person and one 5-person suite on the first floor (one double and the rest singles in each).
  • 10 7-person suites, two large doubles, one large single, one medium single, and one infamously small single (as little as 80 sq. ft.).

Numbers:

  • 3-Person Suites: 25/628
  • 4-Person Suites: 20/543
  • 6-Person Suite on 1st FL: 10/264
  • 7-Person Suites: 10/2277

Bwog recommendation:

    You’ll get used to walking if you have classes in Hamilton or frequent the But. But Claremont can be ideal for science-minded folks with classes in Pupin, Noco, or Math and don’t mind missing out on the debauchery of EC. Claremont avenue is quiet and downright charming, the first floor has a giant mirror that is great for taking full-body mirror selfies, and it’s probably one of the better options for sophomore groups willing to risk an odd numbered group.

Resident opinions:

  • “Claremont wind tunnel is not an urban legend. Barnard swipe access is a must.”
  • “The guards and staff are all super friendly, and they know us and one another. It’s a small building, and they like that it’s quiet.”
  • “It’s not as far from everything as I thought. Still far from everything.”
  • “Non-CU super gets things done very quickly.”
  • “Food options are sparse, but use this to practice ordering in. Or cook. The facilities are great for it.”

Gallery: