Day two of housing selection is here, so you better figure out where you want to live. Today’s review is Harmony, but if you aren’t much of a walker, take a look at the reviews we’ve already posted.

Location: 544 W. 110 St, between Amsterdam and Broadway

• Nearby dorms: Near the College Residence (Barnard, with some Columbia students)
• Stores and restaurants: Near D’Agostino’s and Westside Market. Also close to Chipotle, 5 Guys, 1020, Hungarian. Much closer to Absolute Bagels than most other dorms

Cost:

• $8,522/year ($354 more expensive than last year!)

Amenities:

• Bathrooms: There are 2 bathrooms on each floor. The ratio of showers and toilets to people per floor isn’t seller (3 showers, 11 people :/) .

• AC/Heating: No A/C but there is heating for the cold NYC winter

• Kitchen/Lounge: Large, spacious kitchens with lots of counter space. Floor two has a much smaller kitchen with a separate lounge. Otherwise each kitchen has a table and chairs.They also all have large flat screen TVs with cable.

• Laundry: Four washing machines and four dryers in the basement.

• Computers/Printers: One computer and one printer in the first floor lounge.

• Gym: There is a gym on the second floor with a TV and AC. It has two treadmills and an arc trainer.

• Intra-transportation: One very small and pretty slow elevator. Steep stair case.

• Wifi: duh

• Hardwood/Carpet: Hardwood floors in rooms and common spaces and tiles in the bathrooms.

• Bike storage: Bike storage room in the basement, bike rack outside.

Room Variety:

• So much room variety. Rooms range from 79 to 160 sqft. So either smaller than a John Jay single or very spacious.
• There are 80 singles and 6 doubles, 4 of which are on the second floor.

Numbers:

• Harmony Hall Single: 10/2992
• Harmony Hall Double: 10/2484
• Harmony Hall is mostly juniors, but it is possible to get a single here as a sophomore. A very small single probably.

Bwog recommendation:

Don’t underestimate the distance: if it’s an effort to go to Westside for groceries this probably won’t be the dorm for you. But still, if you are looking for something that feels a bit less like a college residence hall, this might be a good choice. The amenities (especially the kitchens) are very nice. And even though it is a hall style dorm, each floor is still fairly small and doesn’t feel as huge and impersonal as Broadway and Schapiro can.

Resident opinions:

• “The facilities are really nice, like it’s not going to pull a McBain and have its ceiling fall on you, but it’s just for really quiet people. It’s pretty anti-social. My RA calls it a Ghost Town. And holy Jesus does it get hot.”
• “Even being three blocks away from the other dorms gives you a sense of space. It’s a straight shot to Central Park, and it’s the closest walk home from the subway.”
• “Lots of natural light.”
• “My 89 sqft single was too small, and I moved out second semester.”
• “HARMONY IS THE SHIT. seriously though, if you don’t mind walking a few extra blocks every day (it’s really not that bad unless the snow traps you crossing 110th street) this is the perfect residence hall. sure, it’s quiet. but it’s also clean, close to everything but campus (chipotle, westside, 1020, the subway, subway, etc. etc. are all 1-2 minutes away), and has the best staff ever. Also, the printer almost always works and i never have to worry about the laundry machines being fucked up.”