creative interpretation of what 110 used to look like

All of us know that Columbia/Barnard housing is hit-or-miss. None of us in our right mind would imagine a luxurious palace replete with marble floors and walls. Here, Bwogger Nikki Shaner-Bradford clues us in on a delicious rumor about Barnard’s 110. 

Barnard’s supposed best-kept housing secret has secrets of its own, hidden within the walls of the inconspicuous lobby. For those unfamiliar with 110, the building is a typical New York residence within which Barnard rents apartments to be used as dorms for students. If you can brave the six-block walk, 110 offers real furniture, speedy work-order fulfillment, legitimate New Yorker Neighbors, and a lovely staff happy to help with any inquiries.

Although most 110 residents are happy to embrace these privileges without question, 110 has a rumor that can provide the most stimulating elevator chat, if you choose to investigate. Corroborated by real-life 110 residents and staff alike, rumor has it that the 110 lobby is actually entirely marble.

Why isn’t this delicacy visible? The lobby’s marble, likely installed back in the days when 110 was a luxury hotel, has been covered over with wood. According to legend, the insurance and upkeep involved in maintaining a marble foyer bears such a financial burden that the building is better off hiding its treasures underneath layers of plywood. If the wood is removed, the 110 staff would be required to clean and repair the marble with a frequency that is not financially sustainable, despite the revenue from Upper West Side rent and Barnard housing. So alas, all Eloise at the Plaza Barnard dreams are futile until further notice.

For now, take solace in the strip of exquisite stone exposed by the first floor elevators. Elegance, at its finest.