The famed Schapiro Skylounge™.

With an almost flawless location and unique amenities, Schapiro deserves consideration from all Columbia Students. Bwog gives you a detailed account of this gentle giant lurking on 115th.

Location: 605-615 W 115th Street.

Nearby dorms: Furnald, Woodbridge

Stores and restaurants: The UPS Store, the 115th halal cart, Morton Williams, M2M, Vine, Starbucks, Ferris

Cost: Now standard upperclass dorm price of $9,292. The dorm was priced at $7,640 last year. (sorry)

Amenities:

  • Bathrooms: Communal bathrooms. One for men and two for women. Also one ADA single occupancy gender neutral bathroom per floor.
  • AC/Heating: Air conditioning, sometimes with temperature control. Decent heat.
  • Kitchen: Combined kitchen and lounge area. Two ovens, stoves, and microwaves per kitchen. Dark wood cabinetry.
  • Lounge: One on every floor, has a table, sofas, and a television.
  • Laundry: Laundry room in the basement.
  • Computers/Printers: Computer lab with paw print printer located on the first floor.
  • Gym: Gym with cardio machines located on first floor
  • Floor transportation: Three fast elevators (rare specimen at Columbia)
  • Hardwood/Carpet: Hardwood
  • Wi-Fi: Yes

Room variety:

  • Lots of singles. Most around 110 sq ft. A few on the upper floors can get as big as 125 sq ft. A few singles resemble gerrymandered counties (oddlyshaped).
  • Most doubles are between 170 and 200 sq ft. A few awkward vestibule areas that decrease the usable space in the room. There are walkthrough doubles as well, but are tucked right behind the elevators.

Numbers:

  • Singles: Pretty popular, the last single went to 20/1795.
  • Doubles: A decent option for most rising sophomores. The last normal double went to 10/2799 and the last walkthrough double went to 10/2905

Bwog Recommendation:

Location, location, location. Honestly being so close to campus and the Great White Way of Broadway and campus makes Schapiro an excellent option. As well you’re definitely not sacrificing comfort for convenience. Decently sized single and smallish, but not too small doubles are augmented by arguably some of the best amenities of any building at Columbia. A gym, music rooms, and a gorgeous sky lounge make Schapiro a sweet option.
Resident Opinions:

Bwog spoke to sophomore Schapiro resident Brent to see how he liked living there.

  • For me what was important in selecting where I live is location and also what facilities the building has. I go on Broadway a lot, down to Westside market, Milano market, Duane Reade… Proximity to Riverside Park is very important to me as well. Schapiro fit all of that for me.”
  • “It has a really fantastic location, at least for housing you can get as a sophomore.”
  • “I am also a fan of the music practice rooms.”
  • “I really like the exercise room. It’s something you don’t realize you need until you have it. It really cuts the commute to Dodge.”
  • “Very convenient”