There’s no catchy song about John Jay, but it doesn’t mean you should sleep on sleeping here.

An astonishingly alliterate housing hall, John Jay provides hotel-style living with desirable amenities like two whole food places inside, also sort of like a hotel.

Location: 511 W. 114th Street, New York, NY 10027 (Right next to Butler!)

Nearby dorms: Hartley & Wallach & Butler, where students actually sleep sometimes.

Stores and restaurants: Hamilton Deli, John Jay (the dining hall), JJ’s Place, Arts and Crafts.

Cost: $8,412 (Standardized for freshpeople)

Amenities: Nice piano lounge on the first floor, pajama access to two dining halls, vending machines, health center on the 4th floor, printers in the lobby

  • Bathrooms: Shared single-use bathrooms on each floor.
  • AC/Heating: No AC, but there’s heat
  • Kitchen/Lounge: Each floor has a lounge with a counter and a microwave. There’s also a giant whiteboard but unfortunately it’s BYOMarkers.
  • Laundry: Free laundry in the basement, though it’s nearly always nearly full.
  • Fire Escapes/Bike Storage: Nope
  • Computers/printers: Two Paw Print stations on your way out the door, which will come in clutch for the assignments you will write the morning before class. There is also a computer lounge in Hartley.
  • Intra-transportation: Two slow elevators. One goes to 13 and the other goes to 14, so you will be walking that last flight if you are placed on the 15th floor.
  • Hardwood/carpet: Hardwood in rooms, carpet in halls.
  • WiFi: Yes; it’s fast!
  • Room variety: Singles are about 100 sqft. with the exception of the giant penthouse suites on the 15th floor. There are also a couple of doubles on each floor.

Bwog recommendations:

  • John Jay is a great compromise choice between the extroverted party animals of Carman and the introverted homebodies of Wallach and Hartley. The single-use bathrooms are great because no one will ever kick you out if you take forever in the shower, and the privacy of a single can be great if you like making your space your own. However, while the walk-through doubles are a great option, the traditional double on each floor is cramped and dark, so think carefully before you sign up for a double.
  • Having pajama-access to two dining halls, one of which is open 22 hours a day, is an unrivaled privilege. Having printers in the lobby and being steps away from Butler can also come in handy more often than you’d expect.
  • While elevator politics can get out of hand, John Jay folk are generally kind and outgoing, though they value their privacy as well.

Resident opinions:

  • “I don’t understand why both elevators can’t go to my floor.” (A floor 14-er)
  • “The personal space in John Jay is great, especially how it can be communal when you want it to be.”
  • “Every friend I have who doesn’t live in John Jay wishes they did.”
  • “It’s alright. I feel like that sums it up pretty good.”
  • “Lock the bathroom door because people don’t always knock.”