Housing Reviews 2018: Wien

Hey, Wien can be pretty too

Located directly in front of PrezBo’s multi-million dollar house, Wien naturally comes up short. But we don’t think it deserves its bad rap—especially for rising sophomores and juniors who can snag renovated singles. Who doesn’t love a good sink?

Location: 411 West 116th Street, between Amsterdam and Morningside (right by Morningside Park)

Nearby Dorms: East Campus

Stores and Restaurants: 116 halal cart, HamDel, Arts and Crafts, Strokos, Friedman’s, Artopolis, and arguably…1020

Cost: standardized $9,538/year

Amenities:

Bathrooms: Two communal bathrooms on each floor, separated by gender, with 3 stall showers each. One gender-neutral, wheelchair-accessible bathroom on each floor.
AC/Heating: No A/C, and the radiator is super-powerful. Perfect for hot yoga!
Laundry: Free laundry on the second floor.
Kitchen: The building’s lone full kitchen is on the second floor, but floor lounges also have kitchen-y elements, such as a stovetop, microwave, and sink.
Lounges: There is a large, echo-y building lounge on the first floor that is often reserved for dance group practices and events. But never fear: you can always use your floor lounge, each equipped with a TV, armchairs, table, and half-kitchen. Except the second floor; you’re out of luck.
Computers/Printing: The computer lab is on the second floor and has both PCs and a Mac (in addition to two printers). If you’re in a rush, you can print at the machine by the front desk.
Floor: Hardwood flooring in rooms on floors 3, 4, and 5, with four additional floors receiving renovations this summer (specifics TBD). The remaining rooms have tile flooring.
Elevators: Two speedy elevators that are rarely out of commission.
Bonus: And you absolutely cannot forget—your very own sink! Feel free to, in the privacy of your own room, floss, brush your teeth, scrape your tongue, wash your underwear, and apply clay masks. Beauty is pain! As an aside, renovated rooms (Floors 3, 4, 5, and an additional four as of this summer) have much nicer-looking sinks, with cabinets under, large mirrors, and overhead lighting. It’s also pretty nifty to have the package center in your own building.

Room Breakdown:

283 singles; these hover around 120 square feet, though the -44 line runs large (145 square feet) until the tenth floor. Floors 10 through 12 have lower square footage but nicer views.
16 doubles; these are around 200 square feet, slightly smaller than a typical Carman double.
29 walk-through doubles, of which 8 are classified as “big.” Big walk-through doubles can be a combined 290 square feet and are the next best thing after a single. Normal walk-through doubles are around 250 square feet, asymmetrically distributed.

Numbers:

Singles: 10/1738 (Singles are always in the reach of juniors, so only sophomores have to worry about getting a decent number.)
Doubles: 10/2955
Walk-through Doubles: 10/2881

Bwog Recommendation:

Wien may bear a slight resemblance to the asylum that it replaced, but if you’re a rising sophomore looking for a single, it’s your best bet, especially if you have a sub-2,000 lottery number. Renovated rooms have new flooring, sinks, and radiators, so go for those if your number allows. (And if you care more about views than #hardwood, higher floors with east-facing windows have lovely views of Morningside and Central Park). Walk-through doubles are also not bad, but if you’re in search of/stuck with a typical double, other buildings do them better.

Additionally: when singles become scarce for sophomores, the all-female floor makes it so women have a slightly better chance at getting Wien (as opposed to an inhumanely small/distant Harmony single).

Resident Opinions:

“I chose Wien to be near the package center. It was actually a really big factor.”
“It’s not a social dorm at all, but I really don’t mind. EC is right next door if I’m in the mood to vomit.”
“My sink is my child.”
“The walls are so incredibly thin – I can tell you exactly what kind of candles my neighbor uses, and when the girl five doors down finishes.”