Watt is for juniors and seniors looking for classic apartment living complete with private bathrooms. Watt contains deeply sought after studio singles and doubles plus two-person apartments. 

Location: 549 W 113th Street.

  • Nearby dorms: McBain, Nuss, Symposium, frat row, Broadway and Hogan
  • Stores and restaurants: International, Wu + Nuss, Junzi, Milano, Dig Inn (and these are just the things within a block)…
  • Cost: $9,872/yr (standardized cost for 2019-20)

Amenities:

  • Bathrooms: Every studio/apartment has its own private bathroom. Even the studio singles. Even the studio singles. Had to say it twice to give full effect.
  • AC/Heat: There is heating but no AC. So buy a fan, multiple fans, so very many fans.
  • Kitchen/Lounge: While every room has its own very cute, fully equipped (fridge, sink, stove, oven) kitchen, Watt doesn’t have any communal lounges. This is something to keep in mind if you like to really know all your floor-mates.
  • Laundry: Every floor has a washer and a dryer.
  • Fire escapes: Yes, and fire escapes are a staple of Watt. So start singing Moon River a la Audrey Hepburn.
  • Computers/Printers: There is one PawPrint station located on the first floor.
  • Gym: No gym. But count the walk to Dodge as part of your workout.
  • Intra-transportation: The elevator in Watt kind of sucks and is infamous for getting stuck between floors. So take the stairs. And if you do take the elevator, well, you’ve been warned.
  • Hardwood/Carpet: Glorious, glorious hardwood.
  • Facilities: Your bathroom (and now say it with us: your private bathroom) gets cleaned once a week. But you are responsible for taking out your trash and cleaning the kitchen.

Room Variety:

  • 11 studio singles (171 0r 185 sq. ft.). These are complete with their own kitchen and bathroom.
  • 54 studio doubles (200 to 276 sq. ft.). If you are super lucky, studio double 1-O is 317 sq. ft..
  • 12 two-person one-bedroom apartments (Lounges: 200-268 sq. ft.. Bedrooms: 122-162 sq. ft.).  Some people decide to make these the common room a second bedroom; we say if you feel like doing some interior design/reorganization, go for it!
  • 11 two-person two-bedroom apartments (Lounges: 200-268 sq. ft.. Bedrooms: 100-120 sq. ft.). These suites feel like true New York apartment living: kitchen, bathroom, and two bedrooms.

Numbers:

  • The studio single cutoff last year was 30/90 (two years ago: 30/67). These are the most popular, so if you are a senior hope you have a good number, and juniors might want to look elsewhere.
  • The studio double cutoff last year was 20/2738 (two years ago: 20/2981). Juniors have a good chance at getting studio doubles.
  • The one-bedroom apartment cutoff last year was 20/240 (two years ago: 26.6667/1647). These are good for seniors with average lottery numbers.
  • The two-bedroom apartment cutoff last year was 30/803 (two years ago: 30/1229). These are easier to get than studio singles, but still pretty popular. Good chance for seniors with pretty good lottery numbers.

Bwog Recommendation: 

Watt is popular among juniors/seniors and for good reason. Watt has private bathrooms, fire escapes, hardwood, and other amenities that help give it the feel of a private New York apartment. The studio doubles are mainly filled with juniors, while seniors tend to nab the studio singles and the apartments. There aren’t any floor or building lounges, so community bonding is not one of Watt’s attractions, and because of its close proximity to frat row, Watt can get a lot of noise from outside. Despite this, Watt fills up quickly and is a popular choice.

Resident Opinions:

  • “Watt was really great to live in. Lots of natural light, a (very cute) kitchen, your own bathroom, and decently spacious.”
  • “Downsides were that there wasn’t a floor lounge or communal gathering space and that the building is dreadfully close to Beta.”

Pictures (from last year): 

Image via Bwog Archives