You’ll feel like a “real” adult living in this Barnard dorm!

Location: 217 Manhattan Ave, between Central Park and Morningside Park, at the corner of 110th St.

Nearby Dorms: The closest dorms, Harmony and 110 are about a 6-8 minute walk away. Other than that, nearby is a relative term.

Stores and Restaurants: Starbucks, Central Markets (small grocery store), Cafe Amrita, Larry’s Freewheeling (bike store offering rentals), Giovanni’s Pizza, Deli 360, The Drink, Cathedral Wine & Liquor, a halal cart with all the trimmings, Subway, and an actual subway stop (B & C trains)

Cost: $5,052 per semester (Spring 2021 rates)

Amenities:

• Bathrooms: Each suite has at least one bathroom with two showers (one with a bathtub), two vanities, two sinks, and a toilet. Six-person suites also have an additional bathroom which has a toilet, sink, and bathtub.
• AC/Heating: CG rooms have both AC and heating.
• Kitchen: Each suite has a kitchen with a stove, oven, sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, and lots of storage cabinets (for all your cooking needs).
• Lounge: All of the suites have pretty sizable shared spaces. There’s also a lounge on the 10th floor with a TV and lots of couches and tables.
• Laundry: The laundry room is on the 10th floor, with four washing machines and eight dryers.
• Computers/Printing: There are a computer and printer in the 10th-floor lounge, but it doesn’t use Paw Print, so you’ll have to print your things out manually on the computer.
• Gym: Nope. But Central Park is one block east and Morningside Park is one block north.
• Hardwood/Carpet: All suites are equipped with hardwood floors.
• Wifi: Each room has its own wifi router.

Room Variety:

• Five six-person suites: four with all singles, one with four singles and one double
• Three five-person suites: singles with one double
• Five four-person suites: four with two singles and a double, one with all singles
• Four singles and five doubles available within suites

Numbers:

CG is generally popular among seniors and juniors with high lottery numbers. Due to the addition of 121—more juniors were able to pick into CG, however, juniors were only able to pick into suites with doubles. Bwog’s 2020 numbers provide the following lottery number cut-offs for CG: 250/9 for 6-person all single suites, 240/20 for 5-person (3 singles, 1 double) suites, 300/23 for 4-person all singles suites, and 200/43 for 4-person (2 singles, 1 double) suites. The first number of the cut-off is the average class-year of the group (e.g. 250 for a 6-person group means 3 seniors, 3 juniors). The second number denotes their lottery slot.

Bwog Recommendation:

A lot of people who live in CG absolutely adore it. While the walk to campus (especially in winter) can be daunting, there are tradeoffs to be made in dorm choosing. If proximity to campus is a deal-breaker for you, CG may not be the way to go. However, as one resident last year said: “I actually really enjoy the walks I take to class every morning because they give me a chance to get some fresh air, especially walking along Morningside Park.” Barnard also has shuttle services to and from campus, in addition to various bus and subway lines in the area. CG’s amenities are some of the best at Barnard—with tons of natural light, large living spaces, and even a dishwasher. It typically goes fairly quickly in housing selections, but with the addition of 121 as the hot dorm of the hour, some junior groups may have a chance at this beauty.

Resident Opinions:

• “The walk isn’t as bad as you think it is.”
• “You never have to worry about being shafted in CG which is beautiful.”
• “Having a dishwasher is highly underrated.”
• “If you don’t feel like walking back from campus, the shuttle is easily accessible.”
• “Living in CG has allowed me to go to a lot more cafes and restaurants in Harlem that I probably wouldn’t have gone to if I lived closer to campus.”

Photos:

all images via Bwarchives