Clean suites with good views and spacious common areas. Is the glamor of apartment-style living worth the walk?

Location: 217 Manhattan Avenue

• Nearby dorms: None
• Stores and restaurants: Morningside Park Farmers Market (Saturdays, 9:00am – 2:00pm), Central Markets, Moms Food Market, Café Amrita, Miss Mamie’s Spoonbread Too 

Cost

Was $12,438 this year, so expect a slightly higher number.

Amenities

Bathrooms: One per suite. Contains one shower, one bathtub, two sinks, and one toilet. The shower and toilet have their own door to allow multiple people to use the bathroom at once.

AC/Heating: Both! AC and heat are fully adjustable as well.

Kitchen: Each suite has a kitchen with a sink, gas stove/oven, dishwasher, and refrigerator.

Lounge: Tenth floor. Houses a Steinway upright piano.

Laundry: Also on the tenth floor.

Fire escapes: No.

Gym: No.

Intra-transportation: Two good elevators and a staircase. The entrance is wheelchair accessible as well.

Hardwood/Carpet: All hardwood floors.

Bike Storage: No. Some people store their bikes in the hallway, which can get annoying.

Room Variety

• In total, there are 18 suites.
  • There is a mix of four-, five-, and six-person suites.
  • Most rooms are singles, but there is one double in almost every suite as well.
  • See the floor plans for more specific information.

Stats

According to Barnard’s website, Cathedral Gardens houses upperclass students; mostly juniors and seniors. Generally, juniors comprise the majority.

Bwog Recommendation

Cathedral Gardens is a lovely choice for juniors who want the freedoms an apartment affords and are willing to walk for it. The suites are clean, well-lit, and always at a nice temperature thanks to the adjustable controls. The kitchen and bedrooms are on the smaller side, but they get the job done, and the enormous living room makes throwing parties easy and comfortable.

The main drawback is the distance from campus. On a good day, it’s about a fifteen minute walk uphill, which can be annoying, but the views are great if you walk up Morningside Drive. Students can also have packages sent straight to the building, eliminating the pain and suffering of carrying them home.

Something special about this dorm is that it’s also inhabited by professors and real people. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll meet someone’s golden retriever!

Anecdotes

• “I feel like a real person and not like I’m living in a rat box of a dorm. It’s clean. There’s AC. No one’s shafted.”
• “I’m a big fan of the golden retriever that lives next door.”

Header image via Barnard ResLife

Photos via Bwog Staff