121 is a charming option for rising juniors and seniors.

Location: 537 W. 121st St (South corner of Broadway and 121st).

• Nearby dorms: About one block west of Plimpton. One block away from Columbia (may have to walk further depending on gate closures), three (short-ish) blocks away from Barnard entrance
• Stores and restaurants: Right above Olive Tree Deli and Broadway Au Lait. About one block away from places around Plimpton (Appletree Market, Dunkin Donuts, etc.).

Cost: $13,122 per year and $6,561 per semester for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Amenities: 

• Bathrooms: One bathroom per suite with a shower, sink, and toilet
• AC/Heating: Window AC units and heating; heating can often get too hot during the colder months
• Kitchen: Each suite has a kitchen with a sink, fridge, oven/stove, and some have dishwashers
• Lounge: Very large first-floor lounge with a public bathroom
• Laundry: Basement laundry room 
• Intra-transportation: Elevator and stairs
• Hardwood/Carpet: All hardwood floors
• Bonus: Some rooms have bookshelves, and some suites have an extra closed-off common area! Also, some of the doubles have a dividing wall.

Room variety:

• Suite style, three-to-five-person suites
• Mostly singles, one or two doubles on each floor

Stats from the 2024 Housing Lottery:

• Out of the 82 students that picked into 121 last year, 88% (72) were rising seniors and 12% (10) were rising juniors
• All 32 of the four-person suites were picked by rising seniors. 72% of the 35 available five-person suites were picked by rising seniors, and 28% were picked by rising juniors. All available rooms in the 123 lottery were chosen by rising seniors

Bwog recommendation:

While 121 has some of the most spacious common areas in Barnard housing, the bedrooms can be relatively small depending on your choice of suite. The walk to campus is pretty short, especially if you’re going to Columbia or Teacher’s College, and being north of campus, 121 is on a much quieter street than most Barnard buildings. It’s also recently renovated and has gorgeous interiors and great kitchens (some of which come with a dishwasher!), not to mention the legendary bookshelves. While you probably don’t have a shot if you’re not a rising junior or senior, there is a chance to be placed into 121 on the guaranteed list.

Resident opinions:

• “Gorgeous kitchens. Also, you can sit on the fire escapes which is fun.”
• “Good water pressure.”
• “Make sure you check the room dimensions before picking in.”

Double via Barnard ResLife

All other photos via Bwog Archives