Oh the lucky ones that get to live here.

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, but you can usually go through NoCo), three (short-ish) blocks away from Barnard entrance. It’s also three blocks from both the 116th St subway station and the 125th St station.
• 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: $13,712/year, $6,856/semester, according to the Barnard Bursar for the 2025-2026 school 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, but the washers and dryers are in separate rooms. Four of each machine.
• Intra-transportation: Elevator and stairs
• Hardwood/Carpet: Linoleum.
• Bonus: Some rooms have bookshelves, and some suites have an extra closed-off common area! Also, some of the doubles have a dividing wall (see pics below).

Room variety:

• Suite style, three-to-five-person suites.
• Mostly singles, a few doubles on each floor.

Stats from previous year’s housing lottery:

• For the 2025-2026 school year, 73 seniors, 10 juniors, and 0 sophomores picked into 121.

Bwog recommendation:

While 121 has some of the most spacious common areas in Barnard housing, the bedrooms can be relatively small (and shafted) depending on your choice of suite. The walk to campus is pretty short, especially if you’re going to Columbia or Teacher’s College. It’s quick to enter Columbia campus via NoCo, but Barnard is relatively far away. It is right next to a school, so the street facing rooms can be loud in the morning. The building was 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.”
• “The F suite double is the weirdest thing ever.”
• “It is probably the best senior housing you can get with great common room space and kitchen. Just beware that the singles are very different sizes.”

Images via Author

Header and bathroom via Bwarchives