It really isn’t as bad as everyone says!

Location: 1235 Amsterdam Ave. (121st and Amsterdam)

  • Nearby dorms: 537 W. 121st, and Columbia dorms EC and Wien.
  • Stores and restaurants: Dunkin’ Donuts and Appletree Market are directly beneath Plimpton. Some other restaurants nearby are Massawa (Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine), Pho Amsterdam (delicious pho, delicious bahn mi!), Dun Huang (Chinese cuisine), and Dragon Sushi (cheap and delicious Japanese cuisine).

Cost:

  • $13,712/year, $6,856/semester, according to the Barnard Bursar for the 2025-2026 school year.

Amenities:

  • Bathrooms: Each suite has one shared bathroom.
  • AC/Heating: There is a heater in every bedroom with low/high settings, though they both pretty much do the same thing. In October, they switch the unit from air conditioning to heat.
  • Kitchen: There is one kitchen for every suite. It has a refrigerator, oven, gas stovetop, sink, and LOTS of cabinet space.
  • Lounge: Every suite has a dining table with four chairs. On the first floor, there is a study lounge, a computer lab, and a piano lounge. There is a sitting area outside as well, with some seating/picnic tables.
  • Laundry: There is a shared laundry room for the entire building in the basement, with six washing machines and six dryers. They are usually working.
  • Computers/Printing: Plimpton has a computer lab! It has three Dell PCs, one Mac PC, and one B&W PawPrint printer in the lobby.
  • Gym: Dodge is closest. Pro tip: enter campus through the Schermerhorn extension entrance for the fastest route.
  • Bike Storage: There is a bike rack outside the entrance.
  • Intra-transportation: Two (pretty small) elevators and a stairwell that goes up all 15 floors and down to the basement.
  • Hardwood/Carpet: Fake hardwood in the dorms, but it looks pretty nice! Tile in the kitchen/bathroom.

Room variety:

  • Besides the lobby, every suite from floors 2-15 is identical, and there are four suites per floor. They are all six-person suites in an A, B, C, D configuration.
  • Each suite has four single dorms and one double dorm. Each of the singles has one window, but the double has two!

Stats from previous year’s housing lottery:

  • For the 2025-2026 school year, 19 seniors, 43 juniors, and 192 sophomores picked into Plimpton.

Bwog recommendation:

I used to believe the Plimpton hate. My freshman year, people talked about living in Plimpton like it meant being condemned to live in purgatory for two semesters. That could not be further from the truth!! Sure, it might be a bit far from campus and the subway, but access to the A/C and B/D trains at the 125th station makes up for it. Also, many parts of the suites feel really new. Do not be scared of Plimpton!! Give her a chance!!

Resident opinions:

  • “All the stuff in our bathroom is actually new. Like the shower, toilet, all that.”
  • “It’s not as bad as everyone says!”
  • “Having a single as a sophomore makes it totally worth it.” 
  • “I love that I get to live with all my friends!”

Image via Bwarchives