Trying to figure out where to live next year? Does your lottery number got you feeling down? If so, we have the perfect series for you. Enjoy the first of many updated housing reviews with our take on 600 West 113th Street, more commonly known as Nussbaum.  

nuss
 Location: 600 West 113th St. (colloquially known as Nussbaum)

  • Nearby dorms: McBain, Watt, and (sort of) Hogan and Broadway. Also close to the frat houses on 113th, if that’s your thing.
  • Stores and restaurants: Nussbaum & Wu, Milano, Community, Dig Inn, Amigo’s, and, most importantly, International Wine & Spirits.

Cost: $9,108/year (same as Harmony, Hartley, and Wallach)

Amenities:

  • Bathrooms: They definitely vary from suite to suite–some rooms have private bathrooms, some suites have single-person bathrooms, and some suites have a bathroom with stalls. We recommend checking out the suites you’re thinking of picking into before actually picking.
  • AC/Heating: No AC, and the building uses a steam heating system. Some heaters make loud, weird noises.
  • Kitchen/Lounge: Lounges are rare, but each suite has a kitchen or shares a kitchen with the suite next to them. The kitchens were remodeled three years ago, but they all have a refrigerator, stove, microwave, sink, and lots of counter and shelf space.
  • Laundry: Laundry is done in the basement. A group of cats live in the basement. Be prompt about collecting your laundry, because if someone takes it out and puts it on top of the washer, a cat may pee on it.
  • Computers/Printers: One printer in the lobby. No computer lounge.
  • Gym: Nope.
  • Intra-transportation: A set of stairs and two elevators. The elevators are slow and the doors take forever to close, but the elevators rarely fill up.
  • Wifi: Wifi and ethernet.
  • Hardwood/Carpet: All floors are hardwood or fake hardwood.
  • Facilities: Some of the floors in Nussbaum are undergrad housing, while others are apartments for grad students and non-affiliates. Because of this, Nuss has its own non-Columbia maintenance crew which cleans the kitchens and bathrooms once or twice a week. Maintenance requests are usually resolved within a day, too.

nuss floor planRoom variety:

  • Doubles: 82, varying between 154 to 210 sq. feet. Walk-through doubles are about 220 sq. feet.
  • Singles: 35–some of them are quite large, at 160 sq. feet, while others that are converted lounges come in at about 100 sq. feet.
  • Rooms on higher floors facing the river have beautiful views.

Numbers:

  • It was easy to get a good double last year because the recent renovations in McBain made it a hot commodity for freshmen. The last double went to 10/2965. Walk-through doubles were harder to get, but the last one went to 10/2331.
  • Last year was tougher for sophomores looking for singles–the last one went to 20/1658.

Bwog recommendation:

  • Nuss is a great location for rising sophomores who are social but aren’t trying to live in filth in McBain (despite its renovations, McB’s still known for raucous parties and residents who don’t keep their living space clean).
  • It’s not technically suite-style (you don’t pick in as a suite, but as doubles), but with sophomore split-up, a group can usually all select into the same suite.
  • RAs are relaxed, but there isn’t a sense of community on floors.

Resident opinions:

  • “Nuss is quiet, but not oppressively so. There are parties on the weekends, but you won’t have a noise problem when you’re going to bed on weeknights.”
  • “Because McBain was quicker to go than usual last year, there seems to have been somewhat of a cultural shift in Nuss in that there are fewer antisocial people.”
  • “Wood floors, high ceilings, and big windows. The higher floors get lots of sunlight.”
  • “It’s nice if you have a single-person bathroom in your suite, but if there isn’t one in the suite next to you, people from that suite may come over to use your bathroom. It can get frustrating, especially if you need to shower and you’re gonna be late for class.”
  • “It’s right above Nussbaum & Wu, and the bagels from there make up a significant portion of my diet.”
  • “The walls are thin AF. Once I woke up at 3 a.m. because I heard my suitemate having sex in the bathroom.”
  • “Nuss forever. If you live in McBain, you probably try too hard socially.”

Gallery:

Floorplan via Columbia Housing