Need to figure out which Barnard building is best for you? Fear not. Welcome to the Bwog housing review of bright 600 W 116th St, barely a step away from Shake Shack and filled with dogs.

Location (address): 600 W 116th Street (on the corner of Broadway)

Nearby Dorms: 616 W 116th, 620 W 116th, the Quad

Nearby Stores/Restaurants: Shake Shack, FedEx Office Print & Ship Center, Wu + Nussbaum, Sweetgreen, Lululemon, Book Culture, Pret a Manger, Morton William’s, Ivy League Stationers

Cost: $5,052 per semester

Amenities:

  • Furniture: A XL Twin bed, desk, chair, dresser, and wardrobe/closet space in each room
  • Common Areas: TV lounge on the 2nd floor
  • Security: 24-hour attendant at the front desk
  • Internet: Wireless internet access (both Barnard Secure and Barnard Guest)
  • Bathrooms: Each suite has its own bathroom; some rooms have private bathrooms
  • Kitchens: Each suite has a kitchen (includes a sink, electric stove/oven, and refrigerator)
  • Flooring: Some suites have linoleum, some have hardwood
  • Laundry: Laundry room located on the 2nd floor (laundry is free in all BC dorms!)
  • Mail/Packages: All students receive mail and packages at the Student Mail Room in Altschul
  • Accessibility: Entrance is wheelchair accessible through the side gate to the basement level
  • Air Conditioning/Heating: No air-conditioning, only heating
    • Window and portable ACs are not permitted

Room Types:

  • 2–7 person suites with mostly double rooms
  • All rooms in the A, B, and C line suites have a view of Broadway or 116th St. E and F lines are shafted
  • 600 has non-Barnard residents and apartments, so the room layout of available suites differs depending on which are permanently occupied

Bwog Recommendations:

  • All of the dorm buildings on 116th (600, 616, and 620) are pretty close to both Columbia and Barnard, despite being off-quad housing. It’s at most a five minute walk to either campus!
  • In the pre-COVID housing lotteries, 600 went to mostly Juniors and a few Sophomore groups.
  • The lack of air-conditioning is troublesome, but cracking a window when you’re too hot or getting a desktop fan can help (especially in the Spring)! If you need A/C because of a disability or medical condition, you should contact the Disability Services office.

Resident Opinions:

  • “As long as you’re not in the F line suite it is wonderful! If you are in the F line you will never see the light.”
  • “My least favorite thing is the spewing heaters. I feel like I’m either living in Antarctica or in the Amazon Rainforest because my heater is either spewing or off so I freeze.”
  • “My favorite thing about 600 is the location and the feeling of independence from living in an apartment!”
  • “Two things I love: all the dog neighbors and having a beautiful view of Columbia’s campus! One thing I don’t love: the windows and radiators are impossible to figure out how to open/turn on. But overall I adore the building and I want to live here next year!”

Photo Gallery:

  • 600’s exterior
  • F-suite bathroom (2019)
  • Galley-style kitchen (2019)
  • Larger view of a messy double (2019)
  • Part of a double
  • Another part of a double
  • Kitchen
  • Dining room
  • Suite hallway (with resident for scale)

600 W 116th entrance/exterior via this Bwogger

room photos via 2019’s housing review (because midterms) and a 2021 resident