Who cares about small rooms when you’re so close to the best that New York City has to offer (Milstein and Riverside Park)!

Location: 49 Claremont (119th Street and Claremont)

Nearby dorms: The Barnard Quad, 600, 616, and 620 (also right next to Columbia’s Claremont dorm)

Stores and restaurants: While there are no stores on the same block, Elliott is close enough to campus that all the Broadway and 116 stores (Shake Shack, Pret, Morton Williams) and food trucks are just around the corner.

Cost: $12,438 per year and $6,219 per semester

Amenities:

• Bathrooms: Two shared bathrooms on each floor with two showers, two bathroom stalls, and three sinks.
• AC/Heating: Each room has an AC/heater unit that can be controlled for temperature and air (it normally switches from AC to heat in October)
• Kitchen: Each floor has two kitchens, one on either side of the hallway, with two sinks, an oven, electric stoves, a microwave, and a table with chairs.
• Lounge: Each floor has a lounge with a big table, some chairs, a couch, armchairs, and a TV.
• Laundry: There is a laundry room in the basement with four washing machines and four dryers.
• Printing: There is one printer in the lobby.
• Elevators: There is one elevator that goes to all floors.
• Hardwood/Carpet: Rooms, bathrooms, and kitchens have linoleum floors, while hallways and lounges have carpeted floors.

Room variety:

• Corridor-style doubles and singles.
• Each floor has two 12-person “suites,” which include two doubles, eight singles, a bathroom, and a kitchen.

Bwog recommendation:

I had heard horror stories about how small Elliott rooms were, so I was kind of dreading move-in day, but I quickly realized that it wasn’t actually that bad. I was in a double so we had more space than those living in the singles. Elliott is a pretty quiet building (other than our above-average rates of setting off the fire alarm), and the proximity to both campus and Riverside Park meant that it was really easy to get some nature time and then lock in at Milstein. The Milstein entrance is closed on weekends, which is a little annoying, but getting to wake up 10 minutes before class and not be late made up for it. This year, Barnard started construction on Altschul, and the power-tool usage does start pretty early in the morning (in my opinion), so I would recommend you invest in a sturdy pair of earplugs or noise-canceling headphones, especially if you plan on sleeping with the windows open.

Resident opinions:

• “Elliott isn’t the worst place I’ve ever lived. The construction at 8 am on Saturdays was super annoying, but my floor had good vibes, and we all got along pretty well. Also, I liked not having to clean the bathrooms and kitchen (shoutout hallway dorms).”
• “Living in Elliott for almost 6 months (omgg) has grown on me so much!! My corridor-style double is so so cozy, my roomie is the best, and we’re so close to campus (thankful for this in this treacherous weather).”
• “Definitely one of the best (slightly forced) decisions I’ve ever made! Everyone here is so chill and friendly.”

Photos via Bwog Archives