On-campus residence life is often crucial in defining a student’s college experience. As you prepare to move in to your freshman year residence hall, be aware of aspects such as a building’s location, social atmosphere, proximity to food and the importance of having a private bathroom when packing for the journey ahead.
Crawford Hall
2119 H Street
Housing 158 freshmen in singles, doubles, and quads, Crawford Hall combines the benefits of a central location with the eccentricities of an old building. Small rooms, dust, a slow elevator and heat are just a few of the complaints Crawford’s residents are likely to discuss in casual conversation.
Crawford’s location is hard to beat. Across the street from Gelman Library, Starbucks and Kogan Plaza, and on the same block as the Marvin Center, the hub of GW life is at your doorstep.
“The best thing hands down about Crawford is the location,” said junior Vanessa Quirk, a former resident of the H Street building. The one drawback of the great location? “It’s noisy. all of the time,” Quirk said.
Junior Marissa Lazo liked the location for a different reason. “I never had to look up the weather on my computer or on TV,” she said. “My roommate and I would just look out our window which faced Kogan Plaza to see what everyone else had on for the day.”
Lafayette Hall
2100 I Street
At the corner of 21st and Eye streets, Lafayette Hall’s location is a major pro for residents. Sophomore Rick Westerkamp liked Lafayette’s proximity to the Marvin Center and the Foggy Bottom Metro stop, which is two blocks away.
Lafayette is also one block away from the School of Media and Public Affairs and across the street from The Shops at 2000 Penn, which houses popular student dining venues such as Au Bon Pain, Bertucci’s and Johnny Rockets.
Westerkamp also liked Lafayette’s size. Home to 169 freshmen in doubles, triples and four-person suites, Lafayette’s halls were small enough to enable him to get to know everyone. “My floor was extremely close, and I think in a bigger dorm I would not have had that experience,” he said.
Another aspect of Lafayette living that is conducive to meeting new people is Lafayette’s lone, tiny, metal-covered elevator. Chatting with someone when you are nearly standing on top of that individual is likely.
For sophomore Sreya Talasila, one major drawback to Layayette was her bathroom, which she described as small, cramped, and dirty. “The plaster from the ceiling rained down in the shower more than one time.”
Thurston Hall
1900 F Street
Although Thurston is not officially the second most sexually active dorm in the country as is rumored, accepting this myth is not hard to believe after watching students raid Thurston’s free condom bowl on a Friday night. But with 1,116 freshmen under one roof, it is hard to imagine anything free wouldn’t be gone in a matter of minutes.
Thurston’s location at 1900 F Street is a short walk to Kogan Plaza, Gelman Library and the Marvin Center, but it’s even closer to the Elliot School of International Affairs’ E Street building and the National Mall. Thurston’s doubles, triples, quads and six person rooms are some of the most spacious available to freshman anywhere on campus.
The main pro and con of living in Thurston is the social atmosphere. “It’s just so social that I felt like I should be out down the hall hanging out with some of my friends instead of doing work,” said sophomore and former Thurston resident Hayley Waringer.
“I think Thurston really taught me how to just go with the flow, because that’s kind of what you have to do when thrown into life with (more than 1,000) other people with completely different personalities and view-points,” said sophomore and former Thurston resident Katy Calcaterra, “I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, although I would never wish to go through it again.”
Madison Hall
736 22nd Street
Though last year the dorm housed sophomores, this year Madison will host 222 freshmen in doubles, triples, quads and six-person rooms. Junior Joe Buono was disappointed by Madison and said the dorm’s rooms were small and its elevator crushingly slow.
“I would say it’s probably the least desirable living situation one can encounter at GW,” he said.
However, one positive aspect of living in Madison is its location. Madison is across the street from Gelman Library and less than one block from Marvin Center, Duques and Funger Halls and the Academic Center. Additionally, Madison is a short walk from the Foggy Bottom Metro stop and one of the on-campus residence halls closest to the Safeway supermarket located inside the Watergate shopping complex.
Mitchell Hall
514 19th Street
Mitchell is a mixed-class, singles-only residence hall located next to Thurston. Like its neighbor dorm, Mitchell is a fair distance from the Marvin Center, the Academic Center and Gelman Library, but Mitchell nonetheless appeals to students who value privacy and quiet nights over large spaces and an immediate, proximate social scene.
For sophomore Hyder Ramatala, having a room to himself was a major plus. “The room is cozy, but it’s nice to be able to have your own space and own time. You can come and go from the room without disturbing anyone,” he said.
Bathrooms in Mitchell are shared among residents of each floor, a quality many students find less desirable than a private bath, an amenity most GW dorms are afforded.
One unique benefit for freshmen living in Mitchell is the opportunity to get to know students from other grade levels. Mitchell is one of only two dorms available to freshman that allow this type of day-to-day interaction. In addition, 7-11 is located in the building’s basement.
Strong Hall
620 21st Street
Strong is the only single-sex residence hall at GW, and it houses 116 women of mixed classes. Residents live in either singles with a community bathroom, or in connected doubles with a shared bathroom.
Strong also has a reputation for being a “quiet” residence, which junior Lindsay Brayton found to be both a pro and a con.
“(Strong) is quiet, which is nice, but the down side is that it is hard to meet people in the dorm,” she said, adding that Strong’s central location is one of its advantages.
“It was close to everything on campus,” Brayton said. Strong is located on 21st Street about halfway between the Elliot School and Gelman Library, and happens to be across the street from TONIC, the newest eatery on campus.
Strong also boasts an attractive roof top deck, a rare amenity among the residence halls at GW.
Somers Hall
2100 Foxhall Road
Somers houses 246 freshmen in singles, doubles and double suites. The benefits and drawbacks of living in Somers depend on whether or not you enjoy the quiet, laid back confines of ‘the Vern’ over the urban atmosphere of Foggy Bottom.
The Mount Vernon campus can seem boring and inconvenient to those more likely to favor life in Thurston.
“If you’re the kind of person who would enjoy living in Thurston, you probably won’t like Somers,” said sophomore Sarah Peacock, a former Somers resident. “As a dorm, Somers was very friendly and open . most of the friends I have now are people that I met while living in Somers.”
Other freshmen housing options on the Mount Vernon Campus include Merriweather Hall, which houses 43 freshmen in doubles and double suites and Hensley Hall, which houses 39 students, most of whom are freshmen, in singles, doubles, and double suites.
