Second in a series of stories detailing housing options available to Boston University students for the 2004-05 academic year.
Peace, quiet and private bathrooms may not be what most people picture when they think of dorm life, but they are a reality for students living at Hamilton House and 1019 Commonwealth Ave.
“The security and amenities are very similar to those of a larger dorm,” said Jennifer Battaglino, area director of 1019 and Ham House. “However, the pull of a smaller dorm is that you’re more likely to get to know the people in your building.”
Though some students said they are close with floormates, most think that suite- and apartment-style residences are less friendly than traditional dorms.
“The doors aren’t even made to stay open,” College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Kristen Tinge said. “We had to literally unscrew the door from its hinges. If you don’t make the effort to get to know people, you won’t.”
But College of Communication sophomore Shelby VanVliet said fewer residents means running into the same people more often.
“It’s a small building so you know who lives here,” VanVliet said. “You know the guard, so if you forget your ID, he knows that you live here and it isn’t a problem.”
Situated on the corner of Babcock Street and Commonwealth Avenue near West Campus, 1019 houses approximately 260 students in six-person suites. Each suite has three doubles, a common room and a connected bathroom.
Students say common rooms available in 1019 encourage socialization among suitemates.
“I moved in this suite because it was one of the only places that could accommodate my group of six friends,” said COM senior Kevin Higgins, who lives in 1019. “However, with six guys, it’s rough keeping the bathroom clean.”
Ham House, located at 1110 Commonwealth Ave., provides apartment-style housing to approximately 200 students. Most apartments are studios for two people, with a bathroom and kitchenette. But there are six-person apartments with three double bedrooms located on the sixth and seventh floors as well as some single apartments.
While most students living at 1019 agreed it is a nice, clean building, students at Hamilton House say they are not so lucky.
“This is one of the ugliest buildings on campus,” said CAS freshman Terry O’Brien.
Also, the building’s two elevators are currently being replaced, so only one is in working order.
“The stairs don’t open into the first floor, and you can’t get into the stairwell from outside the building, so when the elevator breaks, there is a real problem,” CAS junior Emily Quinn said.
Quinn, who has lived in Hamilton House for two years, liked the social opportunities of the suite she had last year more than the studio apartment she has now.
“It was great to have a common room so that when you had people over they didn’t have to be sitting on your bed to watch TV,” she said.
Quinn said, on the whole, Hamilton House has an atmosphere that is very conducive to studying.
“If you want someplace quiet, this is the place for you,” she said.