Freedom in 1019, ‘Ham House’

This is the sixth in a series of articles exploring next year’s housing options for Boston University students.

If you like long walks on Commonwealth Avenue, Hamilton House, at 1110 Commonwealth Ave., and the dormitories at 1019 Commonwealth Ave. are both dreams come true, residents say.

With cable available and bathrooms inside student residences, students said the pros and cons of ‘Ham House,’ located on Commonwealth Avenue near Packard’s Corner, are fairly cut and dried. But residents said 1019 Commonwealth Ave. is just a small step down from the Student Village, and a step up from most other BU dormitory residences.

Hamilton House consists of 78 studio apartments and accommodates 198 students. Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and private bathroom and residents said basic cable can be installed for $30 to $40.

1019 is on the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Babcock Street, less than a block away from Case Gym and the newly-renovated West Campus dining hall. It is flanked by Planned Parenthood and Mountain Sports.

While rooms are dormitory style and do not come equipped with a kitchen or oven, there is a large living room and private bathroom in each six-person suite. The building houses 275 people.

Some students said compared to large dormitories like the Warren Towers Complex and Claflin, Sleeper and Rich Halls, Hamilton House is clean and accommodating. And that starts with the building’s bathrooms.

‘It stinks in the dorms, like sweat,’ said College of Arts and Sciences freshman Tammi Lee. ‘We have private bathrooms here, so we’re responsible for keeping them clean.’

Many students said the responsibilities of a kitchen-equipped apartment-style housing isn’t for everyone. Students who fail to clean bathrooms and kitchens regularly can expect rats, some said.

College of General Studies sophomore Aaron Thomas Green said friends have had rat problems, which CAS student John Kwon said can create problems throughout apartments. Kwon had rat problems this year.

‘They chew wires,’ Kwon said. ‘You have to find the rat holes and close them up.’

But most students said as long as the apartment is kept clean and food is stored away in the refrigerator, rats are not a problem.

Students said the long distance from Hamilton House to the center of campus is another inconvenience. Even those that attend the College of General Studies at 871 Commonwealth Ave. said the walk is inconveniently long.

Students also said the building’s heating system can be problematic during winter months.

‘In the off-months, there is no problem, but in the winter, the heat is hard to control,’ Green said.

The area around Hamilton House, however, is a plus for many students. With a pizza place and convenience store next door and a supermarket across the street, residents do not have to walk far to find household necessities.

Residents said the building’s large and clean study area is a plus and a bike storage facility in the basement is good for the winter and at night.

Many students said 1019 Commonwealth Ave.’s distance from BU’s central campus was a problem, while others said the distance is a fair exchange for the building’s comfortable and clean suites.

The 1019 residences are mostly sophomores and juniors, and students said it is a relatively difficult building to get into because of its newness and amenities.

Kaushnskaya also said there is a fair amount of freedom in the building.

‘First-floor security is tight, but RAs aren’t,’ Kaushnskaya said. ‘People do get busted, but not as much as they did when I was in Claflin.’

Though the rooms are all six-person suites with three two-person bedrooms per suite, students said privacy is not an issue.

While Kaushnskaya said the building and area was quiet and a good atmosphere for studying, other students said it was hard to fall asleep on weekend nights because of the noise.

‘It’s really loud Friday and Saturday nights until 5 a.m.,’ College of Arts and Sciences freshman Alexei Bochenek said.