Though sometimes forgotten amidst the high-rise apartments and luxury suites available, Myles Standish and Danielsen Halls offer a quaint style of living for those who love vintage scenery.
Myles, located in Kenmore Square, was built in 1920 as a luxury hotel and purchased by Boston University in 1949.
“You have a sense of history there,” said BU Director of Housing Marc Robillard. “It gives it a more home-like feeling.”
Robillard said that Myles’ location provides students with a unique living environment not available in other places on campus.
“I think there’s a certain life to Kenmore Square,” he said. “I think Myles has a certain charm too.”
The dorm features both suite-style and single-dorm living, while the attached Myles Annex contains singles, doubles and triples. The rate for a double/single in a suite is $8,760 for the 2010-11 year, and the rate for a single with private bath is $11,120.
“It gives people the ability to have groups of friends who want to live together,” Robillard said.
Rooms in the Myles Annex are priced at the standard minimum rate of $7,980.
The Myles Annex provides students with a more dorm-like environment, although its location within Myles is less than convenient, Robillard said.
“It’s hard to get to the Annex, let’s face it,” he said.
Alex Barrett, a College of Arts and Sciences sophomore and resident of Myles, said she was hesitant to live on East Campus after living on West Campus her freshman year, but is glad she made the switch.
“I like the atmosphere,” she said. “It’s a nice place to live.”
Barrett said she likes how the rooms are quiet enough for studying.
“It’s the right amount of privacy,” she said.
Although the BU Shuttle doesn’t stop at Myles, Barrett said she doesn’t mind the distance to campus.
“The walk is fine,” she said. “It’s central to the city and campus.”
Myles is also located near the Kenmore T stop and MBTA bus station.
Robillard also said that although Myles is an old building, BU maintenance tries to fix any structural problems as long as students report them.
“It’s not new,” he said. “There’s no question that Myles is faded elegance.”
College of General Studies sophomore and two-year Myles resident Sean Croegaert-Key said he thinks Myles is a nice building, but that Buildings and Ground, could do a better job of maintaining it.
“Generally speaking, the rooms are good,” he said. “On a grand scale, BU isn’t doing that [well] as far as the upkeep. I’d say that’s a problem.”
School of Management sophomore and Myles resident Eric Peck, said he feels the maintenance of Myles is not up to par.
Peck said he was particularly annoyed with a rainwater leak in Myles, running from the ninth floor down to the kitchen.
Peck said he likes how Myles has a dining hall within the residence.
“As far as the dining hall goes, best burgers on campus,” he said.
The Myles dining room also features a Late Nite Café and is used as the primary dining hall for residences of Danielsen Hall.
Danielsen, the easternmost dorm of BU, contains singles, doubles and triples, some of which are suite-style.
Danielsen offers a bit more of a challenge to students in terms of its proximity to campus, Robillard said.
“I don’t think there’s anything we can do to make it seem closer to campus,” he said.
However, Robillard said he feels a benefit of living in Danielsen is its closeness to the city.
CAS sophomore and Danielsen resident Bre Lewis said she likes the proximity of her dorm to Newbury Street, but dislikes how far it is from the rest of BU’s campus, especially in terms of a dining hall.
“That’s annoying that we have to go to Myles [for meals],” she said.
Lewis said she feels Danielsen isn’t a very social dorm and that meeting people there is difficult.
“No one really has a chance to interact in Danielsen,” she said. “[The hallways] are so maze-like.
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
