Student’s guide to choosing residences

The Boston University Charles River Campus is over a mile long and boasts more than 10 different residence styles for students to choose from.  The options range from high-rise apartments, historic brownstones to classic double dorm rooms.  However, each living arrangement has its own perks and drawbacks, which makes picking the perfect place to live on campus challenging.

Freshman Dorms

The three West Campus dorms: Rich, Claflin and Sleeper Hall overlook Nickerson Field.  These dorms have quick access to the West Dining Hall, FitRec and Agganis Arena, which helps contribute to the strong feeling of community among the areas residents.

Warren Towers is one of the largest dorms in the nation, which houses more than 1,500 residents, most of which are freshman in mainly double rooms.  Warren is located in East Campus and has its own dining hall.

The Towers

Located on Bay State Road, The Towers are a smaller, quieter, yet still centrally located dorm.  The two towers each have nine single-sex floors with doubles.  The dorm also has a large common area with a fireplace, piano and television.

“My favorite part is the convenience, it is close to all my classes,” said Daniel Ulie, a sophomore in the School of Management, who lives in the Towers.

However, he said he is not as happy with the communal bathrooms that are shared by the residents on each floor.

575 Commonwealth Avenue

More commonly known as HoJo, this dorm features triples with their own private bathrooms.  It is closely located to both 100 Bay State Road and academic buildings.  The study lounge on the top floor provides panoramic views of the entire city.

Kilachand Hall

Formerly known as Shelton Hall, this dormitory is popular for its large suites with private bathrooms and air conditioning, as well as its location on quiet Bay State Road.  Starting next year, this residence will be the official home to the Kilachand Honors College.

Myles Standish Hall and Myles Annex

Myles Hall, popular among sophomore students has doubles, triples and quads all with their own bathrooms, while the rooms in the Annex have communal bathrooms.  The dorm is located in Kenmore Square, although it is far from the center of campus, it is close to downtown Boston.

Danielsen Hall

This dorm is the farthest east on campus, which often makes it an unpopular choice among students.  However, this residence has perks of its own, with views of the Charles River, as well as close proximity to Newbury Street.

Danielsen has singles, doubles and triples, along with a communal living room and kitchen for its residents.

Apartment Style

The majority of the apartments on campus are in South Campus, however there are also some along Commonwealth Avenue and Bay State Road.  Apartments come equipped with a kitchen, which means that students who live there are not required to participate in the university’s dining plan.  These apartments have private bathrooms.

“Someone in our building baked a cake and then offered it to anyone who wanted a piece,” said Eric Saddik, a graduate student in the School of Management who lives in a graduate apartment on Commonwealth Avenue.

However, apartment living comes with a higher price.

“The rent is too high and [BU] just raised it,” Saddik said.

Student Villages

The newest additions to BU housing on the Charles River Campus are 10 Buick Street and 33 Harry Agganis way, better known as Stuvi I and II respectively.  These highly popular apartments and suites, which house mainly juniors and seniors, offer sweeping views of the city along with easy access to the FitRec and the shuttle to Central Campus.

“I live in a four person apartment and there are two bathrooms, which is nice because we are girls,” said Saori Negita, a senior in the School of Management who lives in Stuvi I.

“The kitchen is great,” Negita said. “There is a lot of communal space.  We have a lot of study rooms available to us, including the student atrium upstairs.”