What's the skinny on housing at Columbia? Forum

[seriously????]

that's cool if columbia offers close and cheaper housing, but other than that, good luck. Sure, there may be a steal or two in harlem, but finding those are rare. The more uptown you go, past 125th, the area is not necessarily ideal (crime, etc). If cost does matter to you, you probably will not be able to live alone, unless you get a studio in queens for 1k and spend a half hour riding the subway each way.
So if you can't get student housing, but still want to live in manhattan, look for roommates. If you think having roommates will be a distraction, then live in Astoria or Long Island City. But if you find yourself claustrophobic in a packed subway car, and unnerving, I don't know what you do. That's NYC. Use it as motivation, because there will be students living in luxury apartments that daddy bought for them just a block from campus.

[Lem37]

I hadn't really even considered going unfurnished until I read this thread, because I don't have much I could bring. But if I pick unfurnished, what would I want to bring? Couch/bed/dresser/desk/chair? More? Less?

I brought with me a full size bed, dresser, nightstand, desk, and mirror. If you live with others, you can split things in the living room - we have a couch, two papasans, a 42-inch television, coffee table, bookshelf, and kitchen table with chairs. Also have assorted storage units from our old places. My bedroom is 190 sq. Feet (10 x 19).

[Hey-O]

Are the unfurnished apts. bigger or is it just that the furnished apts. have dormy furniture?

[Lem37]

Are the unfurnished apts. bigger or is it just that the furnished apts. have dormy furniture?

Size really varies by apartment, regardless of furnished/unfurnished. When UAH sends you an offer of housing, it includes a floor plan that details square footage. And I personally hate the dorm furniture (especially twin size beds which are insultingly tiny).

[HugerThanSoup]

Are the unfurnished apts. bigger or is it just that the furnished apts. have dormy furniture?

CLS 2L here. Lem's advice is spot on. I lived in a furnished apartment and hated the furniture (mainly the bed). Then again, I'm 6'2". Someone smaller might not have a problem with a single bed.

Unfurnished is great! You can fit a full/queen in the bedroom and I haven't seen a living room yet that isn't big enough for a couch, tv, table, and a few chairs.

[Oracl3]

I wish there were better online pictures.

[HugerThanSoup]

that's cool if columbia offers close and cheaper housing, but other than that, good luck. Sure, there may be a steal or two in harlem, but finding those are rare. The more uptown you go, past 125th, the area is not necessarily ideal (crime, etc). If cost does matter to you, you probably will not be able to live alone, unless you get a studio in queens for 1k and spend a half hour riding the subway each way.
So if you can't get student housing, but still want to live in manhattan, look for roommates. If you think having roommates will be a distraction, then live in Astoria or Long Island City. But if you find yourself claustrophobic in a packed subway car, and unnerving, I don't know what you do. That's NYC. Use it as motivation, because there will be students living in luxury apartments that daddy bought for them just a block from campus.

FWIW, luxury apartments are at least 2 1/2 blocks from campus. If you want to live a block from campus (or better yet, across the street from the law school), you'll have to settle for spacious, newly-renovated, University-subsidized housing.

EDIT: Also, on a related but tangential matter, all law students are guaranteed on-campus housing for all three years.

[eaa1537]

Does anyone know if we get to stay in the same apartment all 3 years? Since you guys are saying unfurnished apartments are better, I'm just wondering if I'd have to move the furniture in and out every year.

[Lem37]

Does anyone know if we get to stay in the same apartment all 3 years? Since you guys are saying unfurnished apartments are better, I'm just wondering if I'd have to move the furniture in and out every year.

Yes, you can stay all three years (unless you violate some tenant rule and get kicked out - unlikely).

[swc65]

I will just throw in my two cents. I got a one bedroom about six blocks from the law school for ~1400. A friend of mine in the same building with a very similar apt has a two bedroom share for ~900 per person.

In our building the apartments are huge. probably excessively so. I mean there are just vast areas of open space in here that I have no use for!!! I would say this apartment is ~550 sq ft.

Everyone is right about the furniture. It's atrocious. Ugly, small, not at all comfortable! I was lucky enough to snag a queen size bed frame with a dresser under it. It's actually pretty sweet (I didn't do anything to get it, it was just here). I also brought my own mattress, cuz sleeping on someone else's is scary, to me.


I think the trick is to just be as specific as possible on the housing form (price, radius, size, all that stuff). As long as you arent near the bottom of the lottery, you should be fine. Also, don't be afraid to live a few blocks from campus. I am six blocks away and it takes me less than five minutes to get to school, if I hurry. If i am leisurely we are talking ten at the most.

[Lem37]

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I'd be happy to share pics of my UAH apartment with those who request them. Just shoot me a PM.

[Lem37]

FYI Hey-O, you disabled the receipt of PMs, so I'm unable to send pics. Adjust your settings and PM me again when you're ready.

[Lem37]

Hey-O - still can't PM you. I'm posting the photos here for a few minutes - hopefully you'll catch them. I'd appreciate if people didn't quote the links:

[swc65]

^^^

OMG how is your place so clean??? hahaha

[HugerThanSoup]

^^^

OMG how is your place so clean??? hahaha

Her BF is kind of a neat freak.

[mbaba19]

That place looks pretty awesome. Which building is that, if you don't mind my asking? Or do we just kind of put generalizations on the housing app and then they give us whatever matches our basic criteria?

[Lem37]

That place looks pretty awesome. Which building is that, if you don't mind my asking? Or do we just kind of put generalizations on the housing app and then they give us whatever matches our basic criteria?

In addition to its "named" buildings (Lionsgate, Lenfest), Columbia subsidizes a number of individual apartments in buildings all across campus. This is one of them. Specify your price range, roommate preference, and vicinity to school (although most apts are right near the law school, there are some that are rather far, i.e. one building of luxury apartments called "The Arbor" is in the Bronx). Also rank these preferences (i.e. price is more important to you than vicinity, etc.), because UAH might not be able to satisfy all of them.

[eaa1537]

In terms of the lottery, does it matter when we submit our application as long as it's in before May 1st? Would submitting earlier give us a better chance of actually getting what we list.

[Lem37]

In terms of the lottery, does it matter when we submit our application as long as it's in before May 1st? Would submitting earlier give us a better chance of actually getting what we list.

No, it does not matter. Housing doesn't start reviewing applications until May 1st.