When I applied for admission to NYU as a transfer student, I had to give them 3 choices for dorms I would like to live in. I chose dorms that were close to campus, since I didn't know my way around. However, when I got my housing assignment in the mail, I was not in any of the buildings I had picked. I called them up to correct what I assumed was an error. It turns out that they had dumped lots of transfer students (including me) in an out of the way, suite style building called the 26th St. Residence.

Simple math will tell you this building (on 26th St., as its name suggests) is not exactly right next door to NYU (located on West 4th St.), but since I had no other place to live, I soon found myself moving in.

Although Manhattan is now so gentrified that almost any neighborhood could be considered safe, NYU somehow managed to find a sketchy block for this dorm, which is located right next door to a housing project, and just a few blocks from Bellevue. (Once you're in the building, you're safe because they are very strict about checking ID's, but getting to the building is another story!) Also, since the building is near the NYU medical center, it is common to hear sirens passing by throughout the night.

To get to class, students must either wait for the NYU bus which comes approximately every half hour, or be willing to walk for twenty minutes or so. There were definitely times when this was inconvenient, especially in cold weather. NYU may not technically have a campus, but most of its buildings are located around Washington Square. Living at 26th St., you really don't feel like a part of the NYU community at all.

The only good thing about being so far from NYU? You are forced to bond with the other residents. Since going to campus is so inconvenient, I spent a lot of time in the dorm, and made some really great friends there. I wouldn't recommend this building if you have any choice in the matter, but it is one of the cheaper housing options at NYU.

The rooms are suite style, with a small kitchen and bathroom. There are two bedrooms in each suite, and the bedrooms have bunk beds (because there's not enough floor space for 2 beds -- it's that small).



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