I asked my D about Lafayette. She hasn't lived there but has had a couple of friends who have. It's not in a very good, or convenient, location and she recommended you see if you can get it switched. She said, especially for someone who's younger and is not an NYU student, they really should be near WSP or Union Square. It's on the border of Chinatown (and, she says, not even the GOOD parts of Chinatown!
) and is quite the hike from either of those and the closest subway stop is 3-4 blocks away. The building itself apparently is pretty nice, as dorms go, good sized rooms, laundry facilities on most floors, minimal closet space, though. There have also always been complaints about the set up of one of the bedrooms which adjoins the common areas. The wall doesn't go all the way up to the ceiling (if that makes sense) so that there's a gap, and resultant lack of privacy. So for a summer student, I'd say the location and lack of good transportation is of primary importance and hope that you are able to switch.