Residence Halls

JeffB · 03-21-2008, 09:08 PM

Hey, I've just been accepted to UArts. I'm an academic transfer, but a freshman in the acting program.
I'm looking at which Residence Hall I should choose. I've read the descriptions, but I wanted a student opinion.
Any thoughts?

MichaelNKat · 03-22-2008, 03:08 AM

I'm not a student (but my daughter is) and my office is a block or so north of the Terra Building. Here's my impression of the dorms.

Juniper is the newest, most modern dorm with air conditioning. It's also the hardest to get into and is usually just for upperclassmen. If you can get it (it's not open to freshmen usually), it is the nicest dorm.

Spruce (where my daughter lives) is mostly all studio apartments (1 room mate) and there are a load of freshmen acting and MT students there this year. It's location is the most convenient for walking to the Terra Building where you will be spending most of your time. Also, it is in a location where there are a gizzilion restaurants, bars and other eateries within a 2 block radius which means not only that there are always things to do right outside your door but also that there is always a lot of foot traffic late at night which adds to the safety factor when returning from rehearsals or studio practices at odd hours. It's also a fun, funky neighborhood to live in. My daughter likes living in Spruce and says that she prefers it over Furness and Pine because of the location and large walk in closet each apartment has.

Pine has studios as well as some suites (more than one room mate). It is the furthest dorm from Terra, about 5 1/2 blocks away. It's in an area that is quieter and you need to walk a block or so to get to restaurants and shops. From a parent's perspective, it's also in an area where you need to be a little more vigilant walking at night because it is in a quieter area. It's also where the housing office and mail/package room are located so there are some conveniences to that if you need something fixed in the dorm or you get a package delivered.

Furness has a lot of suites, so if your preference is to have more than 1 room mate or you want to increase the odds of having a "common room" within your apartment, Furness is the one to indicate as your first choice. It is located right behind Hamilton Hall and has a grassy court yard in the center of the wings.

All of the dorms have private bathrooms and kitchenettes. All of them have laundry facilities in them. Spruce has a washer and dryer on each floor. Pine and Furness have them in the basements I think. All of the dorms are close to Broad St (Avenue of the Arts) and convenient to the various performance venues. Discounting Juniper because it is so tough to get into, I would opt for Spruce because it's location and how much fun the immediate neighborhood is.

Hope this is helpful.

JeffB · 03-22-2008, 10:25 AM

That was very helpful. Thank you very much. : )

JeffB · 03-22-2008, 08:26 PM

Does spruce have any suites at all?

MichaelNKat · 03-22-2008, 09:04 PM

Spruce has some 1 bedroom apartments i.e. a bedroom with what would normally be a living room. Anywhere from 2 -3 students currently occupy these units.

sheerviolette · 03-23-2008, 10:21 PM

those suites in spruce are almost exclusive for R.A.s, so if you're in spruce, you should assume that you're going to be in a studio.

and, having also lived in spruce, i highly second the motion!

DcDuckee · 03-24-2008, 06:42 PM

I live in Spruce right now. I can post up some pictures if you'd like to see what it looks like.

JeffB · 03-24-2008, 06:52 PM

I would love to see that. Much appreciated.
Although, for me, I wanted more than 1 roommate, so I opted for Furness Hall with the suites.
The pictures would still be much appreciated, though. : )

DcDuckee · 03-25-2008, 08:13 PM

http://uartsjournals.com/2007_danielle/?m=200708

If you click on the pictures they get bigger! Hope that helps.

JeffB · 03-25-2008, 11:54 PM

Oh I know who you are, I've been reading your journals off and on. : )

MarieMTmom · 03-29-2008, 02:57 AM

Hi DcDuckee, I am so glad you provided a link for additional pictures of Spruce. If you have any other pictures of the school that you can show us (like the exterior of the dorm buildings, the interior of classrooms and the practice rooms or studios) I would greatly appreciate it.

In addition to the pictures, I wanted to ask you a few questions or if any current UArts student reading the thread knows, I would be happy to hear your comments.

What is the best way to keep cool in Spruce during the hot and humid months of summer and early fall without A/C? I noticed from your pictures that you only have a couple of stand-up fans in your dorm… are those sufficient to feel comfortable enough to study or would you recommend a more sophisticated system? I imagine you have hot water in the apartment, but do you? How is the water pressure in the showers? Is the stove gas or electric? Do you need to bring your own dishes and pots/pans? ... And very important, are the mattresses soft or firm?; do you have to bring your own microwave and toaster oven and other appliances? Do you have to bring your own dining set? Do you think there is enough space for a medium size flat TV screen?

I was also wondering if the students need to pay for their own cable, phone and internet services.

I appreciate your comments

Mainstage · 03-29-2008, 09:07 AM

MarieMTmom -
First off the Spruce dorm exterior is just a plain brick (city) bldg., the classrooms are normal size as are the practice rms. Although these practice rms. have dig. compt. for recording. I don't think pictures will do Uarts justice as seeing in person. The main bldgs. such as Hamilton, Terra and all the theatres are architecturally picturesque.
The only way to keep cool during the summer/fall is by (many) fans. I tried to get A/C unit, but wasn't allowed. Hot water is fine, some shower pressures are better than others. Stove is electric. Yes, you need to bring your own dishes, pots, pans, cutlery, and all appliances (i.e. toaster & micro). The mattresses are twin size (not the standard college Xtwin), however, I suggest 1 (-2) memory foam pads. Yes, there's enough space for your TV. (Btw, most apts. have a table for eating besides desks.)
Students pay for cable, phone (many just use their cells) but NOT for wireless.
Hope I didn't miss anything. :-)

MarieMTmom · 03-29-2008, 11:31 AM

Thanks Mainstage. I am currently living overseas (Africa) and my daughter is in Texas. I am not sure as yet if we will be able to visit UArts before a decision to transfer has to be made. It is costly, so I need all the help I can get via internet images. It would be great to see the school on a student perspective.

Since I will be holding video calls with my d. a lot, I wonder, is the wireless connection speedy and reliable enough for video calls?

Thanks

Mainstage · 03-29-2008, 12:09 PM

Hi Marie,
Yes, I used to Ichat with my D out of state (not so much anymore). Sometimes we had to try several times, but not often. I'm sorry as I don't know how strong the connection is to overseas, but if it works for Texas & Africa I imagine Philly would be similar.
I believe the UArts website has some more pics. I know of 1 M/T student who came last year without a prior visit and loved it right away. It's a city which has so much to offer.

MarieMTmom · 03-30-2008, 06:49 AM

Thanks again :-) The connection we get (Texas-Africa) is mostly determined by the quality of the reception inside the building where she is using her laptop or cell phone. She is currently using T-Mobile and the reception is pretty bad. Do you know which wireless service provider has the best reception in UArts' dorm buildings or UArts grounds overall?