<p>This is really random but I read somewhere (maybe on CC? don’t really remember…) that Brown has an apartment-style residence hall that has 6 single rooms that revolve around a common area. Is this true? Is it open to freshman, sophs, juniors and seniors or just upper-classmen? What residence space would this be and if so, is it very popular?</p>
<p>Is this what you’re talking about?</p>
<p>Graduate Center Towers (Thayer Street)</p>
<p>The Graduate Center complex contains five buildings: Towers A-D contain suites, and Tower E is home to the Bear’s Lair Student Center with pinball, video games, projection TV, and exercise room. There are three entrances to the towers - two on Thayer Street and one on Charlesfield Street leading to a terrace which connects all of the buildings.</p>
<p>The suites in the Graduate Center vary in size between four and six singles per suite with the majority containing five. Each suite shares a common hallway and a bathroom. Each bedroom has its own phone line. The rooms are fairly large, carpeted, and contain generous closet space.</p>
<p>Each floor of a Tower contains four single-sex suites, one on each corner of the building. The suites in each building are connected by common corridors and two staircases. Each suite is very private, and it takes a conscious effort to make new friends among the people in your tower. In an effort to overcome this, the Graduate Center is now home to several Residential Programmers and a Community Director who plan social activities for the residents of this community.</p>
<p>The Graduate Center is somewhat of a misnomer because no graduate students currently reside there. It is typically a haven for sophomores, although some juniors and seniors elect to live there as well. It is a great way to get a single and still live with friends. The rooms are relatively quiet, but some sound does travel between floors. Be aware that some rooms get less sunlight than others and that corner rooms tend to be a bit cooler. Each building has two kitchens with laundry facilities on the first floor. The Graduate Center is open during Winter Break, so those who will need housing during the Winter Break are strongly encouraged to consider the Graduate Center.</p>
<p>All 5 person suites in Towers B & D are restricted to rising sophomores.</p>
<pre><code>* Room area: 106 x 103
- Windows: 57 x 72 with curtains and shade
- Closet nook with light in each room
- Fluorescent overhead light
- Two kitchens, three washers and three dryers in each building
</code></pre>
<p>The housing options that most closely match what you are talking about:</p>
<p>Morriss-Champlin suites: Have a common room and usually two doubles and two singles (6 people total but not 6 singles). Not sure about the bathroom sitch. Generally inhabited by sophomores or juniors or some combo of the two. </p>
<p>New Dorm (which is not actually all that new–built in the early 90s I think–officially known as Gregorian Quad): Usually 4 singles, sometimes 3 or 5, with common room. Hall bathrooms. Generally inhabited by mostly seniors and some fortunate juniors.</p>
<p>Hegeman: Three singles and a common room; much smaller rooms and common area than in New Dorm. Every two suites share a bathroom, I think. Generally inhabited by juniors and some sophomores.</p>
<p>Other dorms with common rooms: Young Orchard (which is apartment-style housing with common area, kitchen, and bathroom in each apt, and is almost exclusively seniors), Barbour (has suites with various combinations of singles and doubles, generally two doubles or two singles and one double; these suites are a mix of sophs, jrs, and a few srs), and of course Grad Center, described above.</p>
<p>All freshmen live in doubles. Other than that, though, (nearly) all housing is “open” to all rising sophs, juniors, and seniors. I say open in quotes because, of course, you have to have a good enough lottery number to get what you want, and the upperclass numbers are better than underclass ones. I say nearly in parentheses because there are a few dorms or parts of dorms that are exclusively for sophomores so as to counteract the effect of them having the worst numbers. Also, of course, theme halls and Greek halls in the houses on Wriston are only open to members of that group.</p>
<p>Is it unheard of for a Freshman to be in one of these housing styles? It seems like they’re only open to sophs, juniors and seniors. Are they very popular for upperclassmen?</p>
<p>100% unheard of. ALL freshmen are in doubles. Though lisa was a bit incorrect about theme halls and Greek houses. The theme and Greek houses are integrated into the Brown community so that the top two floors are reserved for independants.</p>
<p>That’s exactly what I meant, sorry if it was unclear. That’s why I didn’t say Greek houses, but just Greek halls. Those halls ARE reserved for members of the groups, and yes, of course the rest of the house is up for grabs. :)</p>
<p>grad center is awful.</p>
<p>5 rooms, tiny ass hallway, bathroom. That’s it. I stayed there for a week over the summer, i dont think i ever saw my other 4 “suitemates” absolutely awful housing.</p>
<p>I would have to respectfully disagree on the subject of Grad Center. While I don’t doubt or intend to at all diminish your negative experience there, mine was quite positive. The singles in grad center are actually some of the biggest on campus, I loved the location, and having the bathroom in the hall was way better than the bathroom situation I had in New Dorm the following year, which (despite its being allegedly the nicest dorm on campus) harkened back to the days of freshman hall bathrooms that faced their share of complications and disrespect. I agree it’s not the prettiest, and a lot of people feel very restricted and saddened by the architectural style, which doesn’t lend itself to easy socializing with neighbors. I personally enjoyed undertaking the task of beautifying the space. And as for socially, I met several of my closest friends in college just by walking on down the hall of Grad Center tower C and knocking on the door to another suite, so it can indeed be done if a little effort is put forth.
I’m not saying it’s the best dorm out there, but I do think it gets a bad rap which is not always entirely deserved. I had a happy year there, and so did my suitemates and my neighbors, at very least.</p>
<p>Which dorm would you recommend for an incoming freshman who is definitely into sociallizing but also into privacy? When I heard of these “suites” that had 6 singles (to give enough privacy when you sleep and to have your own space alone) and a common-room (for friends and social time), they sounded pretty cool. Again, if this suite isn’t the best way to go, which do you recommend.</p>
<p>for an incoming freshman, it’s pretty irrelevant what you want, since you don’t get any choice. :)</p>
<p>There are no suites for freshmen. There are only doubles. Only doubles. Only doubles. And you have no choice where you are.</p>
<p>That’s comforting 
Thanks…</p>