Published July 24, 2024
Athletics Campus Resources Residential Life
Whenever I talk about residential life on campus tours, guests usually have the following reaction: “20 residence halls?! Which one is the best?”
While everyone will tell you a different answer, I think these are some key factors you can consider when figuring out which halls are the right options for you.
Dining
If you choose to live on campus your first year, something you may be thinking about is eating. Transitioning from your parents buying groceries and cooking meals for you to figuring it on your own can be a big change! If you choose to prioritize dining, here are some halls that you may prefer.
- Third North Hall (75 Third Avenue): Third North has a dining hall on the first floor that is all-you-care-to-eat. Additionally, Third North is two blocks away from Palladium, an upperclass residence hall that also has a dining hall. I lived here my first year and found it super convenient to have these options so close.
- Weinstein Hall (5 University Place): Weinstein has four dining halls so you’ll never be short on options. Downstein is an all-you-care-to-eat location where a meal swipe gets you access to stay as long as you’d like; Upstein is a grab-and-go location where a meal swipe gets you an entree, side, and a drink; Sidestein is similar to a convenience store where you can use dining dollars to buy deli-style food; and the Kosher Cafe caters to Kosher dietary needs.
- Lipton Hall (33 Washington Square West): This is a good spot for anyone who is vegetarian or vegan. They have several options that change each week, and my personal favorite thing to do at Lipton is use the waffle press.
You can learn even more about dining on our website.
Fitness
Going to the gym is a great way to stay active and build routine. Our athletic facilities are an option for all NYU students, but if you’d like to live really close to them, check out this list.
- Residential College at the John A. Paulson Center (181 Mercer Street): Paulson’s gym has squash courts, martial arts rooms, a swimming pool, jogging track, and basketball courts. It is our newest building on campus, and Cafe 181 is only a couple levels above the athletic area. I love their smoothies, so I’d recommend stopping there after you exercise!
- Palladium Hall (140 East 14th Street): You can begin living in Palladium starting your second year. Its gym has typical equipment, a rock wall, basketball courts, and a swimming pool. If you’re a first-year student and think you’ll spend a lot of time here, you may choose to live in Third North.
- Gramercy Green (310 Third Avenue): This is another upperclassmen residence hall. It has a fitness center on one of the lower levels. I lived in Gramercy Green my sophomore year, and it’s definitely my favorite residence hall on campus. I was on the 19th floor, so the views were gorgeous!
Neighborhood
All of our first-year residence halls are within a ten-minute walk from campus. They are pretty concentrated in Greenwich Village. Our upperclass residence halls, however, are scattered around Manhattan. I lived on campus for three years and enjoyed acclimating to new neighborhoods. It helped me integrate into the city and become more of an adult! Check out this map to see where your home base may be if you choose to live on campus.
Regardless of which residence hall you end up in, you can be sure to find community there. Resident Assistants live on every floor and run fun events throughout the academic year. These events are a great way to make friends and do cool things around the city for free. Also, all residence halls are staffed by campus safety officers to ensure your safety and make you feel at home on campus.
I hope this helps to inform your research and find the best residence hall for you!
Olivia Federici (she/her) is a junior studying Media, Culture, and Communication at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development with a minor in the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. Born and raised in the small town of Oxford, Connecticut, she brought with her to NYU a vigor to enrich her academic pursuits through conducting traditional coursework and immersing in the social fabric of the city. During the school year, she serves as an Admissions Ambassador for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, as well as a Writing Tutor at the Writing Center. Off-campus, she embarks on photo walks, learning from those whom she meets along the way.
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