As a freshman preparing to live on campus at Pace University, you are loaded with information regarding housing.

The freshmen residence halls, 182 Broadway and Maria’s Tower, are explained in depth to incoming students. Tours are offered over and over again of these buildings with tons of information for curious students and parents. All questions are answered about living on campus and transitioning to college life as an incoming freshman.

However, once you finish your first year, it is harder to get the information you need concerning the upperclassmen residence halls, 33 Beekman and 55 John Street. Many students are left in limbo, basing their decision to live in 33 Beekman or 55 John Street off of rumors about the buildings. Some even take a blind shot in the dark. While tours are offered of both 33 Beekman and 55 John Street for upperclassmen students, they are not promoted or advertised nearly as much as the freshman residence halls on campus.

With housing registration rolling around the corner, the hot topic on campus is where to live next year. What are the upperclassmen dorms like? What does each building have to offer? What do your fellow peers think about living in 33 Beekman and 55 John Street?

Here is an in-depth feature on both 33 Beekman and 55 John Street with everything you need to know in regard to choosing the perfect residence hall for you.

33 Beekman

Located on the corner of Beekman and William Street sits 33 Beekman, the tallest residence hall in the world.

33 Beekman is 34 stories high and is located a block south of the main campus building, One Pace Plaza. Beekman consists of 761 beds and offers quads, triples, doubles, and limited singles for upperclassmen students. Each dorm room includes a bathroom(toilet, sink, and shower), a bed for each resident living in the room, and storage.

“There are so many students who live in the building,” shared Alexa Anastasio, community coordinator of 182 Broadway who is soon becoming the community coordinator of 33 Beekman. “You have an opportunity to run into so many of your peers in the building you live in. It’s also only one block away from Pace, so it’s super easy to get to class on time.”

For students who prefer living closer to One Pace Plaza, Beekman may be a prime choice. “I could literally wake up for a class 5 minutes before it started, and make it on time without being marked absent (not recommending, just saying),” shared University junior Jake Cameron. “The close distance to the campus was a positive.”

Beekman’s height and views also tend to be a common favorite. “The views are amazing,” shared University sophomore Maggie Carucci, a current Beekman resident. “Waking up and seeing the Brooklyn Bridge every day is amazing.”

However, there is more to Beekman than just its pretty view and proximity to the main campus building.

On the second floor of Beekman, students are offered several lounges with amenities that serve many purposes. If students want a location to hang out with friends, or study for an upcoming test, there’s a lounge for all. The second floor also offers a kitchen, with ovens, microwaves, and stovetops for students who enjoy cooking and baking (or just are tired of dining hall food). There is also a gym that is open 24 hours and available to all residents in the building.

The laundry room is located in the basement for Beekman, which is free for all residents. “There are so many more laundry machines at Beekman than Broadway and Maria’s,” shared Carucci. “I never have to wait or take people’s clothes out.”

While there are many positives to living in 33 Beekman, residents also have some concerns.

“I found the lack of being able to cook food in my dorm, except maybe ramen and popcorn to be a negative,” shared Cameron.

Both Cameron and Carucci also had similar beliefs on Beekman’s elevators. “The upper floor elevators are always in service or causing problems,” Carucci stated. “It’s annoying when trying to get somewhere and everyone is packed in one elevator.”

 “The elevators are so rough,” Cameron added. “Especially when you are rushing in and out of the building.”

55 John Street

55 John Street is located just down the street from 182 Broadway and the South Street Seaport. It is also only a few blocks away from One Pace Plaza. John Street houses 499 residents who live on floors 2 through 17. John Street offers doubles and triples to upperclassmen students. Each room includes a bed, private bathroom (toilet, sink, and shower), storage, AND a flat-screen TV.

“John Street has a very city vibe,” shared Anastasio. “It is a really cool building. You walk in and it gives you that sense of independence. If you’re an upperclassmen student looking to feel like you are living in an apartment, when you are really living in a residence hall, this is a great building for you.”

For students who want more privacy and space in their living environment, John Street may be a better option. “I like that we are secluded in a way that Beekman isn’t,” shared Pace sophomore Sierra Adams. “The proximity of all the rooms is further apart than Beekman. So the privacy aspect is definitely there.” John Street has also received new renovations this past year. According to Anastasio, every floor now has new furniture as well as updated flooring and bathrooms.

John Street is also known for its high ceilings and big windows. “Even though the rooms aren’t that big, the ceilings are so high,” commented Bridget DeSarlo, John Street resident. “That makes the room feel more spacious.”

John Street’s laundry room is located in the basement of the building, and unlike Beekman, charges a fifty-five dollar fee per semester for unlimited laundry use. “Our laundry room likes to go up in flames,” shared Adams. “It’s really hot in there and nothing really works. Your clothes will be burnt, and they don’t even really dry.”

The lounges in John Street are very different from the lounges in Beekman. “One of John Street’s lounges is located on the 18th floor,” shared Anastasio. “It is a sky lounge with a kitchen space where students spend time.” There is also a lounge in the basement as well as a gym for all students. In addition to these lounges, there is a lounge in the first-floor lobby of the building.  A positive to the first-floor lobby lounge, Anastasio added, is its sense of community. When you walk in the building if there is an event going on you can just join right in. All lounges are open to students 24/7.

But everything has its downsides. “The lobby is fine,” Adams commented. “Although sometimes it feels like strangers can just walk in and sit there because you don’t have to swipe in to get there.”

What other concerns were voiced by John Street’s residents?

DeSarlo shared, “The windows are so dirty that you can’t see out of them and it makes the room dark.”

So what’s the conclusion?

Both 33 Beekman and 55 John Street have a lot to offer for University students. It truly just comes down to personal preference toward living style and campus life.

“Both dorms are very similar,” Anastasio shared. “The only thing about Beekman is it will offer floors dedicated to the sophomore experience which John Street will not offer. These floors are meant for students to hold on to that strong sense of community that they may have had in their first-year experience.”

33 Beekman: a slightly more social living environment that is closer to the main campus.

55 John Street: a slightly more private living environment that provides a sense of independence and city life.

Residence hall selection day begins April 4th, 2018. May the odds ever be in your favor.