WashU’s South 40 (Photo by Bri Nitsberg | Managing Photo Editor)

Modern

Dardick and Nemerov 

Pros:

Dardick and Nemerov have a strong residential community, with plenty of traditions and bonding events. This sense of camaraderie is bolstered by the fact that all first-year Beyond Boundaries students live in Dardick, and many second-years in Nemerov. With the ability to cut across the parking lot, Dardick and Nemerov are highly convenient, as they are close to campus, right above Habif, which is a circulator stop, and the closest to the metro stop. Further, there is a really nice piano in the Dardick lobby, and residents often grace the building with impressive tunes. 

Cons:

The piano is definitely a double-edged sword, as for some, their ideal piano-practicing time is in the wee hours of the night. Additionally, since Dardick and Nemerov border the baseball/softball field, residents are often woken up by loud music and sports-announcing in the early morning for weekend games. And lastly, primary sources have informed me of mice in Dardick this year. 

Danforth, Wheeler, Shepley

Pros:

Danforth, Wheeler, and Shepley have some of the nicer study rooms on the South 40, and the dorms feel very clean and modern, assisted by white walls. Danforth has what feels like an infinite laundry room, with so many washers and dryers, and also has a nice staircase through the middle of the building. 

Cons:

The main con of these dorms is the location, as they are in the depths of the ‘Swamp,’ and thus the furthest from the Danforth campus. Also, some students play basketball or gather in said ‘Swamp’ late at night, which can be disturbing to residents. While the staircase in Danforth is nice, its use doesn’t usually feel like an option, as the elevator seems to move unbearably slowly. 

Eliot A and Eliot B 

Pros:

Eliot A and B are highly convenient, both close to campus, especially with Eliot B’s side door, Bear’s Den, and the Clocktower. Both are relatively small dorms in terms of how many residents there are, which makes things like laundry less of a hassle and contributes to an overall relaxed vibe.

Cons:

While Eliot B has a door connecting to Bear’s Den, I didn’t list this as a pro because it locks in the evening, which really lowers its utility. Although there aren’t as many residents, they seem to be very studious, as an empty study room is hard to come by. Also, Eliot A and B don’t have a printer, unlike many of the other modern dorms, so one has to go to Bear’s Den or Koenig/Liggett to print. 

Koenig and Liggett

Pros:

Koenig and Liggett are top-tier dorms on the South 40. Their location is highly convenient, as they are very close to campus, the Wallace Garage, the Clocktower, and Bear’s Den. The first-floor layout is really nice, and the fact that Koenig and Liggett are connected makes the building feel huge. There are a ton of laundry machines, and the basement is overall great, especially with a game room. Liggett also has triples, which can be hard to come by at WashU. 

Cons:

The only con that comes to mind is proximity to the metro stop or Forsyth Blvd. in general. Also, the ceilings are what I’d call popcorn ceilings- a rough, off white material. 

Umrath and Zetcher

Pros:

As much as the residents of Umrath and Zetcher love to brag about their residential colleges, they do so with good reason. Both dorms are essentially in Bear’s Den, so convenience is high, especially with Zetcher being an elevator ride away. Also, the study rooms are great (so great that residents from other buildings often steal them). Umrath and Zetcher are large, which gives them a fairly social vibe, and with around 80 people per floor in Umrath, you are bound to make friends in your res college. 

Cons:

The main con, as of late, has been the fire alarms in Umrath and Zetcher that go off frequently and at odd hours of the morning. Also, Umrath has green walls, which isn’t to everyone’s aesthetic taste. 

Park and Mudd

Pros:

Park and Mudd have a reputation as some of the more fun dorms on the South 40, bolstered by the fact that they have some of the biggest common rooms. In addition, they have some of the biggest single and double rooms. There are a ton of really nice music rooms as well, all of which are sound-proof. 

-laundry on every floor

Cons:

The main downfall of Park and Mudd is the distance from campus, and the fact that the trek to these res colleges is uphill. Also, sophomores living in Mudd have another year of living in doubles, which isn’t to everyone’s liking.  

Lien and Gregg

Pros:

Lien and Gregg are basically a hop and a skip away from campus, making them extremely convenient, especially for those who want five extra minutes of sleep before their 8 a.m. classes. The Lien Library is a great study spot, and the hammock outside Gregg is a great place to enjoy nice weather. They are right next to the clocktower and above Ursa’s Nightlife, giving them a solid location. 

Cons:

The Gregg common rooms feel small, compared to those of other modern suites on the South 40. Also, since the lowest floor of Lien’s door is always locked, residents have to trek up a tall flight of stairs, which doesn’t always feel easy after a big meal in Bear’s Den. 

Traditional

Hitzeman, Hurd, Myers

Pros:

Hitzeman, Hurd, and Myers have really nice, spacious common rooms. The balconies also come in handy, giving residents a ton of space. Further, you are certainly the closest to the mailroom and right by Wallace Garage. The location is also really convenient to call Ubers or be picked up from. 

Cons:

One of the main cons is sharing one bathroom to six residents, though this is not unique to these as traditional dorms. Also, they are quite far from campus, as one has to either traverse up a steep sidewalk or walk through most of the South 40 to reach it. 

Dauten, Rutledge, Shandeling

Pros:

Dauten, Rutledge, and Shandeling also have balconies and nice common rooms, often with windows. Dauten is home to a large basement kitchen that has everything you could need to make your own meal, so many residents in other dorms migrate over to cook there. Also, the bathrooms have urinals. 

Cons:

The lack of elevators definitely sits atop the cons list, and this coupled with how hot the dorms get around the summertime makes for a lethal combination, especially for those who live on the third or fourth floors. The individual rooms are fairly small in these dorms, and residents are also sharing one bathroom to six. 

Lee and Beaumont

Pros:

Lee and Beaumont are home to singles, which for some students, is a massive pro. Because residents don’t have rooommates, there is a strong sense of community, as people are friends across floors and buildings. 

Cons:

For some more social students, living in a single is a con. Further, many describe these dorms as ‘prison-remniscent’, lacking the clean, modern, open feel some other dorms possess. Finally, Lee and Beaumont have common bathrooms, which can be a drag for many. 

Village

Lopata House

Pros:

Lopata house gives residents a lounge chair in each individual room, and there are two bathrooms per four person suite. The rooms feel clean, with white walls and windows. Also, Lopata is the closest to the metro stop and frat row, and has a large common space to hold events. 

Cons:

Lopata is quite far from just about everything else. Also, there are no common rooms nor kitchens, so if you want to chat with your roommates, standing in the hallway might just have to do. 

Village House

Pros:

Village House is right about the food in the village, which makes it very convenient. It’s also close to the Snow Way Garage and the Sumer’s Athletic Complex. Village House also has two bathrooms per four person suite. 

Cons:

Similar to Lopata, Village House has no common rooms or kitchen, making for a similar cons list. Also, thin walls seem to be a common complaint. 

Village East

Pros:

Village East is the only option with a kitchen that includes a dishwasher. Residents all have a full size bed, and there are two bathrooms per four people, both of which have a bath tub. The common rooms are large and homey, and the location is conveniently close to campus. 

Cons:

Village East is the most expensive option for on-campus living, given the additional amenities residents have. Also, cockroaches seem to run rampant, especially in the summertime. 

Milbrook Apartments

Pros:

The Milbrook Apartments have kitchens and balconies, which are near the top of the pros list, in addition to overlooking the Milbrook Pool. Further, residents can live with up to seven other suitemates, so Milbrook provides more flexibility for differently-sized living groups and arrangements. 

Cons:

Though there are kitchens, the kitchens don’t have dishwashers. Also, while up to eight people live together in Milbrook, there are often more people sharing each bathroom than in the other buildings in the village.