West Campus: for some it’s the other side of the world, for others it’s home. Composed of Claflin, Sleeper, and Rich Halls, this part of campus comes with some serious perks, but like anything, also has its setbacks.
Originally built in 1953, the West Campus dorms feel like a typical college campus. The three halls are right next to each other, overlooking Nickerson field, and giving a sense of community to those who live in the area. West Campus’ proximity to the School of Hospitality, the College of General Studies, and the College of Fine Arts also makes it a great option for students who attend these three schools. Next to Agganis Arena and FitRec, West is perfect for athletes, sports fans, and fitness lovers alike.
The West dining hall can be accessed from the first floor of Claflin and Sleeper Halls and is a short walk from Rich hall. Other dining options in the area include Blue State Coffee, Raising Cane’s, and the late-night option Extreme Pita. As always, a CityCo located in West offers late night snacks and other necessities. Looking for something more? Walk over to Allston for some great cheap, ethnic restaurants.
Each of the three dorms has residences on floors two to thirteen and room types include singles, doubles and triples. Each floor has two common bathrooms and on coed floors one of the bathrooms is for women and the other is co-ed. Claflin Hall also has specialty floors for College of Communication and College of Fine Arts students on the third and ninth floors, respectively.
All three residences have printers on the first floor, a laundry room, study rooms, and a TV lounge. Claflin and Rich both have music practice rooms with pianos and Rich also has a game room and cinema room.
Aside from all these features, however, students generally agree that the biggest downside of West Campus is the distance from the East and Central campus buildings. “I don’t like how far away it [West] is from main campus, especially since the shuttle isn’t always reliable,” says Isabella Loarte-Ciudad (CAS ’20). Despite several T stops, loading one’s Charlie Card can be difficult as the closest underground stop is closer to east campus at Kenmore.
Those who live in West however, tend to think the pros outweigh the cons. “The views of the sunsets from the dorms are just a plus,” Loarte-Ciudad, says. The sociableness of the dorms, the proximity to several great BU amenities, and the perks of the dorms tend to make up for it.
