<p>Im trying to decide between the Towhnouse community and Balch Hall at Cornell.Its between those two options because I'd rather choose where I live instead of it being randomly chosen for me and also having space is really important to me.I heard the balch rooms are huge and the Townhouses obviously have lots of space.I also really like the townhouse because I heard the bus conveniently stopped right in front of it.
How is the social life at the townhouses though and how big are your closets?Was walking to class from balch in the winter unbearable or would I be better off at townhouse because of the bus stop?Was it hard to share a townhouse with 3 different people?Ive heard that coaches put alot of there varsity athletes in townhouses, is that true and should i be concerned?I know I have alot of questions but to put it in simplest terms "Balch Hall or Townhouse"?</p>
<p>hi! i lived in balch and my good friends lived in the townhouses. balch is the closest dorm to central campus. literally less than 5 minutes to walk. i lived in a single, so my room was enormous and i had 2 closets and a sink room. the th community is closer with each other since they are a little isolated from the rest of north, but that does not mean that it is impossible to socialize. one of my friends lived in a 1 level th and the other lived in a 2 level. both were enormous and it is such a unique way to live during your freshman year. it is really close to RPCC (the dining hall and student center).</p>
<p>Not all the Balch Rooms are spacious. I’ve seen a few that were very small. Smaller if your single gets forced into a double.
There is also the possibility of “drama” happening, especially if you get stuff on a floor with people arguing and such and you end up able to hear it or end up with a roommate you don’t like.
The Townhouses are roomy and the people there are so nice. The community is very homely and right next to the bus stop. It’s like a closed gate community, you realllly get to know your neighbors and sometimes there are events at the community center there.</p>
<p>CUambassador 11-Were your walks from Balch Hall to Central Campus during the winter months when it was windy and snowing almost unbrearable because I think thats one of my bigger concerns Im really not a fan of the cold.Im from the country Panama and there all we have is rainy season and then the regular one of course:/</p>
<p>PlayHacker-Do you know anything about the closets at Townhouse because I didnt see one on the floor plan</p>
<p>the weather isnt UNBEARABLE. cold? yes. windy? yes. but this isnt the arctic tundra. being that balch is the closest dorm to campus, that also means that you get to campus faster. as long as you have a good winter parka with gloves, scarf, and hat, you will survive. and the ths dont have closets, they have these big wooden dresser things with a section to hang up clothes and drawers</p>
<p>how much more do you have to pay to get a single?
the financial aid package includes the price for a double, right?
and are there any restrictions in Balch? (like… guests… no guys…etc)
also is the price same for all the dorms?</p>
<p>Housing rates:
[Housing</a> - Undergraduate Housing Rates](<a href=“Residential Life | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University”>Residential Life | Student & Campus Life | Cornell University)</p>
<p>You’re going to meet more people in Balch and you’ll also be closer to campus as well as the rest of the freshmen. Getting to midterms and finals at night will be a lot easier - don’t count on the buses running that late at night. Honestly it’s a lot easier to walk to class than to ride the bus.</p>
<p>If anything, Balch is closer to Appel than RPCC. This is to address an earlier post…</p>
<p>Honestly it’s a lot easier to walk to class than to ride the bus.</p>
<p>At night, yes. But during the day it’s definitely easier to take a bus. It only takes a little time to find a computer and check bus periods/schedules.</p>
<p>You are really missing out on the true dorm experience by living in the townhouses. Go for Balch (or the other dorms to be honest)</p>
<p>Although I do feel I have missed out on the traditional dorm experience, I have loved living in the Townhouses. I was so bummed to be placed there in the beginning and I had the opportunity to switch to a triple in Balch which I turned down. To be honest, it was much harder to meet people at the beginning of the year and I was a little sad. I was very active however and went to Townhouse events and actually got to meet a lot of people. Now I have a great group of friends, most of which live in the Townhouses and I have really bonded with a few houses. I think the Townhouses make you work a little harder but the extra space is AMAZING! The entire downstairs is a really great social area with a living room, kitchen, and dining room (however, I’ve only cooked one dinner there but lots and lots of cookies!). As for closets, we have a large closet downstairs and then upstairs the wardrobe has some closet space (not super spacious, but it does the job).<br>
As for varsity athletes, there are a lot - in my quad alone there are 5 swimmers, 4 football players, 4 wrestlers, 2 soccer players, and a diver. It’s not a problem though and they seem pretty nice!
I will admit I do not know everyone in my quad very well, but it really just takes one person to meet an entire house which is nice! Also, the FIRs from this year are AMAZING and make lots of yummy food and are really nice if you make an effort to get to know them. They take kids lots of fun places that you wouldn’t necessarily get to go so I would suggest trying to get to know your FIR no matter where you live.
As for my housemates, I get along with my roomie super well but we don’t really talk to the other two (we’re friendly, but they are just really different than us). It’s not a problem though and we just respect each other’s space. The bathroom is very nice because we can leave all our stuff there and have lots of privacy.
I LOVE THE BUS!!! I timed from Balch to my townhouse (the farthest way out in H quad) and it was about 8 minutes through RPCC. So I take the bus nearly everywhere and the 81 is amazingly frequent and stops literally across the street from my door. Love it! RPCC and Appel are also fairly close.
Let me know if you have any other questions. The townhouses are not exactly traditional and I do wish I had that experience, but I really love living there now! I have made some amazing friends!</p>
<p>Honestly, every dorm has its pros and cons, and I wouldn’t limit your options to just Townhouses or Balch, unless you prefer single-sex housing. Personally, I wouldn’t want to live in either because the Townhouses are really far and Balch’s set-up is kind of confusing. The singles are very spacious in Balch, but I know two people there who got stuck in forced doubles (singles turned into doubles) and their rooms are super cramped.</p>
<p>@J3nnGo Some of the Townhouses have wardrobes and others have a closet that are about arms length in width.</p>
<p>are you an incoming freshman? if so, you don’t get to choose your dorm you know</p>
<p>^ You can select if you want to live in a Townhouse, Balch, or a program house though.
You can also be randomly placed there like I was…</p>
<ul>
<li>the full tuition listed on the financial aid package includes a double , not a single right?</li>
</ul>