I’ll be a Freshman at VCU Fall 2015 and I was wondering, with housing applications going live soon, what is the best hall?
I decided against Brandt Hall even though it has a clinical center because 4-8 people in a room is too much for me. So it’s between Johnson and Rhoads right now.
Rhoads is a high rise built in the '60’s but renovated. It’s a hall type building, two halls with a huge bathroom in the center. Air conditioned. Mostly doubles with a few single rooms. edit: There is also a newer west tower built in the 1990’s I think.
Johnson Hall was a luxury high rise apartment building built by a famous architect in the 1920’s. It’s twin is a luxury high rise condo building called the Prestwould across Monroe Park. Some of those condos cost a million dollars. It’s also been renovated. Not sure on A/C. It used to be very charming and had tall ceilings; I think about 10’ but possibly the ceilings have been lowered. It is also a hall type dorm. I think the dorm has a high concentration of art majors who are up working at all hours. IMO hall type is great when you are new. Take a door stop for when you’re in your room and feeling social. People can just stop by and invite you to the cafeteria or whatever.
Brandt was built in 1980 and is a typical suite style dorm. It is low rise; maybe three floors. It’s not as easy to meet people IMO. All three of these dorms over look Monroe Park and all three are convenient to most class buildings.
Check a map and look at the buildings from street view: