Broadview vs. Stony Island vs. ... ?

<p>Hello, everyone. I'm most likely attending UChicago next fall, and I'm currently making my dorm choices. I'm a quiet, reclusive person, who likes solitude and feels most comfortable when alone. I spent last year in a freshmen "party dorm" with a roommate, and hated it. Next year I'll be looking for a single. The idea of "coming home" at the end of the day, rather than hovering on campus appeals to me, also. Broadview seems like the perfect dorm for me, especially since I've read that a lot of the dorm programming centers around cultural activities like going out to restaurants and the opera (rather than things like Scav Hunt and partying). Of course, I don't know how accurately that statement plays out in reality. </p>

<p>I've also been looking into the Stony Island apartments, because I understand they're for transfer students/upperclassmen? The idea of having a lot of space and resources (kitchen) in my immediate vicinity is nice, but if I'm reading right, you have to share a bedroom with someone else. I've found very little information on Stony Island.</p>

<p>Anyhow, any thoughts? Most of these housing threads seem to be about Snell/Hitchcock/Max/etc., rather than the dorms more removed from campus. I'm curious to get some perspective on the others.</p>

<p>I don't know very much about Blackstone/Stony Island, though I think you'll find what you're looking for there.</p>

<p>Stony apartments are four students, and Blackstone ones are for two. Stony enforces noise rules fairly strictly. You would be sharing some space with others in either, and there might be parties.</p>

<p>Maclean, Breckenridge, Snell (but not Hitchcock, make that clear on your app) and Broadview would probably be pretty reliably quiet if you don't seek activity out. Much of what matters is where you are within the building (near kitchen, lounge, biggest doubles bad, near staff good), and you can mention that in your app.</p>

<p>Broadview is almost all singles. Plus you can easily walk to stores
and restaurants. Shuttle bus or walk to campus. Volunteer at the
elementary school around the corner. Visit the museum a block away.</p>

<p>Broadview's a decent pick, although surprisingly, there are a lot of party people there. I think Blackstone would be a better choice. You have to share a "room" with someone, but the rooms are actually blocked off from each other, so it's more like you have a single while sharing a bathroom/kitchen with someone else.</p>

<p>A little story from experience:
Transfers are not guaranteed housing. In which case, freshman get dibs on everything. Seeing as how this will probably be the largest freshman class ever, it is likely the same thing will happen this year as it did last: All the transfers and international students will be put in Stony Island. This, for me, was great. Stony has a new bus it shares with Shoreland that runs every 20 minutes that takes you to the quads, plus its a MUCH nicer building internally (built much more recently).</p>

<p>Most of the transfers hang out together and make their own group, just like everyone else did with their house first year.</p>

<p>It's a good situation, but don't stress about housing, your most likely to end up in Stony.</p>

<p>Thanks, everyone. akx, that is quite a relief, actually. I've been thinking lately about how when I was choosing a location at Madison (where I chose not to attend), I was keen on choosing the transfer dorm, because I thought it would be easier to make friends there than with a bunch of people who had already bonded in their first year. So if I get Broadview, I'll be glad to have a single, but if I get Stony Island I'll be excited about the more absorbent atmosphere.</p>