Help list the distinctions between the Honors Residence Halls

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>As we all know, the Honors Residence Halls are made up of Super Suites where each student has a private bedroom within a Super Suite that also has a living room and kitchenette. The 4 bedroom Super Suites have 2 bathrooms as well. </p>

<p>Each kitchenette has a full sized fridge, sink, microwave, and cabinets. </p>

<p>All honors halls have “Smart Laundry” laundry rooms, which let you pay by ACT card and the mahines can text you when your laundry is finished and you can check to see which machines are empty on your computer. </p>

<p>however, each Honors Residence Hall has difference amenities and it may be helpful to list them.
So, add what you know regarding to:</p>

<p>24 hour staffed front desk
TV rooms
Game rooms
swimming pool
computer rooms
group study rooms
full community kitchens with ovens
basketball courts
volleyball courts
etc, etc.</p>

<p>Copy/paste below when adding so that each new post will have the most info. Include any descriptors if possible. </p>

<p>Riverside East, West, and North -
Swimming pool located in the middle of the 3 halls
Gazebos & BBQs near pool
game room with pool table and ping pong table
TV room,
Group study rooms
community kitchens with ovens but no stovetops
Riverside West is close to Lakeside Dining
Riverside East is closest to Engineering and the new Science & Engineering Complex
Riverside North is near the RiverWalk, Zip Cars, and likely close to the new gym and dining hall that will be built.</p>

<p>Lakeside West
Computer room,
Group Study rooms,
community kitchens but no stovetops
Close to Lakeside Dining
Lake views
Close to RiverWalk</p>

<p>Ridgecrest South
Large entry seating area
Game room with pool table and ping pong table
Large community room
TV rooms (at least 2)
Volleyball courts (I think they are sand)
Basketball courts
BBQs
24 hour staffed front desk
There is a police office in RS, but I don’t know what the staffing is.</p>

<p>Ridgecrest West</p>

<p>I think RW has a community kitchen with a TV room attached (correct me if I’m wrong. I’ve only been in RW one time so I know very little about what it has.).<br>
Close to the bike borrowing system</p>

2

<p>Ridgecrest West has a sand volleyball court, TV rooms on each floor, 2 community kitchens, and partial lake and river views. Like Ridgecrest South, it is close to the Business School, the History and Political Science departments, Old [Fraternity] Row, Publix, and the Strip.</p>

3

<p>Honors Halls parking info…</p>

<p>ANYONE in any of the north side dorms that buys a parking pass can park anywhere in the Yellow Permit parking zone. There is the Lakeside parking lot (pretty small), Riverside parking lot (huge), Ridgecrest parking lot (fairly small), the Ridgecrest deck (pretty big), Paty (small but typically a spot open), or the Ferg deck (always plenty of spots).</p>

<p>So, stealing this info from another poster ;)</p>

<p>It appears that anyone in housing on the north side of campus can park in Yellow Permit Parking Zone parking lots/structures. Those can be found:</p>

<p>Ridgecrest South parking deck - lots of parking on a few levels
Ridgecrest E/W (not sure where this is…is it by Blount??)
Riverside (large parking area between Riverside North and Rose Towers)
Lakeside parking (in front of both E & W halls - not huge)
Paty parking (near Lakeside Dining - smallish)
Ferguson Parking Deck (north of student services bldg…a few levels…usually always spaces available somewhere - especially on the top level)</p>

<p>Last year, my two sons had to share a car for a time until we bought a replacement 4th car. Since older son was in The Bluff and not in any of the north campus dorms, Bama Transportation still provided access to his ACT card so that he could get into Ridgecrest South parking structure and the Ferg parking structure…( the Yellow permit had been issued to younger bro since he was in Ridgecrest South). So, if you have a sibling issue like that, contact Bama Transportation and they’ll work out a solution for you.</p>

4

<p>*Ridgecrest West has a sand volleyball court, TV rooms on each floor, 2 community kitchens, and partial lake and river views. Like Ridgecrest South, it is close to the Business School, the History and Political Science departments, Old [Fraternity] Row, Publix, and the Strip. *</p>

<p>Updating with Sea_Tide’s info…
**
Copy/paste below when adding so that each new post will have the most info. Include any descriptors if possible.**</p>

<p>Riverside East, West, and North -
Swimming pool located in the middle of the 3 halls
Gazebos & BBQs near pool
game room with pool table and ping pong table
TV room,
Group study rooms
community kitchens with ovens but no stovetops
Riverside West is close to Lakeside Dining
Riverside East is closest to Engineering and the new Science & Engineering Complex
Riverside North is near the RiverWalk, Zip Cars, and likely close to the new gym and dining hall that will be built.</p>

<p>Lakeside West
Computer room,
Group Study rooms,
community kitchens but no stovetops
Close to Lakeside Dining
Lake views
Close to RiverWalk</p>

<p>**
Ridgecrest South**
Large entry seating area
Game room with pool table and ping pong table
Large community room
TV rooms (at least 2)
Volleyball courts (I think they are sand)
Basketball courts
BBQs
24 hour staffed front desk
There is a police office in RS, but I don’t know what the staffing is.</p>

<p>**
Ridgecrest West**
Sand volleyball court,
TV rooms on each floor,
2 community kitchens, ( I think these have TV rooms attached)
partial lake and river views.
Close to the bike borrowing system</p>

5

<p>Riverside East, West, and North -
Swimming pool located in the middle of the 3 halls
Gazebos & BBQs near pool
game room with pool table and ping pong table
TV room,
Group study rooms
community kitchens with ovens but no stovetops
Riverside West is close to Lakeside Dining
Riverside East is closest to Engineering and the new Science & Engineering Complex
Riverside North is near the RiverWalk, Zip Cars, and likely close to the new gym and dining hall that will be built.</p>

<p>Lakeside West
Computer room,
Group Study rooms,
community kitchens but no stovetops
Close to Lakeside Dining
Lake views
Close to RiverWalk</p>

<p>Ridgecrest South
Large entry seating area
Game room with pool table and ping pong table
Large community room
TV rooms (at least 2)
Volleyball courts (concrete)
Basketball courts
BBQs
24 hour staffed front desk
There is a police office in RS, but I don’t know what the staffing is.
Parking garage underneath</p>

<p>Ridgecrest West
Sand volleyball court,
TV rooms on each floor,
2 community kitchens, ( I think these have TV rooms attached)
partial lake and river views.
Close to the bike borrowing system</p>

6

<p>Putting in a plug for Riverside (also applies to Lakeside and Ridgecrest West, I believe): bigger bedrooms than in Riverside South - North. Living rooms appear bigger, too. </p>

<p>DS is in a D room, which is quieter, too, because it’s furthest from the living room.</p>

7

<p>Riverside East, West, and North -
Swimming pool located in the middle of the 3 halls
Gazebos & BBQs near pool
game room with pool table and ping pong table
TV room,
Group study rooms
community kitchens with ovens but no stovetops
Riverside West is close to Lakeside Dining
Riverside East is closest to Engineering and the new Science & Engineering Complex
Riverside North is near the RiverWalk, Zip Cars, and likely close to the new gym and dining hall that will be built.</p>

<p>Lakeside West
Computer room,
Group Study rooms,
community kitchens but no stovetops
Close to Lakeside Dining
Lake views
Close to RiverWalk</p>

<p>Ridgecrest South
Large entry seating area
Game room with pool table and ping pong table
Large community room
TV rooms (at least 2)
Volleyball courts (concrete)
Basketball courts
BBQs
24 hour staffed front desk
There is a police office in RS, but I don’t know what the staffing is.
Parking garage underneath</p>

<p>Ridgecrest West
Sand volleyball court next to covered pavilion
TV rooms on each floor,
2 community kitchens ( these have TV rooms attached) One is on 2nd floor,
partial lake and river views. (beautiful sunset views!),
Close to the bike borrowing system,
“Smart” Washing machines and dryers 2nd floor and ?,
Pool table 2nd floor,
elevator
5 floors,
It’s all honors and very quiet.
Short walk to the Riverwalk.
Regular height dining table with 4 chairs.
NO 24-hour front desk. Must use the 24-hour desk at Ridgecrest East. (It’s next door).</p>

8

<p>What’s “RiverWalk” and “Zip Cars”? Where is “the Strip” relative to these halls?</p>

9

<p>RiverWalk…a beautiful area that lines the Black Warrior River where people can walk, ride bikes, sit and enjoy the views, etc. It is all paved and well lit. T-town developed The RiverWalk a few years ago to provide a nice place for R&R. The Park at Manderson Landing is also there. </p>

<p>this isn’t a great pic cuz it’s black and white… [Tuscaloosa</a> River Walk](<a href=“Google Maps”>Google Maps)</p>

<p>here’s more pics [tuscaloosa</a> riverwalk - Google Search](<a href=“http://www.google.com/search?q=tuscaloosa+riverwalk&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=hTq&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=IMONTr5Xx5a3B7n2-Y4M&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBAQ_AUoAQ&biw=1131&bih=427]tuscaloosa”>http://www.google.com/search?q=tuscaloosa+riverwalk&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=hTq&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=IMONTr5Xx5a3B7n2-Y4M&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBAQ_AUoAQ&biw=1131&bih=427) </p>

<p>The Black Warrior River is on the north border of Bama’s campus, so the dorms on the north side are very close to it. </p>

<p>Zipcar is a national company that provides cars on campus for kids to rent by the hour or by the day. Insurance and gas is included. [Car</a> Sharing, an alternative to car rental and car ownership – Zipcar](<a href=“http://www.zipcar.com/]Car”>http://www.zipcar.com/) The cars are parked in various areas on campus. One area is between Riverside halls and Rose. I don’t know where the other locations are…maybe someone else knows.</p>

<p>[University</a> of Alabama News Zipcar Launches Car Sharing Program at UA](<a href=“http://uanews.ua.edu/2009/08/zipcar-launches-car-sharing-program-at-ua/]University”>http://uanews.ua.edu/2009/08/zipcar-launches-car-sharing-program-at-ua/)</p>

<p>[UA</a> offers alternatives to driving on campus | The Crimson White](<a href=“YouA moves from Youtube – The Crimson White”>YouA moves from Youtube – The Crimson White)</p>

<p>The Strip is the area on University Blvd that is immediately west of the Stadium. Many shops, restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream places, etc are there. There is also a grocery store - Publix. Since it’s on the south side of campus, the closest honors dorm would be Ridgecrest South. However, the Crimson Ride does go to The Strip, so transportation is available.</p>

10

<p>RiverWalk is the sidewalk and park that runs along the Black Warrior River. It’s a block or so from Ridgecrest West, East and South dorms. The dorms are essentially right next to each other.<br>
The Strip includes Publix and many restaurants along Univ. Blvd. It is a walkable distance. I’d say about half a mile. There is a Crimson Ride bus that will take you to that area.<br>
I don’t know very much about the Zip Cars except that the students can rent them for an hour or half the day. There is a process to do so.</p>

11

<p>Are any of you able to add to the list above which halls are non-honors, honors or mixed? Also are any of them freshman only or tend to lean heavy freshman? Any opinions on quieter halls vs more active/outgoing?</p>

12

<p>All are pretty quiet altho most all have game/activity rooms.</p>

<p>Ridgecrest South, north tower is honors and many frosh, but not all frosh</p>

<p>Ridgecrest West…same as above.</p>

<p>Lakeside West …honors but mix of years</p>

<p>Riverside West and East…honors but mix of years</p>

<p>Riverside North…honors mix of years and some non-honors frosh</p>

<p>[Student</a> Affairs | Housing & Residential Communities](<a href=“http://housing.ua.edu/halls/hall_list.cfm]Student”>http://housing.ua.edu/halls/hall_list.cfm)</p>

<p>Of course, with the new hall opening, I don’t know what that will be.</p>

13

<p>I thought that first paragraph looked familiar! Lol!</p>

14

<p>I was wondering how specific you can be when signing up for your dorm. Lady Di mentions a D room that is quieter because it is further from the living area- can you be that specific on the housing app? And when can students sign up for their housing?</p>

15

<p>You don’t specify on the housing app itself.</p>

<p>BUT…when you actually go to pick your dorm, you are picking the exact room, in the exact suite, on the exact floor, in the exact hall that you want. </p>

<p>However, those who have later “selection times,” won’t have as many choices because students who had earlier selection times may have filled some floors or suites.</p>

<p>Room D is more quiet in most of the honors dorms. However, since Ridgecrest South has a different floorplan, rooms A and D are both furthest away from the living room. </p>

<p>That said, many kids don’t use the living room that much that it is a problem.</p>

16

<p>linnylu: The time to choose housing is based on your housing application date. The earlier you deposit for housing, the earlier your “pick” date will be. At that time you will be able to choose which residence hall you want to live in, and the particular suite/room you would like as well. </p>

<p>The time frame for your hosing deposit is important if you want the best selection, or if you are planning to pull in room/suite mates. In the past, the person who deposited first out of the group would be able to pull in other students. It is just a matter of finding a suite with the “open” number of rooms you will need.</p>

<p>It is also important to have previously discussed which residence halls, floors and individual rooms you would like and to have a list of alternates when you finally get to the selection process. The rooms/suites go quickly as you are choosing, since other students with the same “pick” date are making their selections at the same time.</p>

17

<p>Can someone describe the Riverside “Community Center”? Is it different than what is available in the other residence halls?</p>

18

<p>It’s difference is that it is kind of its own building…and the swiming pool is right outside.</p>

<p>One room is a game room with a pool table and a ping pong table.</p>

<p>next to that room is a TV room with a big screen TV and comfortable seating.</p>

<p>It’s been awhile since I’ve been in it, so I may be forgetting something.</p>

19

<p>Thanks Mom2CK- we already paid our housing deposit. D doesn’t know anyone, so she won’t be requesting roomies. Is it possible to request freshmen roommates? Anything else that she should consider? She is majoring in the classics (latin), english and spanish so we will look at where those classes are usually held in determining which dorm. Can you request roomies with those majors or is that too specific?</p>

20

<p>I don’t think you can request Frosh Only or students in your major thru the school.</p>

<p>However, many OOS kids get involved with Facebook and use that to find potential roomies. :)</p>

<p>I think that only non-honors halls have rooms that are specific to majors or foreign languages.</p>