<p>D. thinks she is in Park. Any info?</p>
<p>A top-floor room at the back of Park has the best view on campus, overlooking Paradise Pond and Mt. Toms.</p>
<p>It should be added that Cutter-Ziskind has both regular dining and the kosher/hallal dining room.</p>
<p>Park kind of depends if you're in the house or the annex. The house is very quaint, but the annex is newer and from what I've heard not as old school as the house.</p>
<p>Is there any way to ask for a change before semester starts? I'm in Lower Elm, my third choice, but I really want to be on Green Street for a myriad of reasons.</p>
<p>There's no way for first years to change before the semester starts, unfortunately. They put a 30 day housing freeze on all first year assignments (or that's what the policy was when I was a first year, I doubt it's changed in two years), to give everyone a chance to adjust. However, if you don't like your housing assignment, after 30 days you can apply for a house change. They don't always work, especially in the beginning of the year, because they're based on space available/number of people applying/reasons for moving and so on. Also some of the green street houses are pretty small so you have a smaller pool of rooms to draw from. In the turnover between fall and spring semester, there are more rooms available because people graduate in january/go abroad/decide that after giving their current situation the old "college try" it really won't work. </p>
<p>It's easier to change houses if you want to move to Cutter/Z or the Quad or an equally large house like that. It is possible to move into the smaller houses, but the chances tend to be slimmer. </p>
<p>I would recommend giving lower elm a shot and seeing how it goes. You never know, you might mesh well with the house you were assigned, and you might come to appreciate the good qualities of LE. If not, you can always apply for a switch later on.</p>
<p>Yeah, it would be absolute chaos if they were allowing people to change before they even got in. Sorry you didn't get into a Green St. house but just go with the flow for now.</p>
<p>You won't have to breathe the dust and deal with the noise of all the trucks.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your help! Since it looks like I'll be staying put for awhile, can anyone tell me anything about the Elms? There doesn't seem to be much about these houses other than "they're the happy medium between the quads and Green Street."</p>
<p>You're closer to Herrell's.</p>
<p>There are more dining options than Green Street, and all of the dining rooms are close together (easier to hop between them!). It also means that in cold weather, you won't have to walk as far to eat.</p>
<p>You're also closer to the "shortcut" into town (bedford terrace, across state street, to center street which takes you right to the center of Main. It is faster than walking the elm street way). You're right by Serio's pharmacy and State Street Fruit, grocery, and deli, so it won't be much of a trek if you want little groceries for your room (or liquor, state street also sells liquor I guess I should mention). </p>
<p>Baldwin (i'm pretty sure it was baldwin) just got remodelled, and has AIR CONDITIONING so if you're in that house you will be SO HAPPY when you move in (it is gross and disgustingly humid during August move in, especially when you have to carry stuff up stairs). </p>
<p>If you're in Duckett house, you'll have an elevator which will help with move in a lot (not to mention laundry).</p>
<p>Because you're closer to town, you have more opportunities to participate in EC's like the Northampton Synchronized Pedestrian Crosswalk Team, a group that carefully coordinates one person entering a crosswalk just as another is about to leave.</p>
<p>Wonderful bakery right next door to Baldwin. Smells wonderful! It is also right across the street from the Friday night kosher kitchen (lots of non-Jewish students attend). And you might get the basement rooms set up for the Secret Service for when Julie Nixon was there. Also close to the Quaker Meeting, if that matters (it did for my d.) And great dining options.</p>
<p>Nearly all of the pluses mentioned have to do with food. Freshman 15 anyone? :)</p>
<p>The other day, I ran into a rising sophomore at UCLA that I'd known when she was in high school...evidence that the Freshman 15 is a live and well.</p>
<p>So are housing assignments out?</p>
<p>No, they'll be sent out via email on Tuesday at the latest.</p>
<p>happy w/ house assignment (Cutter), but upset at spending another year in a double after 4 yrs at BS. I was hoping for a single only b/c if she has a double and BF (a jurnior) has a single, D will be spending a lot of time off-campus. Sigh.</p>
<p>hey..I am in cutter too!</p>
<p>I'll be in Duckett :)</p>