<p>My d is trying to decide between Presidential and Lakeside dorms
Where is the parking for Presidential - is there a parking deck- how difficult is parking?
where is the closest dinning facility for Presidential?
What is the difference between Lakeside and Presidential dorms? Pro and cons of both
If she is rushing is this a factor in the decision ?</p>
<p>If she pledges then she’ll be eating most of her meals at her House.</p>
<p>Lakeside Dining is the closest, but while she’s in classes, the closest dining hall could be Fresh Food.</p>
<p>A new parking structure is being built by Presidential, I don’t know where students currently park. </p>
<p>Presidential is obviously newer, but it may be a longer walk to classes.</p>
<p>My daughter and her roommates are rushing and they decided to make presidential their 3rd choice. They have prioritized them as Riverside, Lakeside and then Presidential. mainly for the proximity to Campus. They didn’t like the idea of walking all the way from Presidential, especially when they plan to be eating meals at the sorority house. I lived in Rose Towers when I was at UA, and the walk was a long one, but it didn’t kill me or keep me from being involved in anything. I didn’t feel out of the loop being so far away from the center of campus.</p>
<p>If you haven’t found it already, this is a nice map of campus that shows you where things are relative to each other: [Interactive</a> Campus Map - The University of Alabama](<a href=“Page Not Found | The University of Alabama”>Page Not Found | The University of Alabama). Both Lakeside and Presidential are on the north part of campus, but Presidential is further from the dining hall, the quad and sorority row than Lakeside. </p>
<p>I’ve never been inside Presidential, but my understanding is that it’s one of the “newer” suite style dorms, like Ridgecrest South. Lakeside is the older style (although not old, so don’t worry about that!) There are other threads that go into the differences between the newer and older suite style dorms, but here are some of the differences:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>the living area is larger in the older style, and there’s a normal height dining table with seating for 4 (in a 4 bedroom suite). The newer style has a cafe table for 2 and modular furniture.</p></li>
<li><p>the kitchen in the newer style is more open to the living area and I think has more useful counter space. In the older style it’s more a separate room.</p></li>
<li><p>the newer style has a split floor plan, with 2 bedrooms and one bath on each side of the living area. The older style has 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms down one hall.</p></li>
<li><p>the bathrooms are different. It’s hard to describe, but check out the housing webpage and you’ll get a sense for it. </p></li>
<li><p>beds loft higher in the newer style</p></li>
<li><p>older style has a storage closet outside of the suite - good for suitcases, printer boxes, golf clubs, etc.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Both the older and newer suite style dorms are VERY nice. I don’t think one is better than the other - it’s just a matter of personal preference.</p>
<p>My current Freshman S is in Presidential. To the best of my knowledge, it is currently the absolute newest building. Presidential II opens Fall 2014 from what I hear. There will be a Rec complex and some sort of dining option after Presidential II opens. It is also on the far North end of campus, so it is better for say, an Engineering student than it might be for other majors. Ironically, my S and his suite-mates are not fond of dining at Lakeside for some reason, and prefer the relative hike to Burke instead for most meals. He will be in for a relative shock to the system when he migrates to Paty this fall to start his duties as an RA there.</p>
<p>The suites in Presidential are, well… rather Presidential! I can’t believe how “plush” student housing is these days, but I suppose that comes at a cost. I can remember my days at another school in a cement block dormitory with no A/C. My how things have changed. But, I digress…</p>
<p>It is my opinion that the suites at UA are almost so apartment like in their separation that it actually discourages social interaction because they are so secluded from one another. I think it really depends on if your student prioritizes the socialization opportunities that come from more communal living, or if the student prefers a more isolated experience. This is not to say that there isn’t socialization in the suites, but the arrangement there does not lend itself to spontaneous interactions like a traditional residence hall does, in my opinion.</p>
<p>If your D feels pretty strongly about rush, I would seriously consider Tut. It is MUCH closer to that action and the houses. </p>
<p>There is currently a large surface lot for Presidential student parking. My S was offered to move to an overflow lot near the retirement home tower to help alleviate some of the Yellow lot availability issues until the new deck opens. He gladly took this because it was as close or closer to Presidential itself. I suspect this is temporary for the remainder of the Spring until the deck actually is finished.</p>
<p>I’ll close with this. Presidential is as nice of a facility as I have seen when it comes to on-campus residential living. The other suite-style buildings that I have been in are just as nice when you factor their age relative to Presidential.</p>