Lafayette Hall
February 25, 2016
Residency: Upperclassmen
Estimated yearly cost: $11,052 – $18,494
Low-cost rooms available: Yes
Commute to class: 25 minutes
Nearby subways: J, Z, N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6
Shuttle: Yes
Lafayette Hall, commonly referred to as Laf, is one of the most feared landing spots for many second-year NYU students. Fortunately, those who are dealt an apparently unrecoverable blow by being housed over a mile from Washington Square Park can take comfort in the building’s modernity, resources and active staff.
Located just south of Canal Street, Laf — NYU’s largest residence hall — is just a block from the heart of Chinatown. Over 1,000 students call the building home. For better or for worse, the surrounding area feels much more like a genuine New York City neighborhood than in any other university housing. For those without a meal plan, there is a wide variety of cuisine in the area and usually for a stellar price. If you’re not fond of making the daily trek up to campus on your own two feet, a number of subway stops are close by, and Lafayette has its own personal bus stop, as NYU’s shuttle bus picks up and drops up directly in front of the building.
“80 Laf” makes up for its shortcomings with spacious rooms, sporting high ceilings, hardwood floors and modern appliances. There is an impressive array of room options, from efficiency rooms for three people all the way up to the excessively expensive rooms for one, which come with a nearly $20,000 price tag. Approximately 44 percent of Lafayette’s rooms are low-cost, but suites come in all shapes and sizes.
The building is home to a bustling community that holds a number of NYU’s fraternities and sororities. Lafayette’s hall council, SOLID, has the largest budget of any at NYU and uses it to host and promote a variety of shows and programs from sports to politics and drama. The building houses a laundry room on almost every floor in addition to a lounge, computer room and study room.
Initially coming to terms with living so far away from the main campus may be difficult, but with an open mind, Lafayette Hall could eventually be your preferred residence junior year.
