Wait… Greycliff exists? It’s real? I’ve never even heard of it! So where is it???
Yes, that was my reaction last year when my roommate, our two friends, and I finally received a pick time in the housing lottery. By the time our pick time came around, there was nowhere else on campus we could live. Even Upper Campus was full! No, not just Co-Ro… Upper too. How was this even possible? Bad luck. The BC housing gods just weren’t on our side.
Don’t believe anyone who says that people who lived on Newton or are in the Honors Programs or Nursing school are given preference in the housing lottery. It’s completely false.
Every time someone asks me where I live and I tell them, “Greycliff,” jaws drop and eyes widen. This is either followed by sincere condolences or something like, “Where is Greycliff even located?” It’s actually pretty funny sometimes.
I asked a couple of people what comes to mind when they think of Greycliff and here are some of the responses:
“I think of a haunted house.” — Caroline S.
“I feel like it’s the outcast dorm on campus, and I feel sorry for it, just sitting all alone on Comm Ave!” — Julie W.
“Graveyard…” — Marion H.
“The on-campus place that is off-campus.” — Danica R.
I got a good laugh from this and I agree with all of them. When I found out I’d be living across the street from the graveyard and in an off-campus dorm, I was a little unhappy (and confused). And when I saw Greycliff for the first time, I could definitely see how someone might confuse it with a haunted house (Fact: It was converted into a haunted house over Halloween for some elementary school students… how appropriate). I had absolutely no idea what to expect and moving in was as much of an adventure as it was during freshman year.
Once people get over the initial shock that students actually inhabit Greycliff, they always ask me what it’s like to live there. It’s tough to explain because it’s so unique that you almost have to experience it for yourself, but I’ll give it my best shot.
Greycliff is a quiet dorm with less than 50 students, ranging from sophomores to seniors. Even though it’s located off-campus, across the street from the graveyard bus stop, it’s still a dorm with two of the coolest, nicest, most down-to-earth RA’s. The rooms are all singles or doubles and we have a full kitchen, laundry room, an elliptical (yay!), and study lounges in the basement. The inside is kind of like a maze and a lot of people get lost when they’re trying to leave because of the spiral staircases, random doorways, and confusing halls. It’s definitely much more quiet than other dorms, which is nice because I hardly ever have to trek to the library.
When I first moved in, I was less than enthused to live there because my roommate and I were placed in a single room that had been converted into a double. If we un-bunked the beds, the furniture didn’t fit in the room! It was a nightmare. Thankfully there was another, much larger room open down the hall that we moved into. Now I love our room! However, the lack of shelving and the tiny closet is a bit of an organizational problem… we apologize for the clutter.
The hardest parts about living in Greycliff are the long walks to classes, the dining halls, and campus in general. For me, the worst part is having to share a single person bathroom with 7 other girls… and when I say single person, I mean if someone’s in there, you have to wait. Not fun. A lot of people don’t want to visit us because our room is so out of the way, but it’s a perfect stop for our friends before going to off-campus parties on the weekends!
I’m happy to say that Greycliff has definitely grown on me, but I am excited for next year when I can live in a slightly more social dorm that’s closer to my friends, food, classes, and the Plex!