For all of its tenure at Brown, Pembroke Quad has been stigmatized as the “boring” freshman dorm compared to its historically superior counterpart Keeney. Who would have thought that 2019 would be the year that Pembroke made a resurgence? Pembroke is composed of seven buildings: Andrews, Metcaff, Miller, Champlin, Morris, Woolley, and Emery. Keeney freshmen frequently complain about the late night treks back to their dorms because the Andrews terrace is always vibing and how they just wished that they were sleeping in Pembroke to make their lives easier. So what makes Pembroke so amazing?
There are several reasons why Pembroke is so desirable and fun. Firstly, the dorms are right next to Thayer Street, which means easy access to delicious off-campus food, coffee, and shopping. Although one might argue that this is dangerous to the “freshman fifteen,” when it’s late and you are cramming to study for your Econ midterm the next morning at 9am, the one minute walk to Bajas for quesadillas comes in handy as a fantastic study break snack. If you are in desperate need for a creative outfit for a themed party, Urban Outfitters is an ideal thirty second away option. Similarly, if you are all out of toiletries, makeup, or school supplies, CVS is right around the corner and stays open until midnight. Secondly, the facilities are generally nicer, which is why it’s no surprise that Andrews is popularly known as “hotel Andrews.” There are sinks in the Andrews dorm rooms, making brushing your teeth and washing your face far more convenient and preferable to the awkward morning or late-night trek to the shared bathroom sinks. The dining halls at Pembroke, Andrews and the V-Dub, are also widely agreed upon to have better hot food than the Ratty, which is near Keeney. Who even cares about the late night Bajas and high quality dining when you are a five-minute walk from the main gym at the Nelson Center? This definitely gives Pembroke students more of an incentive to stay active and fit while at college. Lastly, one of Pembroke’s biggest attractions are the parties. There is always something going on and anyone is included. In fact, the parties got so intense that Miller basement and Emery Hall third floor are already “shut down” for the year; but, that hasn’t stopped people from taking advantage of their dorm rooms or all of the other common spaces in the buildings.
Although Pembroke has saved its name from its long outdated reputation, we can’t fully discredit Keeney. There are still a ton of fun events going on in the Keeney common spaces and in student dorms. Location wise, Keeney is more central to campus buildings, which makes it a little easier for students to get to classes. The famous Josiah’s, also known as “Joe’s,” which is a late night food court is also right near Keeney. Nevertheless, students are finally appreciating and realizing that Pembroke has so much to offer because the most important fact of the matter is that Pembroke is now popping.