International House, New York

From the I House website: "International House is a vibrant residence and program center of more than 700 graduate students and trainees representing more than 100 countries. It is perhaps the most culturally diverse student community in all of New York City. An independent, non-profit organization led by a distinguished Board of Trustees, I-House fosters daily interaction among its residents through an array of programs, attractive facilities and residential life designed to foster diversity of thought and experience. Through leadership training, cultural celebrations, informal social activities and exposure to distinguished leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Madeleine Albright, I-House promotes knowledge and appreciation of diversity and enhances the capacity of its members to effectively communicate and collaborate across cultures." If you are a post-grad student, intern, visiting scholar, this is the place for you. You are encouraged to bring your wife/husband, children (kid friendly!). Very programmatic, many activities including a Pub, study centers, lounges and a wonderful support staff.

This place is just 'OK'. I do not recommend it for an extended period of time. It was cheap and this is a case where you get what you pay for. 1. Roaches. There was a terrible roach problem. You'd see them in your room, in the hallways, the staircase and in the laundry room. Unfortunately, with the rooms being so packed together w/ space under the doors and baseboards, keeping your space clean has little to do with prevention. It gets worse if your room happens to be close to the trash closet. It's weird because most floors aren't dirty and the cleaning staff works hard. 2. Noise. No insulation what-so-ever. Again, cheap rent, cheap building. On one side of me I could hear people having sex, the other I could hear a normal level phone conversation. 3. Respect. You're really at the mercy of the other people on the floor. Sometimes the hall smelt like armpits, people would leave their dirty, wet shoes and socks in the hall, leave feces and menstrual blood on the toilet of the communal bathroom, leave filthy dishes full of food in the common area. It's really the luck of the draw - you may be placed on a floor with people who have a different standard of living and cleanliness. Those were big issues for me. Contrary to popular belief, a building isn't BOUND to have roaches just because it is in NYC. I also value my quiet - this is what made I-House unpleasant for me. There are some pros though. The staff, while very nosy, are almost all very friendly and you get to know people really quickly. The cafeteria food is very repetitive, but it is quality and it tastes good. There are also many events that occur in the building itself. If you're a social butterfly you'll love it. Again, I would not live here again but if you can see past the bugs and you aren't sensitive to noise you should be fine. Just bring lots of disinfectant and hand-sanitizer.

Reasonable-priced housing is tough to get in NYC and whatever one gets, is not known to be particularly decent---even for a high price. The International House was a good value with a welcoming, friendly community located beautifully on Sakura and Riverside Parks, and just a short walk away from express and local IRT subway lines, as well as Columbia University. Was it palatial? No. I stayed most of the summer, and personalized my suite, storing miscellaneous ratty furniture in the closets and buying some more comfy linens & did my own cleaning. Yes, it's hot in the summer, but I bought a cheap fan & was fine. I met many terrific people at the I-House. Loved the place--it has a good spirit--- I'd happily stay again.

I stayed at International House this summer (in an I-House North Suite), and had an awful experience. I arrived to a dirty room, and two closets full of junk left over from the previous semester. One of the burners on the stove didn't work, and some of the cabinets were broken.To top things off, I've had numerous unpleasant encounters with the staff. They treated my guests with disrespect, and often yell at you for not memorizing the handbook. The numerous departments are extremely unorganized, and are notorious for making accounting errors. They charged my roommate twice for her stay, and it took me three weeks to activate my dining card. Although residents can choose from a wide variety of programs and social activites, you should know a few things before enrolling: **When they say "linens and towels are proved," they really mean, "stained sheet, and one towel." Bring your own bedding! **Piano practice rooms are available, but you'll be charged to use them. **You are forced to pay $4.25 in dining fees each day that you are staying at I-House. At the end of each semester, the dining hall closes for an extended period of time (approx. two weeks) for maintenance. However, you are still charged for those days, and your money is not refunded. **A few public areas are air-conditioned, but the remaining areas (including the rooms) are not. The sweltering heat is almost unbearable so make sure to purchase an AC unit or a fan if you decide to waste your money at this place. Unless you enjoy being ripped off and treated with a complete lack of respect, I would not recomment this place to anyone.