Lafayette Hall

Since the closure of Water Street residence hall last year, Lafayette Hall is now NYU's farthest downtown dorm. Yes, that means a full, 25-minute walk to campus or a bumpy ride on the shuttle bus. It also means you're in between the commercial part of Chinatown and a dismal block of courthouses. But, there's good news: The rooms have 12-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, huge windows and tons of closet space.

Most of the suites are meant for five people, so sign up with a bunch of friends or be prepared to meet new people. The kitchens are perfectly adequate for basic cooking, but be warned: There aren't any big grocery stores near Laf, so schedule time to haul food from the Houston Street Whole Foods or on the 6 train from Trader Joe's (Laf is two blocks south of the Canal Street stop).

Bear in mind that NYU's fraternities and sororities occupy the top floors at Laf. If you're into that, live here. If you're not, be prepared to steer clear of the lobby on weekend nights; Greek events draw a lot of traffic and the sign-in line gets out of hand.

Overall, Laf is a great place to live if you want a spacious, quiet room at NYU. And if the long hike to campus worries you, do what I did and get a bike. It's faster than the subway and $2.25 cheaper.

Address: 80 Lafayette Street
Price: shared single bedroom ($15,260.00); 1-5 bedroom suites, 2-6 students ($13,108.00); low-cost suites ($10,874.00); low-cost triples ($9,262.00)
Laundry:$1.75 per wash/dry
Subway: 6
Walk: 25-30 minutes
*Prices based on 2009-10 academic year room rates per student