FIRST-YEAR HOUSING GUIDE
Keeney Quadrangle
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Historically a hotbed of late-night shenanigans, Keeney often acts as ground zero for first-year socializing due to its densely packed halls. The complex — which became three separate buildings with common courtyard entrances this summer — is just minutes from the Main Green and the Sharpe Refectory, Brown’s main dining hall. Each first-year unit now has its own lounge, while the top-floor lounges have been refurbished with new kitchen appliances and lighting.
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The frenetic activity and noise of Keeney may get tiresome on some weekends, and the bathrooms are often less than pristine. Never go barefoot in the shower.
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The University’s recent $56 million commitment to housing renovations has transformed Keeney from one of the most run-down dorms to among the most modernized residential areas. But it remains to be seen whether dividing Keeney into three separate buildings will negatively affect the complex’s status as one of the best places to meet people in your first year.
Metcalf Hall +
Next to Andrews Hall and across from Miller Hall, this Pembroke building has new, state-ofthe-art common rooms with glass doors, bright lighting and comfortable couches. Metcalf residents can walk onto the terrace overlooking Pembroke’s green, and they enjoy the amenities of the nearby V-Dub and Gate.
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Unlike your friends in Emery-Woolley, you actually have to leave the building to access a gym and chow down on food. And as with other Pembroke dorms, the distance from the Main Green can try one’s patience on a cold winter morning’s trek to class.
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Metcalf’s new common rooms resemble five-star hotel lobbies. The building’s renovations are part of the University’s push to forge tight-knit communities based on class year, and administrators are hoping the common rooms will facilitate greater dorm bonding.
Miller Hall +
Bearing a close resemblance to neighboring Metcalf Hall, Miller boasts similar lounges with glass doors that look like entrances to a fancy corporate boardroom. The new kitchens are welcome additions for the culinarily minded, and the elevators come in handy when you’re moving in and out.
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The building’s location on Pembroke campus means that on weekends (when the nearby V-Dub is closed) you’ll have to either hike to the Ratty or survive on Gate pizzas and falafel wraps from nearby East Side Pockets.
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Previously reserved for upperclassmen, Miller now offers first-years new hang-out and cooking spaces, close proximity to Thayer Street and the classic aesthetic of a historic but newly renovated New England brick dorm. While it may not be as buzzing with activity as Keeney, Miller is nestled within the heart of the livable Pembroke campus.