Figuring out where to live on campus each year can be stressful and exciting. Each community has their image, benefits and character.

If you know anything about New York City, every borough, like each on-campus community, has its own defining culture. Queens is family-oriented and has pockets of close-knit communities, and Manhattan is notorious for being unaffordable yet luxurious. Brooklyn is young-spirited, while the Bronx can be chaotic. Staten Island is known for having a suburban yet isolated feel.

In the same way that like-minded New Yorkers gravitate toward certain boroughs, students tend to choose communities that fit their own styles. Identifying the five boroughs with on-campus housing can help determine which residence might be a good fit.

Hinman College (Queens)

While the walk to the other side of campus might be annoying, Hinman has many essentials nearby. Residents tend stay close, much like people living in Queens. Hinman has the best dining hall, like Queens arguably has the best food, and the main academic buildings within the Brain are a short walk away, just like the commute into Manhattan, as long as you live along train lines in Queens.

Newing College (Staten Island) 

Like Staten Island, Newing is on the outskirts of central campus. Though it takes 15 minutes to walk to the Lecture Hall and the center of campus, it is known for its longer commute, like Staten Island. Though the rooms have high ceilings and the buildings are relatively new, long commutes to other parts of campus are inevitable and will likely occur multiple times each day, especially because of the below-average food quality at the Chenango Champlain Collegiate Center.

Mountainview College (Manhattan) 

There is an air of exclusivity and luxury that comes with living in this community, just like living in Manhattan. The buildings themselves are huge, well maintained and spacious — mimicking that same Manhattan feel. Appalachian Collegiate Center is open for Late Nite in the same way that restaurants and fast food in Manhattan are open all hours of the night.

Dickinson Community (Brooklyn) 

Dickinson has the same lively and hip feel of Brooklyn, especially because of the huge central turf. Students are always out and about, whether they are playing Spikeball or relaxing on the chairs outside the dorms. The buildings are generally nice, and although it is a decent walk away from central academic buildings, it is not too much of a hassle.

College-In-the-Woods (The Bronx) 

In the same way that College-in-the-Woods might not be a first-choice for some students, The Bronx tends to be underappreciated, but both have a strong and vibrant community despite what others might expect. Like Bronx natives, College-in-the-Woods residents are unified by their love for their dining hall options — so much so that breakfast is usually mentioned once or twice in campus tours. College-in-the-Woods also has a beautiful landscape reminiscent of The Bronx’s robust parks infrastructure.

Apartments Community (Westchester) 

The Apartments Community sit at the edge of campus and are far enough to feel removed but close enough to take advantage of on-campus perks. People living in Westchester County, specifically Yonkers, are in a similar position — they are only a short Metro-North ride away from Midtown Manhattan, making it easy to indulge in city life. Living in the Apartments allows you to picnic on the lawns, get dining hall food if you want quick meals or stay at the library late without the rush to catch the last bus home.