As part of our Housing Market series, we'll be posting reviews and rankings for each of Harvard's 12 residential Houses over the next few days. Click here to read more about the series.
Creative housing video? Check. Stellar House Masters? Check. Convenient location? Double check. Quincy students can say that they fared quite well in the housing lottery. Said one Quincyite, "Everyone loves Quincy...Plus we're being renovated first. The proof is in the pudding."
House Spirit: Quincyites love to gush about their House and show off their Penguin Pride. "Friendliest house on campus!" and "Great sense of community and spirit!" were typical responses to Flyby's poll. Students can eat, work out, and party without leaving the courtyard. Due to Quincy's central location, many students feel that there is really no need to leave. Popular House Masters—and their highly-attended study breaks—help breed House spirit, as does the annual Quincy Field Day. However, despite rave reviews from Quincyites themselves, Quincy came in eleventh in this category.
Housing Quality: Though cramped walk-through bedrooms in Old Quincy were a frequent complaint, students can expect N+1 housing starting in 2014. New Quincy, though not the most aesthetically pleasing building on campus, boasts large rooms and common spaces that are well suited for throwing parties. "Sometimes, Quincy just parties too hard for me to go to bed at a decent hour on Friday night," one Quincyite said. "But that's okay," the reviewer added. Quincy is ranked sixth for housing quality—in other words, solidly average.
Demonstrating true Penguin Pride, Quincyites are excited about upcoming renovations of Old Quincy. 180 students will live in swing housing in Harvard Square next year, and residents reported being thrilled about not having to live in Old Quincy. To bring together a soon-to-be more dispersed community, Quincy HoCo plans to spend more money on Penguin Pub, Quincy's Stein Club.
Dining Hall: With floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Mt. Auburn St. and Quincy Courtyard, the Quincy d-hall is light and airy. Students love the dining hall staff, and the dining hall is a central gathering place for students, making Quincy "the student center we never had" in the words of one reviewer. That said, Quincy is also a central gathering place for students from other Houses, so it is sometimes difficult to find a seat during peak dining hours, and the lines for food can be lengthy. Other reviewers put down the "ugly mural in the dining hall" as a complaint about the House. Overall, beautiful window views combined with overcrowding means Quincy comes in seventh place with respect to its dining hall.
Facilities: Quincy features various meeting spaces, though it can be hard to nab a reservation. By far the most popular facility, however, is Quincy Grille, where students can indulge in greasy food and are bound to run into people they know. With nearby ping pong and pool tables—and the d-hall right upstairs—the Grille area is an ideal spot for students to hang out. Students can also take advantage of the Quincy pottery studio.
Rating: According to one student, "It's Quincy. There was Quinception. Enough Said." With its central location, stellar senior housing—and, after the upcoming renovations, improved underclassman housing—and popular House Masters, Quincy is a standout, coming in third out of 12.
Our rankings so far:
3. Quincy
4. Adams
5. Lowell
6. Pforzheimer