Here's the list of opinions I've received about dorms. I've quoted people where names were given. To keep this relatively clean-looking, i'm going to disable comments -- if there's anything you want to add (and I hope there is -- we're missing a lot of dorms on here), send me an email (skendall) or comment here and i'll be glad to put it in.

for completeness, a link to The Official Housing and Dining Page

without further ado:


organized from North to South.
N.B.: obviously, the people living in each dorm change each year, so the personality in each dorm will change likewise. Some dorms and/or halls (especially the co-ops) have a more consistent character than others.

General:
ilunas: Oberlin is a pretty small campus, so really the distance from North to South campus is tiny. Yet there is a different feel to the two sides, and people tend to form social circles that stick to one side or the other. North campus is more orderly, and looks rather like you’d expect a college quad to look like. South campus looks more like the buildings were dropped at random from the sky, and its several co-ops and a marshy pond lend a looser, more ‘co-op-y’ feel to it. (South campus also has most of the program halls, which tend to keep to themselves.) If you’re a sports or science person, you’ll want to be on North campus most of the time, and if you’re in the Conservatory, South campus is much more convenient. Otherwise, it doesn’t really matter.

North/Langston
ilunas: At 230 or so students, North is the largest dorm on campus, but the extremely narrow and dark hallways make it very claustrophobic (more so than the slightly smaller but much nicer south.) It has been quiet in some years, but often ends up being a loud and unfriendly party dorm. The rooms are smallish, but the lounges (especially the “Starlight Lounge”) are nice.

jude:The hallways/rooms can be a bit claustrophobic. Supposedly it's built on the same plans as South, but somehow South never gave me that impression.

kittykenko: I stayed here with a friend from home when I was a prospie. Average divided-doubleness EXCEPT THERE WAS A GIANT CENTIPEDE/MILLIPEDE/DEVIL-INCARNATE perched menancingly on her desk one morning. It was killed and thrown out of the window after I bolted out of the room whimpering. They have an air-conditioned lounge, I hear.

rchicken: I've had a few friends in North, which has turned out to be very convient. Though North is by no mens the center of campus, it has the largest lounges and quads in (relative) abundance, so it quickly became a good place for my friends and I to meet up in. I wouldn't recommend this so much if you like to get to sleep earlier, but the environment in North, whether or not you're in a quad, is a good way to meet a few good friends.
It's been a fairly loud dorm this year (2003-2004), but that varies a lot with what floor you're on (the first and third are more active than the second).
I like North because I played DDR there all the time first semester.

researcher: When I was there, it was an extremly quiet dorm, but one that lent itself to communities. Part of this was the divided doubles--you had a roommate, but you also had your space. I found many friends there my freshman year, and had no complaints. I have been informed, however, that this has changed since I lived there.

settingshadow: When I lived there it was...dormy. It's a very archtypal dorm (I mean towards all college dorms, rather than Oberlin dorms). More partying than many other dorms. Pretty ugly. But it's the newest dorm (That doesn't say much). It's also the largest -- I don't consider it a good place to make Dorm Cliques, but some of my best friends from Oberlin I met entirely because they lived there too, so it is a good way to meet people. Five medium-large lounges and two smaller ones and 2 or 3 kitchens, making it one of the best dorms lounge/kitchen-wise. Smallish singles, divided doubles and quads

anon: I was under the impression it was loud/ party dorm. This may be due to the beer-bottle cap collection of one of the RA's last year.

anon: North I have gotten amazingly lost in, just as a visitor. It can be a bit of a pain if you invite friends over and live in North and they don't.

Zechiel "Zeke"
jude: this was the all-male dorm up until a few years ago, and a lot of the stereotypes from that time period still stick to it. The fact that it's right across the street from the gym does tend to mean that a lot of athletes live there.

rchicken: For a long time I didn't realize this was a dorm. I know one person who lives there, and he never goes home because nothing ever happens there. I would not recommend this, athlete or not. If you're an athlete you can walk for the extra 20 seconds or so and live in a good dorm.

researcher: Since it became co-ed, it's become a fairly quiet dorm, with a great atmosphere and community. It is mostly athletes, but the non-athletes and non-jocks I've known who've lived there loved it.

anon: "Jock Dorm" that's the stereotype, anyways

French House
anon: Whacked Resident Faculty, not terribly great community (From a coworker who lives there)

Burton
ilunas: Burton is a big beautiful building framing North quad. The 3rd-largest dorm, but with a main section and two wings, it doesn’t feel like it. Large nice rooms of varying sizes (unlike the impersonal cookie-cuter arrangement of newer dorms). Somewhat noisy, but also has a very good community. The showers are a group-set up with curtains (gym style), and this bothers some people, but I don’t think it’s a big deal. The campus newspapers have their offices in the basement. In my opinion, it’s the best option on North campus for freshmen, and not a nice place for others too.

jude: rooms are a nice size, but there are frequently people playing electric guitars (either in the dorm or RIGHT outside) at all hours of the day and night. Also, the radiators (like the radiators on most of north campus) sound like there is a guy living in them and banging around.

researcher: Not a bad one to be a freshman in, it usually has quite the community. A lot louder than East or North, it also tends to have the problems of a dorm with lots of freshmen.

East
ilunas: The ugliest dorm on campus is the illegitimate child of a 1950s motel and mutant letter ‘E’. Has a ‘quiet hall,’ and is quiet generally. A good place to live if you’re studious and like your peace and quiet. Granted, this changes from year to year.

kittykenko: Looks like a 2-star motel. The scariest piano couple in the universe is in one of the lounges--one painted a garish salmon pink, the other stripped of all its ivory, they slouch grouchily next to each other like a married couple that's lost their spark. Also out of tune. The rooms are average divided-doubles. Fairly comfy when I visited.

obie110: It is not the best looking dorm, but community is very friendly. I am the RA here for this year, and I just love talking to my residents.

researcher: Another quiet dorm. This one really felt more like a hotel for me, as I only lived there a single semester, and I had my own bathroom. (I was extremely lucky in my timing.) If you like peace and quiet, it's a good choice, but the community never seemed as strong.

settingshadow: IMHO, the ugliest dorm on campus, inside and out. It looks like a hotel directed by colour-blind people who were *trying* to scare off- customers. The rooms are usually in ill-repair: don't be surprised if you're missing a bookcase when you move in. Although it has a reputation of being a quiet dorm, it differs greatly from year to year, as a lot of sophmores go there to get the last available singles on campus. Usually the people in there are not looking for new friends, and are academic if not studious and/or quiet. Four lounges, two of which have oft malfunctioning TVs, an extremely poorly equipped and undersized kitchen. Very small singles, divided doubles and quads. I would recommend avoiding if possible (as if you couldn't tell.)

anon: Quiet, good RA's. They're getting Freddie next year, 'nough said.

Noah
ilunas: An all-upperclass dorm now. Pretty, quiet, with beautiful lounges. In 2004-05, it is a test case for gender-neutral rooms, which is good to finally see. For upper-classmen, probably the second-best option, after Talcott.

jude: The fact that there's only one kitchen on the south side of the first floor was definitely an issue for me. The walls are tissue-paper thin, so unless you want your sexual escapades to be known by the entire floor, keep it quiet. Due to the lounges, the second-floor rooms are a lot smaller than those on the first or fourth floors.

rchicken: There's really two parts of Noah - Noah, and the Sci-Fi Hall. The main part of Noah is remarkably quiet: I've been there numerous times throughout the year and have never seen or heard another living being. The rooms are nice, I've heard, but a little on the small side. The dorm itself is fairly easy to manage: nothing like the twists and turns of North/South. My perception is that it's a nice place to live in, but there's not much community to it... since most of the people there are upperclassmen, they've chosen to room with a friend or two and are able to keep to themselves if they want to.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Hall is generally filled with cool people, but I think I'm biased (being a geek and all). Either way, it's a lot closer, for better or worse. My friends tell me about the dramas going on, but I prefer soap operas. It seems a little childish to me, but I guess if you're into that kind of thing it's probably a perfect fit.

researcher: Sci-Fi/Fantasy Hall--Never actually lived here, but most of my friends do. It provides instant community, if you are interested in gaming/fantasy/ etc. However, this can be a big drawback if you are trying to study.

settingshadow: Technically an upperclass dorm. The rooms are large, and pretty. The lounges have fireplaces and are gorgeous. Moreso than any other dorm that I've heard of on campus the walls are made out of low-quality tissue paper. The fourth floor isn't accessible by elevator, which sucks if you have joint problems. Three lounges (all on the second floor), plus an unfinished basement with a piano and one (small) kitchen. Singles, open doubles and triples.

anon: Sci-fi fantasy hall can have it's drama. I know some good people who will be living there next year, (not on the hall though)

Keep
anon: Keep seemed nice when I ate there. The community was okay if you lived there but wasn't as good, I found, if you just eat there (may be true for any co-op). Again the accomodations are nice although the rooms are kinda smallish. In nice poximity to various places on north campus and is meat-friendly (well, the co-op doesn't object to eating meat, but if you want meat regularly you better go eat in CDS).

Barnard
jude: the quads are awesome, and the TV lounge is nice.

missnizz: amazing showers that are large and private and have great water pressure (don't laugh, showers are important, especially when all of the ones in the building fit two people). horrible, horrible kitchen that deters one from EVER cooking. great to be across from stevenson, but far from everything else. Substance free living has a lot of kinks that need to be worked out, and the divided doubles are horribly unequal (though the singles and quads are nice sized). Not the best place to go for community.

settingshadow: It's Substance Free now, and I think (?) it's staying that way for next year. I'm not sure. It's an extremely pretty outside, and neat and well- kept inside dorm. The rooms I was in are larger than average singles and divded doubles. There are happy balconies that you're not allowed to go on. It's small, and people can be insular, so therefore possibly not the best place to meet people. But it's quiet, and people there tend to be polite. I think it's one of the best dorms on campus. One lounge and a horrible, tiny kitchen. Largish singles, divided doubles and quads.

Barrows
ilunas: On the plus side this all first-year-dorm can breed friendships that last for all four years, and can be fun. On the minus side it also breeds drama, hall-cest (that’s sleeping with people on your hall, universally considered to be a bad idea), drinking, drugs, noise, some more noise, and lots of insanity from freshmen who just got away from their parents and have no good judgment. Oh, and the rooms suck. As an RA and as a student, I am philosophically opposed to all-freshmen dorms and all-upper-class forms because I think freshmen and upper-classmen both really benefit from interacting with one another (see: Fairchild, Burton).

jude: I hear about a lot of sex, drugs, rock'n'roll, and generally 18-year-olds getting their "OH MY GOD I'M IN COLLEGE" insanity out. Not your scene if you like quiet.

rchicken: I lived here for the first year, and didn't really appreciate it much. Barrows is completely freshman, and very drama filled. The main lounge is nice, but the kitchens are a disaster area. I hated living on my side of the hall because I'd have to walk by our kitchen... the smell was painful at times.
At the same time, I did get a nice feel for the college. Since I'm among random people, I've managed to meet lots of people I probably wouldn't talk to otherwise. We're all freshmen, so we're often in the introductory classes with each other. I won't pretend like this always leads to instant friendship or something, but it does help.
Still, I can't recommend it. Barrows was way too dramatic for me, and loud in a bad way (people lying in halls drunk is not my thing).

anon: All freshman dorms are a BAD IDEA. Sure you get an "instant community" but you don't bond with the rest of oberlin and the drama's through the roof.

Asia House "the Quad"
ilunas: On the outside, the Quad is one of the most beautiful dorms on campus, with a wonderful courtyard. On the inside, the hallways are surprisingly dark, though they are wide. The community, which is focused around Asian and Asian-Pacific-American culture and issues, tends to be welcoming and strong, and the residents are of various races (not just Asian.) It’s a good place to live if you’re an East Asian Studies major or just interested in living in a nice place with a cultural bent. If your only interest in Asia is in Japanese Anime, however, you might want to think again.
Asia House also has a hall with apartments--suites with two rooms, a bathroom and a kitchen, usually for two people to live in. They're a really suite..er, sweet deal, if you can get one, as they're the only apartments in campus dorms (aside from, of couse, the Firelands complex). However, the apartment hall has no community at all, and isn't really intergrated into the rest of Asia House either.

kittykenko: It is absolutely beautiful from the outside, especially in the spring, and is located convieniently near most of the academic/ executive buildings. The hallways are rather dimly lit, however, and the room windows do not offer very good ventilation. Also one of the wings smell funny. Be sure to check out Hell Court--the concrete basketball court thirty feet underground, in the basement.

obie110: Everyone just feels like a second family... the coop makes the halls smell though. :-( Shiperd is beautiful.

rchicken: I was misinformed early in the year when someone told me that something was in Asia House (I forget what, but that's not the point). I ended up spending a good half hour wandering around to my great amusement. Asia House has a lot of community: it's very obvious as you walk around and see the notes on everyone's doors and the pictures of the RAs (drawn by the hall people) all over the walls. The dorm itself is gorgeous, one of the (if not the most) prettiest dorms on campus. The rooms are not bad, though I have some issues with the restrooms. The basement is awesome... there's all kinds of random drawings and (as aforementioned) basketball courts [which I assume is just used to smoke up...?].
Awesome place. The co-op inside Asia House is amazingly tasty, though if you don't show up a little early it's easy to not get any food (it's good, they run out).

anon: I think the lit says: Gorgeous, nice sized rooms, pretty court yard. Don't know a whole lot about teh community. Houses a good Co-op.

Dascomb
ilunas: Often called ‘Da Scub.’ It does have a dinning hall on the first floor, so you can go eat in your pajamas. Most of those I know who lived there had a love-hate relationship with it. In 2004-05, it will be an all-first-year dorm. Generally it tends to have many of the vices of Barrows (noise, drugs, alcohol), but is not quite as crazy.

jude: ahhh, Scum. The singles are usually populated by conservatory students who couldn't get a room in Talcott, since it's a two minute walk from the Con. also a good location for history, English, CS, or math majors, since the only thing that separates it from King is a parking lot. However, the building is ugly, the rooms are pretty small, and when I lived there the 6-am fire alarms were pretty frequent. (maybe they've dusted in the 3.5 years since then, but somehow I doubt it.) The kitchens are reasonably nice, however, and the communities (if you find one you like) are pretty tight-knit. Some of the people who lived on my hall when we were freshmen are still sharing apartments during their senior year.

Talcott
ilunas: Talcott is hands-down the most beautiful dorm on campus, with huge rooms and walk-in closets that are half-again as big as the rooms. In the past, it’s community was defined by a group of 30 social, insane, and incredibly insular Early Decision Freshmen, with the majority of upper- classmen keeping quiet by themselves. It’s all upper-class in 2004-05, which means sophomores can now get in, and the community will change. Whether it’ll be more or less social remains to be seen, I suspect less. Talcott does feel like a big, beautiful house. The Kosher/Halal co-op provides nice smells. The lounges are really nice, and the hallways giant—they were built in 1888 to allow two women in hoop-skirts to pass side by side! (The things you learn...) Oh, and Talcott has cute (?) bats.

jude: the biggest rooms you'll find outside of J-house. One kitchen for 78 people -- once again, a bit of a problem, especially if no one washes the dishes (I advise keeping yours in your room, and investing in a personal refrigerator). nice open lounges, and the Purim party is usually here in the Kosher co-op. The community varies by year, probably the most of any dorm I've seen.

anon: Blocked to freshmen next year, don't know what that'll do to the atmosphere. Still as beautiful as ever. Closets bigger than most State University dorm rooms.

Baldwin
ilunas: ’m a guy, so I have never lived in Baldwin, but in its defense, it’s not always the haven for ‘rabid feminist lesbians’ everyone seems to think it is. If that’s your scene, of course you’ll feel comfortable in this welcoming all-women collective. But straight girls can have a fine time here too. And as a guy, I’ve always felt completely comfortable visiting there (though this does change from year to year, and some years it has been a more combative place). In any event, it looks a lot like Talcott, with beautiful rooms and run-down facilities.

missnizz: beautiful rooms. beautiful women. walk-in closets. bathtub. middle of campus. it would be the perfect place to live if so many people didn't think nasty things about the women that live there. Great place to go for community, even if it can get too communal at times.

anon: If you don't like estrogen, don't go here. Still, they're not ALL rabid feminists.

Harkness
jude: contrary to years of built-up stereotypes, Harkness is actually one of the cleaner co-ops this year. The people are fantastic, the food is great, and there's Story Time every Wednesday.

pseudoyoink: Though known for its way-out-there hippie contingent (which still does exist), what really defines Harkness is its lively community. Lots of people, lots of socializing, both with and without mind-altering substances. Excellent vegetarian/vegan food comes forth from the co-op kitchen thrice daily.
The close-knit community can generate a bit of drama at times, but overall it's a very warm, comforting place, especially if you're a left-leaning, community-oriented person. Harkness (and co-ops in general) are a good reason to choose Oberlin - few other places have such a great thing going on.

rchicken: Harkness is definetly dramatic, and a bit intimidating as well. But, there probably isn't a nicer group of people on campus. Harkness is right in front of a beautiful quad-ish area, perfect for frisbee throwing. They have story time in front of a fireplace. In all ways, Harkness promotes a feeling of complete relaxation and freeness.
That said, more Harkness people probably like to relax by running around naked and getting high than in most other dorms. But that shouldn't take away from its charm.
I've eaten in the co-op a few times, and have been very satisfied. There's less food options than in Stevenson, but the quality is SO VERY MUCH better. It convinced me that I need to join a co-op right away.

Tank
pseudoyoink: Big among upperclassmen in terms of food, and featuring good-sized singles & doubles as well as elegant oak trim, some stained glass and a turret, Tank seems pretty cool.
But in my experience it ends up being the closest thing to a frat house Oberlin has. The social life there tends to revolve around drinking, and it's easy to turn into a hermit living there, a bit off campus and in a house where people tend to only come out when there's a keg.

anon: Rediculously Far From campus (but supposedly gorgeous)

anon: I've only eaten in Tank, not lived there, but it's a really gorgeous building (and I don't know how long they'll be there, but there's also the occasional neighborhood cat that will wander into the yard and make nice with the co-opers). The rooms seem to be fairly decent-sized and since it's a co-op, the community's a little tighter than you might otherwise find (shared labor, I think, contributes to this). Tank is about a 5 minute walk from town and a 10 minute walk from the block where the library and some of the humanities buildings are, but the walk is usually pretty and as much as people gripe about the 10 minute walk, it took me 15 to get from South to the Science building (southern north campus) so maybe that'll put things in a bit of perspective. Also of note: the dining co-op here is as meat-friendly as any of OSCA gets, meaning that while there is the possibility of meat here you're still not getting it very often. If you want regular meat, go eat in CDS.

Fairchild "Fairkid"
ilunas: In my opinion, this is the best dorm on the entire campus! A small 70-person community that is always very, very strong, building friendships and activities. The politically-charged vegitarian/vegan co-op in the basment guarantees a loose, friendly co-op feel to the whole building. Fairkid tends to get a ‘Harkness-lite’ reputation, but frankly, drugs aren’t really a big problem, and the people here always seem to be very nice. Fairchild is proof that even with all new students, dorms still keep their charecter. The lounge is beautiful, and there’s a deck you can actually use. The rooms are the same size as Dascomb, but they feel much nicer. The showers are group (gym-style) and are often voted to be gender-neutral, but frankly, I’ve never found this to be a problem. With the curtains, I have yet to ever see another person in the shower. If you have a choice, live on the second or third floor, they have much more community than the first, which opens onto the lobby.

jude: decent-sized rooms, a pretty consistently good community. The co-op in the basement guarantees a constant vegan hippie presence. One of the best lounges, complete with piano and patio in the back.

anon: Tinyass kitchens. Nice RAs.

South
ilunas: A big dorm that, despite its size, is a favorite of people from many class years. Individual halls can be devoid of community but also can have quite a lot of it, depending on your neighbors. Generally it’s pretty quiet. It’s supposedly easy to get lost in, but really it’s not that complicated, and the large bright hallways are welcoming (if somewhat impersonal). The gigantic central lounge that greets you when you enter is a wonderful place to hang out, and gives a chance for people from different wings of the building interact. There are small lounges and two decent-sized kitchens scattered throughout the building. Rooms are decent.

jude: easy to get lost in. The Hexagon Couch makes up for a lot though.

kittykenko: I live here now, and it's a very quiet dorm, despite having one of the the biggest main lounges on campus. On weekends certain rooms tend to get rowdy, but as far as I know it's not characteristic of Southies. The rooms are fairly nice--I'm in a quad and therefore am in one of the 8 open doubles in South, and therefore cannot venture too much on the divided double rooms, which dominate South. The ones I've been in look fairly nice and are adaquetely sized.

obie110: When I lived there my freshmen year, it was really cool to meet various new people. Not only that, the lounge is very refreshing and makes everyone feel welcome as I definetly had a lot of all nighters in South. The RD was also the coolest guy to speak to.

settingshadow: It's almost as big as North, and the flickering lights make it uglier, however it's friendly and warm. The big entryway lounge becomes an ideal hang out spot, so you always meet people upon walking in. It has many lounges, and two kitchens. Quads have larger living rooms than north, but smaller bedrooms. Quads, divided doubles and singles.

anon: HUGE, community goes by hall pretty much. Classics hall is GREAT. And I'm not biased at all. really. Classics hall at least tends to be on the studious side.

anon: Well, I've only ever lived/stayed in South, and I've had no real problems. Community does tend to go by hall, as someone else said, and with the occasional exception it's really been pretty quiet. Lots of Connies live here due to its proximity to the Con, and most of the people are really a studious lot. Not that we don't have fun, but this is definitely not the dorm to be in if you wanna rock and roll all night and party every day. Also once you get used to it, it really isn't all that hard to find your way around (it's shaped like an X, give or take).

Kade/German House
anon: Does a lot of programs.

Third World House
ilunas: If you want your life at Oberlin to be defined by the politics of racial identity, anti-colonialism, power structures, and political correctness, this is the dorm for you. If you want a more broad and inclusive view however, maybe not so much. In any event, it does build a tight community for those who belong. The residents and RAs tend to be very committed. Generally, the south campus program houses are a series of inter- connected yellow buildings with decent sized rooms (singles and a mix of open and divided doubles, some quads), and all have very strong communities.

Russian House
ilunas: It's an actual house! How cool is that? Nice small community. Far on the south side of campus.

researcher: small, with a well-knit community. Usually. This place tends not to vary so much from year to year because of the Faculty-in- Residence who is in charge of the place.