Welcome to Columbia University Student Life

This is the accessibility version designed specifically for users needing extra accessibility features.
Feel free to check out the original experience here.

Alma Mater Statue on Low Steps

Tour stop audio transcript

Welcome to Columbia University in the City of New York! We're located on the island of Manhattan, which means 'island of many hills' in the language of the Lenni Lenape people. My name is Martin and I'm an Economics major in Columbia College, originally from Westport, Connecticut. I'll be leading you through the beginning of our Student Life tour. We're standing at Low Plaza, also known as "Low Beach." From dance performances to protests to friends meeting for lunch, Low Beach serves as host to a variety of student gatherings. This is Alma Mater watching over us, and if you look closely, you can find an owl hidden beneath her robes. Legend has it that the first student to find it becomes valedictorian. At the top of the steps sits Low Memorial Library, home of the Office of the President, the Visitors Center, and a beautiful Rotunda where we hold events like the Pulitzer Prize awards ceremony and the World Leaders Forum. Before we move on, let me explain how to use this Virtual Tour. You can jump to the Next Stop by clicking on the Next Stop button. If you already know where you want to go, you can select any location by using the list OR by clicking directly on the map. You can explore any particular location in more detail by clicking on the icons for 360s, Photos, or Videos. Enjoy your visit!

College Walk - Across the Center of Campus

Tour stop audio transcript

This is College Walk, the heart of campus. Up until the 1950s, College Walk was just a regular street with cars running through it. Then, Dwight D. Eisenhower - who was president of Columbia before becoming president of the United States - closed off this block of 116th Street to traffic, making our campus a pedestrian zone. During the school year, College Walk is bustling with students on their way to class, running a bake sale to raise money for a club project, or staging an open-air performance. Coming from all 50 states and over 100 countries, Columbia students' interests are just as varied as their backgrounds. They are involved in more than 500 student clubs and organizations, ranging from student government to community service initiatives, from publications to pre-professional societies, from cultural affinity groups to intramural sports teams.

You are now on the 5th point on the Welcome trail coming from College Walk - Across the Center of Campus on your way to Morningside Heights - Our Local Neighborhood.

Van Am Quad and First Year Residence Halls Hartley and Wallach

Tour stop audio transcript

Hartley Hall and Wallach Hall sit outside of Van Am Quad, a set of two lawns with seating and a commemorative rotunda in honor of a popular former Dean of Columbia College. While Hartley and Wallach may look identical on the outside (and are even connected with an interior passageway), they offer very different residential settings. Wallach Hall is made up of primarily single rooms and some doubles, and each floor features a large kitchen lounge. Wallach is also home to a study lounge with phenomenal campus views on the 10th floor, and a state-of-the-art e-gaming space on the 1st floor. Hartley, on the other hand, has primarily singles and some doubles arranged in large suites that span two floors, have a private kitchen and bathroom, as well as a TV with cable service and whiteboards for studying (or doodling). Hartley Hall has a building lounge with a pool table and a ping pong table. The Columbia Hospitality Desk is found in Hartley, which is available 24 hours a day to help students if they get locked out of their room, need to borrow a moving bin, or have maintenance requests.

You are now on the 9th point on the Welcome trail coming from Van Am Quad and First Year Residence Halls Hartley and Wallach on your way to Morningside Heights - Our Local Neighborhood.

Lerner Hall - Student Life, Advising and Dining Hall

Tour stop audio transcript

This big glass building is Alfred Lerner Hall, our student center. Inside you'll find one of our dining halls, Ferris Booth Commons; performance spaces; the Center for Student Advising; and the financial aid office. The Ticket Information Center in the lobby sells discounted tickets to Broadway shows, concerts, lectures, and more. The 5th floor is home to our Undergraduate Student Life office, including Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs. The Multicultural Affairs office includes the Audre Lorde Community Space, Community Room, and Liberation Room, three spaces where students and staff meet, lounge, and build community together. Multicultural Affairs promotes both inter- and intracultural learning, and they oversee the Columbia Mentoring Initiative, which connects first-year students with returning students and alumni for support and community on campus. Student Engagement advises student organizations and plans campus programs like the Urban New York Lottery, which provides free tickets to attractions like Broadway shows, New Year City sporting events and even comedy shows.

You are now on the 13th point on the Welcome trail coming from Lerner Hall - Student Life, Advising and Dining Hall on your way to Morningside Heights - Our Local Neighborhood.

John Jay Hall - Dining Hall and Residence Hall

Tour stop audio transcript

John Jay Hall may be home to over 400 students, but there’s even more happening inside than may meet the eye. First-year students live in primarily singles in John Jay, with a few walk-through doubles, which are two conjoined single rooms, on each floor. Each floor has several gender-neutral, single-use bathrooms available, as well as a cozy lounge with a small kitchenette. In all residence halls, for both first-years and upperclass students, resident advisers are available as a friendly peer resource and work to create a residential community. Resident advisers host study breaks and other events, like outings into the city during orientation week, which really makes each floor feel like its own tight knit community. John Jay also houses the largest dining hall on campus, where students convene to catch up with friends or grab a meal to go. And JJ's Place, located in the basement, is our late-night food option, open until 1AM every night., You can order chocolate chip pancakes, grab some curly fries or snack on a quesadilla after a late-night study session. You'll also find Health Services here, providing routine and urgent medical care, and the newly renovated John Jay Lounge hosts the annual Yule Log Ceremony, one of Columbia's oldest campus traditions, after the Tree Lighting each year.

Furnald Hall - First-Year Residence Hall

Tour stop audio transcript

All first-year students live on South Field in one of five residence halls. Columbia guarantees housing for all four years, and over 90% of undergrads live on campus. One of the best perks about first-year housing is that South Field hosts Columbia's three award-winning dining halls. And with academic buildings like Hamilton Hall just across the quad, most classes are less than a 10-minute walk away. South Field Area is the major hub of student life at Columbia, and first-year students have easy access to all of it! This building is Furnald Hall, a residence hall made up of mostly single rooms that houses primarily first-year students and some sophomores. Every floor has a large kitchen lounge and each room has air conditioning. As part of South Field Area, Furnald residents have access to the Faculty-in-Residence, a Columbia professor and their family who live in a residence hall, support and mentor students outside of the classroom and host educational programs, cultural excursions and community events. There is one faculty-in-residence that supports each of the three main housing blocks.

Carman Hall - First-Year Residence Hall

Tour stop audio transcript

This is Carman Hall, the most recently renovated of any first-year residence hall. Carman is made up of doubles arranged in suites of multiple rooms, ranging from four to ten total residents. Every two doubles have their own private bathroom. Carman's building lounge, including a full kitchen, is located in the basement. All campus residence halls have access to floor lounges, where residents study, catch up or hang out. Many of these floor lounges include a kitchen, or some buildings, like Carman, share a kitchen for the building. Each residence hall also includes free laundry, many have a small computer lab and campus printing services, and some have additional amenities like bike storage, music practice rooms or fitness equipment. Even if a particular residence hall doesn't have an amenity in-house, Columbia undergraduates can freely access the spaces in any hall, even those they don't live in themselves.

You are now on the 21st point on the Welcome trail coming from Carman Hall - First-Year Residence Hall on your way to Morningside Heights - Our Local Neighborhood.

St. Paul's Chapel - Religious and Campus Events Space

Tour stop audio transcript

Hi, my name is Jasmine and I'm a Computer Science major in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, originally from Hanover, New Hampshire, and I'll be leading you through the rest of the Student Life Tour! St. Paul's Chapel is a multifaith space on campus and was one of the first buildings in New York City to be designated as an official historic landmark. The Chapel provides a venue for hundreds of events each year, from worship services, to global music performances, to wedding ceremonies for alumni. You'll find that interfaith collaboration is a strong part of campus culture around religious life, and Columbia students participate in over 40 religious organizations on campus. On weekend nights, the basement of St. Paul's transforms into the Postcrypt Coffeehouse and Art Gallery, where community artists have displayed their work and performed music or poetry for over 50 years.

You are now on the 25th point on the Welcome trail coming from St. Paul's Chapel - Religious and Campus Events Space on your way to Morningside Heights - Our Local Neighborhood.

You are now on the 27th point on the Welcome trail coming from St. Paul's Chapel - Religious and Campus Events Space on your way to Morningside Heights - Our Local Neighborhood.

Dodge Fitness Center and Scholar's Lion

Tour stop audio transcript

This statue is the Scholar's Lion, signifying that we're near our campus' athletic hub. If you look around, though, you won't see a building that looks like a gym - that's because we're standing on top of it! Underneath us is Dodge Fitness Center, home to our gyms, basketball and squash courts, swimming pool, and workout facilities. We also have dozens of club sports and intramurals, ranging from tennis to aikido to sailing. Many of our 31 Division I Ivy League varsity teams practice at Baker Field, 100 blocks north of us. It takes only about 15 minutes on the subway or the free Columbia shuttle to get to games. For those who aren't part of a team sport, Dodge offers fitness classes like yoga and Zumba, and has three levels of cardio and strength training equipment, including a running track!

Revson Plaza - Overlooking 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue

Tour stop audio transcript

Revson Plaza has some stunning views of Manhattan. This bridge connects us to East Campus, where you'll find the Law School and the School of International and Public Affairs, and two upperclassmen residence halls. ""EC"" high-rise apartments are some of the most coveted upperclassman housing because of their spectacular views of the city skyline. Other residential options for upperclassmen include brownstones, apartment-style suites, traditional dorms and Special Interest Communities. This plaza is one of many campus spots used by the King's Crown Shakespeare Troupe to stage their free outdoor productions each spring. We have a thriving arts scene, with more than 50 music- and performance-based groups that put on dozens of events each semester, including a capella concerts, dance showcases, and improv shows. The Varsity Show, a full-length musical created entirely by students, launched back in 1894, making it Columbia's longest-running performing arts tradition.

You are now on the 33rd point on the Welcome trail coming from Revson Plaza - Overlooking 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue on your way to Morningside Heights - Our Local Neighborhood.

Broadway and 116th Street - Main Campus Gate

Tour stop audio transcript

We're standing at the main gates to Columbia's campus now, on Broadway and 116th Street in a neighborhood called Morningside Heights. Twice a week, a farmers' market stretches along Broadway in front of Lerner Hall, where students can purchase local produce, baked goods, and even art. This has long been one of the safest neighborhoods in Manhattan, and New York City is one of the safest large cities in the United States. The subway runs night and day, and we have our own stop right here. It's how students get to some of their favorite activities around New York City, like a picnic with friends in Central Park, a comedy show in the East Village, an internship in Midtown, thrift-store shopping in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and people-watching in SoHo.

You are now on the 37th point on the Welcome trail coming from Broadway and 116th Street - Main Campus Gate on your way to Morningside Heights - Our Local Neighborhood.

Morningside Heights - Our Local Neighborhood

Tour stop audio transcript

Morningside Heights is like a little college town - it seems like almost everyone in the area is affiliated with the University in some way. With plenty of great food within walking distance, you can enjoy a slice of cheesecake while meeting an alumni mentor at The Hungarian Pastry Shop, or have brunch at Community Food and Juice. Independent bookstores and other shops and small businesses line every block. And a block west is Riverside Park, a great place to play soccer or go running along the Hudson River. Going to Columbia is like a dual citizenship -- you are a student of the campus and of the city, and this unique combination gives you the confidence to make a difference in the world. This is the end of our student life tour. We hope you enjoyed exploring Columbia University's student and residential life! If you're interested, check out our academic tour next. You can also sign up for other opportunities to learn about Columbia at the links above.

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