Boston: How Would You Feel If Your Student Housing Was In An Off-Campus Hotel?
It’s well-known that our greater city area is packed with universities and the students who are enrolled. Boston.com has reported that Northeaster University will soon be placing student housing in a hotel.
“To accommodate more students and the increased demand for housing, some colleges in Boston have turned to a creative solution in a city that’s facing a housing crisis: hotels,” Boston.com said.
This past January Northeastern submitted an application to the Boston Planning and Development Agency to allow the university to reserve the south tower of the Sheraton Hotel in Boston. Upon approval, which was granted by the BPDA, Northeastern will convert this area of the Sheraton to student-housing. Specifically, this “hotel dorm” will be for undergraduate students and can accommodate up to 856 students.
Boston.com also reminded us that this has happened quite a few times over the past five years. In 2020, Suffolk University and Emerson University rented out various hotels around the city. Northeastern is now the latest to do this.
Obviously, a hotel room includes your own bathroom and other amenities like a bigger bed and air conditioning unit. This is considered a suite by college standards and runs a little over $5,600 per semester for Northeastern students. “A standard double bedroom suite elsewhere on campus adds up to $5,125,” Boston.com said. In addition, there are plans to make the Sheraton south tower more college student accommodating with items such as laundry rooms and exercise equipment expected to be added soon.
Would You Want Your Student Housing In A Hotel?
The distance from the Sheraton in Boston to the main campus of Northeastern is roughly 0.7 miles. So, it is walkable. However, sometimes in a city that amount of steps can be perceived as longer than it actually seems on paper.
Every minute in the morning counts for a 19 or 20-year-old who is trying to make it to class on time. In certain years of my college days, I would set my alarm clock to be literally six minutes before my first class started. This gave ample time for teeth brushing, a change of clothes and a sprint up the stairs to make into the classroom before the door closed.
The return trip back to your dorm room at night is equally as important. Especially on party nights. What is the route to get back home safely? Is there a cost? Do the T-trains run at that time?
Lastly, some students may want to consider the distance from a hotel to where many of their friends live. There’s a camaraderie to walking down the hall on an average Tuesday night, walking into your friend’s room and playing cards, or watching Netflix.
However, if I was a Northeastern student today, I would 100% take the hotel option if it was highly populated by my class. By the time I was a senior, a quieter and larger space to call my own was incredibly valuable. The Sheraton option would be unique, to live in hotel quarters for a few months straight. It’s also on the edge of a fun part of the city where Fenway Park, Boylston Street and Newbury Street are a stone’s throw away.
So, if I’m a freshman, than no thanks, I’ll take the crowded on-campus dorm experience. If I’m an upper classmen, I’m first in line to sign up for the Sheraton.
Here Is The 2024 Official Boston Calling Custom Merch
Headliner Shirts
Again, these are available all weekend. Each of them seem to promote the given album or tour the artist is on. Hozier and the Killers seem to have the largest variety of items available. Tyler Childers has the best hat collection for sale, from truckers to rope hats.The BC Hats + Harvard Represents
New this year, there are few options of custom Boston Calling hats. My preference in comfort is the green one that I am also wearing in the image at the top of this article. This year’s silkscreen poster contains the names of all the artist. There is one poster for sale. The Harvard basketball jersey is a nice addition to the lineup, sporting the #24. Perhaps its a nod the graduation that occurred here earlier in the week.
The Official T-Shirt And Water Bottle
The lineup 2024 t-shirt comes in an all black option or tie-dyed. Both are the same with the logo on the front and lineup on the back. There are two water bottles. One is yellow and the other is the signature festival colors of blue and red.
The 2024 Custom Shirt, Jackets, and Shorts
Have there ever been Boston Calling shorts? Well, they have them this year. While they’ve certain had sweatpants in the past I don’t recall the branded short flying out of the brown boxes as quickly as they are this year. Perhaps the beautiful 80-degree day has something to do wit that. As usual, there are also a nice array of custom 2024 festival t-shirts. The bomber jacket is a stylish dark green, and of course the dog head logo is everywhere.
