Adams House

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.

Adams House, first and foremost because of its convenient location, consistently ranks among the favorite Houses at Harvard. Katy Perry herself has said that "nothing comes close to the Golden Coast," and this year, we agree. Although no House is perfect in every way, Adams is as good as it gets. Once you're an upperclassman, you'll care more than anything about location, location, location.

Dining Hall: In this Gold Coast House, the dining hall is merely a bronze medalist. The food isn't the worst, but it's not great either. Even though strict dining restrictions aim to keep out freshmen and residents of far-away Houses who hope to grab a meal between classes, many slip through, so the dining hall tends to be crowded. The beautiful woodwork and Old Harvard feel make up for the cramped quarters and mediocre food.

Facilities: With rooms such as the Diaspora Room, the Lower Common Room, and the Upper Common Room, Adams House has great common spaces, but their proximity to the Yard puts these gilt-edged rooms in high demand. Other smaller study spots (like the one-man study room in G entryway) offer good places for working alone or in groups, as does the beautiful—but somewhat dimly lit—Adams House library.

Rooms: Most sophomores live in n housing, but it only gets better from there. Rooms in Adams are known for their aesthetic appeal—even the smaller rooms tend to be gorgeous. Freshmen placed in Adams should look forward to dark-wood fireplaces and other Old Harvard perks. Each year, four lucky Adams seniors get to live in the luxurious Adams Senior House—a fully-furnished three-story house next to Claverly Hall. But beware: some Adams residents have complained of critters such as mice and cockroaches invading their rooms, so be prepared to fight off some uninvited guests.

House Spirit: Adams residents believe themselves to be an elite bunch, and they're not afraid to show it. They boast about their House's obvious advantages—like their proximity to the Yard, golden walls, and restrictive dining hall. They also brag vaguely about traditions like their annual black tie reading of "Winnie the Pooh," but don't expect to hear too much about these posh events. If you're not part of the chosen few who live in Adams, they assume you just wouldn't understand. This exclusive attitude means that Adamsians might not display their House spirit as publicly as some, but don't worry: once you're in, you'll definitely feel like part of a proud community.

Location: It doesn't get any more convenient than this. Just a short walk from the Yard, Adams is the only upperclassman House which affords its residents the luxury of being able to wake up at 9:55 a.m. and still be on time for a 10:00 a.m. class.

Quirks: Adams' basement tunnels are covered in beautiful, creative murals, and the House is know for it's eccentric social events, including Drag Night (even the House Masters participate!). New Adamsian can look forward to fairly frequent Masters' Teas.

Our rankings:

1. Adams

2. Lowell

3. Kirkland

4. Eliot

5. Pforzheimer

6. Quincy

7. Dunster

8. Leverett

9. Currier

10. Mather

11. Winthrop

12. Cabot