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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter.

If you were to walk into the lobby of Danielsen Hall, my student residence, you would be met with a sarcastic sign announcing, with a cursive glitter flourish, that the building is “closer than you think!”

During my freshman year, I lived in Warren Towers, which I had little issue with. It was in a great location – I could leave my room 10 minutes before a class started in the College of Arts and Sciences building and have no problem arriving on time. It was just across the street!

But on campus, the “West is Best” attitude was overwhelming. I could hardly defend Warren Towers without it constantly being compared to West’s impressive social scene, dining hall—you name it. So yeah, I’ll admit that Warren’s dining hall is lacking, but I felt the “East campus hate” was unjustified. 

People Walking on Street
Photo by Burst from Pexels

This year, people pity me for living in Danielsen but, in reality, my roommates and I chose that building on purpose! In my last month living in what I refer to as the “last frontier” of BU campus, my opinion has stayed the same: East Campus is great!

Sure, Danielsen is a bit of a hike to get to classes, but it’s also a prime location for other cool things, like shopping in the Newbury Street area. The basement kitchen has also allowed my roommates and me to do some cooking and baking on weekends, which is impossible if you live in any of the main large residence halls. Also, I’ve taken advantage of how close we are to Trader Joe’s and Eataly on Boylston Street to shop for my ingredients, which always makes for fun roommate or solo excursions!

cooking dinner
Photo by Conscious Design from Unsplash

I also spend my weekends exploring Boston, which I find easier to do from Danielsen—I no longer feel trapped by the rest of campus like I have in the past. Just this past weekend, I walked to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (BU students can get free tickets, so check it out!) through the Victory Gardens in Fenway. I’d never been there before, and I thought it was beautiful! Living in a new area has encouraged me to find new routes through the city, and without even meaning to, am discovering so many special things about Boston. 

Another unintentional benefit of how far removed Danielsen Hall is from the rest of BU is the feeling of independence. Despite technically being an on-campus residence, when I am at Danielsen I don’t feel like I am at BU at all.

Personally, I love this! I’m getting a more immersive city experience, which is part of the reason I chose BU in the first place. Living in Danielsen allows me to pretend I am in my own apartment – and it’s not scary, it’s fun! When I step outside, I land directly in the Back Bay and as soon as I’m out of the doorway, I’m just like any other Boston resident.

woman walking jordane mathieu unsplash?width=1024&height=1024&fit=cover&auto=webp
Photo by Jordane Mathieu on Unsplash

So thank you East Campus! You may not be the popular end of campus, but that’s okay.

East is Best in my heart!

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Rae Ruane is a biweekly writer for Her Campus Boston University. She enjoys writing about a broad range of topics but is especially partial to feminism and culture. Having grown up in a small beach town in California, she finds that there is a lot of interesting material to cover in a new city! Rae is a sophomore studying Film and Television and Myth Studies. As a film major, she wants to study screenwriting and has won a few awards for her short screenplay work in the past from the Central Coast Film Society Student Film and Media Arts Competition and Urbanite Arts & Film Festival. Her writing has also appeared in BU’s Deerfield Journal. In her free time at BU, Rae enjoys going on walks along the esplanade and visiting museums. She listens to a lot of music and her favorite artists are Chappell Roan and Angèle. Outside of Her Campus she is involved with the Students for Reproductive Freedom and BU College Democrats clubs at Boston University.