Kind of a bad place and not the best environment either. I stayed here for a few weeks last summer…read moreand here are my takeaways: Pros: Location is not bad at all, I was on a higher floor so the traffic was not super audible and I could sleep through it just fine (I am from a city and am used to noise, though, my roommate had some trouble at first). USUALLY pretty clean and put together, the AC was working, nothing was gross or anything when I moved in. Decent amount of storage, I was in a smaller double, but it was still pretty spacious, and I'm pretty sure all of the dorms have private bathrooms which was great. Cons: When I first moved in, I noticed the hallways were super musty and sad, the rooms were also really dull. Not just like weird, but full on creepy with lights flickering for a bit on the dark, nasty, yellow, peeling walls in the hallways. Rooms were not nasty, though. I did not have this issue, but about half of the people I knew there did. There was a HUGE cockroach problem on my floor and they were so icky! I was in my friend's bathroom and while I was sitting on the toilet, a cockroach literally crawled out of the drain and flew directly at me. I didn't even know they flew! Apparently this was not the first time my friend had seen roaches come out of her drain. When people reported this, the normal response was that they would get right on it. They never got on it. Also we were told that security was tight and would only allow dorm residents into the halls, but nope! Many instances, random people were going up the wrong elevator and ending up in the dorms instead. I was sitting outside the elevator when the door opened and the guy was like "where am I?". And I'm not surprised he was so shocked because this place is gross compared to the new yorker hotel side. I was also in the hallways talking to my friend once and two confused drunk guys were wandering the halls, which I would be confused, too, because the hallways are literally a maze. Like the most confusing set up in the world. When people visited, they were required to have a badge, and I maybe saw one person wearing a badge the whole time I was there and people brought outsiders up always, which goes to show how amazing their security is. Our shower also broke and would not stop. When we called down, they said they would send someone up and it took so long. When they got up, they didn't know what to do and basically broke the shower to stop it and said they would be back in the morning to fix it with an actual team. They did not come back in the morning and we had to call them. We were without a shower for two full days and some. Overall, I would not recommend staying here. It's nasty and infested and not safe. Also, there are a lot of children living here over the summer, which is not an issue with me, but the whole security thing really rubs me the wrong way because of the minors that are living there.

There's cockroaches in many of the rooms, low natural light, and it's very old. Sometimes the pipes…read morerun with rusty brown water. Also there's no window screens so you'll get eaten alive by bugs if you open your windows a crack (I'd post photos but frankly it's kind of gross). Kind staff but there's not much they can do. The location is central but super busy, loud, and dirty (you can hear street noise at all hours). Quite sketchy too. Penn station area simply isn't comfortable for living in--just ask any local. These problems aren't isolated and many residents I know have experienced them. If you value your quality of life and your company has corporate housing here, take the stipend instead and top it off with some of your own money. Going through all of this isn't worth it, I'm speaking from experience. Addressing the response: The issues that I experienced were acknowledged by staff but none were ever resolved. The poor state of the building is a large factor in the quality of the residence, and unfortunately tarnished my stay.

This is a gorgeous residence hall! These students don't know how good they have it!…read more It's all female during the academic year, but then SVA opens it up to non-SVA students and interns in the city for the summer. They have 24-security and it's an incredibly safe neighborhood. The building is prewar, which means it has gorgeous parquet flooring, huge closets, big bedrooms, nice sized kitchens, and a charming elevator. They leave the rooftop open for their residents year-round. They have a grill for the students to use, lounge chairs, picnic tables and chairs, oh, and an amazing view of Gramercy Park. The residents also share a key to the park as well. There's a homey little lounge for the students to chill out in, watch tv, play a game, etc. This is definitely not your typical college residence hall!!

I have only visited here because some friends live in the dorm. Compared with the new res building…read moreId have to say id prefer to live here rather than two blocks away haha. Even though its a really old building with a kinda sketchy elevator its clean and really roomy ~ Like the other dorms I dont like turning in my ID at the door and having to sign in and out and all the other rules that govern the dorm. Its safety, I know~~ Its all female which kinda makes it a nice enviroment.....haha The key word there is 'kinda'

My daughter is an NYU student and has been living here since the beginning of the year. Nice…read morefacilities, big suites. Unisex bathroom in the lobby after the guards desk, on the right. Trams are frequent and shopping is close. I'm not worried leaving my kid in this neighborhood.

Ga-dunk, ga-dunk, ga-dunk, ga-dunk, ga-dunk, ga-dunk ...no, that's not a Buddhist chant. It's the…read moresound of my Tumi suitcase rolling upstairs four flights at the Union Square Inn. So did I mention they don't have an elevator? Who thinks to ask if a hotel doesn't have an elevator? I thought I was playing a scene in "Barefoot in the Park" when Jane Fonda's mother collapses from walking up to her fifth-floor walk-up. But you can't knock a great location, close to not just Union Square but all the great eateries in the Lower East Side like Momofuku. And I was surprised that for all the congestion on 14th Street that the room is pretty quiet. It's just small and non-descript with a bathroom that was almost as big as the bedroom. I secured a double bed for two for about $172 on a Saturday night, so it is definitely one of the better deals in this part of Manhattan. Service is surprisingly nice there and very responsive to requests like getting a private car for the airport. They do serve a free continental breakfast, and unlike the croissants and Nutella you would find in Italian hotels, you see a massive pile of bagels and tubs of cream cheese for the taking. Hey, it ain't the Waldorf Astoria, but if you need a reasonably priced place to crash for a couple of nights in Manhattan, this place is worth checking out...but pack light lest you get a hernia!

It's decent. The…read morefact that there is no elevator sucks but they have people that will help you carry bags up/down your stairs. The rooms are quaint...I had the single with the queen sized bed with the most uncomfortable mattress. The bathrooms feels cramped tho. And figuring out the shower was like hacking a padlock trying to find that sweet spot of the mis-marked temperature settings. And it's one of those showers that you feel like you wouldn't want to be barefoot in. But positive points include convenient location to subway and union square. They secure the door that leads to the main stairway. And there is a water cooler. And I truly feel like that make efforts to make your stay comfortable. I probably wouldn't stay there unless I was on a super tight budget.

I lived in Kaufman Hall's summer housing for an internship I did in the city and it was by far the…read moreworst living situation I have ever had. Dorm rooms themselves were fine, typical of most dorms, but the staff was incredibly rude and made every interaction with them (which was a ton because you need to check in with them every single time a guest comes through the door with you) painfully difficult. They would barely pick their head up from what they were doing when you talk to them at the front desk and made you feel like a huge inconvenience every interaction. Having friends stay over was virtually impossible and not worth the hour long debate that came with it every time. Staying in Kaufman Hall was the worst part of my summer and a huge, huge waste of money. Stay somewhere else!

As far as a place to live Kaufman hall is just ok. The rooms are nothing special, the gym in the…read morebasement is basic and the atmosphere is so-so. I don't feel at "home" while living here and I've been in the same room for more than a year now. The bathrooms remind me of a public handicap stall and the ceilings are high, which make it feel industrial. Theres not much you can do as far as moving the furniture, theres only one or two different set ups possible. they advertise theses as "on campus apartments" when really they're dorm rooms with a "kitchen" and bathroom, far from an apartment or apartment style room. The kitchen is super small with no space for cooking at all. I've stayed in hotels with larger kitchens than this. Its a short walk to school which is nice but other than that it basically sucks and I can't wait to move out.

I am a host for the company and I've had nothing but wonderful experiences! My "children" that I've…read morehosted (18 year old from Germany) has been amazing and I'm looking forward to my next home stay as well. The company walked me through my whole experience and answered any ( and I had many) questions and were always a phone call away. Thank you for such a wonderful experience

I'm staying in the Amsterdam residence of Sara's homestay and honestly is the worst experience I…read morehave EVER had!!! When I booked They sent me pictures of a room that is not even similar to what is my room now. It is horrible, depressing, so dark!! It has a tiny little window to the back of the building so dark that I can't even see anything if I don't turn on the light all day. On top of all I asked for a better room as long as I have paid for a WHOLE month and anyone can help you out, they tell you to speak with Sara who's NEVER available in the building and all of the guys who are at the front door have the worst mood always. They treat you so bad. I really don't wanna stay here anymore, I want my money back.

This review is for 55 John Street…read more This summer I lived in the 55 John Street location in the financial district. The location was amazing! We were right next door to the main Fulton Center station, down the street from the World Trade Center and around the corner from Wall Street. The EHS staff put on a ton of events and I met some of my best friends while living here!

My son lived here for one semester. I would not recommend this place to anyone, especially for the…read moreamount of money they charge. First of all, upon arrival in September, the room was filthy. Disgusting, really. It was not cleaned at ALL. The bathroom was dirty and hair clogged the shower drain, there was crud all over the floor, old FOOD in the refrigerator, etc. This was a Friday evening. The situation was not resolved until they brought cleaners in Sunday evening, so we had to pay for 2 nights in a hotel and move in on Monday. The room was only slightly better on that day though, and we still had to buy cleaning products and scrub it down. My son informed them of all of this verbally and in a survey sent to him, but no compensation (or even an apology) was offered by EHS. Moreover, there were significant privacy and security issues. After completely moving in, a painter was let into my son's room while he was at school. All of his stuff which had just been moved in and set up was piled into the middle of the room and they painted around it -- then left the door OPEN when they were done. He returned to find his expensive camera and computer equipment in an unsecured room. Shortly after that, an RA let themself into his room (without even knocking), thinking he wasn't there. When asked why, there was no reason. This happened several times when he wasn't there (caught on camera) and was quite concerning. RA's should not be letting themselves into student's rooms. That kind of violation can't be undone. My son stayed with friends most of the semester as he didn't feel safe there, and we ultimately wasted a lot of money. Couldn't wait to get him out of there! NOTE for NYU students: The reason we applied to EHS was to get a single, which is hard to come by in NYU dorms. However, because NYU has a large portion of the Clark wing at St. George Towers, I was told by EHS that all NYU students must book through NYU's housing office. I was told this AFTER the NYU housing application deadline, even though we had stated my son went to NYU on the form weeks prior. So that left us in a lurch for housing. NYU ultimately made an exception after they heard what EHS had done to us. The whole process was exasperating and, in hindsight, I realized we could've literally put our son up in a lower-priced hotel for the same amount of time with far less stress for all of us. *I'm giving a second star on my review only because the view from the room was lovely and the building itself has a wonderful history. Also, the neighborhood is great and it's convenient to the subway.

Oh this place wasn't so bad. I lived there mid-june through august 3rd for a summer internship…read more The Good: The booking process was super easy, albeit a bit sketchy. Using an online form, you choose your room type and simply pay for it online with a credit card. No check to see who you are, if you're a student, etc. Ah well. At a for-profit institution, they're just in it for the money. I guess they don't care who books their rooms as long as they pay. The location was pretty good. Right across from a Duane Reade (though not a renovated one, if you're used to the others in the city). The gym is right across the street. Bars are close by, and you barely have to drive to the city to get out of it. You're right by the Williamsburg Bridge so when it comes to moving your things, it's easy to get a car there. Plus, there's a parking garage right across the street. Everything is included in your payment to live here (read: you don't have to pay extra for laundry, cable, wifi, or AC. Keep that AC running as much as you'd like!) Compared to subletting a place for the summer and having to find a furnished place and pay extra for all utilities (and piece of mind with 24 hour security) it's price is pretty much on point. The room are small, yes, but it's a college dorm. Except small rooms. Most are singles, which was important to me. Each room had a bed, two dressers under the bed (I moved mine and stacked them), a desk, a chair, an exposed closest, a microwave, and a mini fridge/freezer. Each single is joined by another by a bathroom (so you share your bathroom with one other person). I'm not sure how this works with the double rooms. It was easy to move in and check out. Even when I had guests, the process of signing them in and out was easy. I don't know why others had a problem, unless they didn't know the policies. Even when I had to change the dates of one of my visitors very last minute, it was easy to change with security. You just have to be nice and apologetic. The RAs are really nice! I didn't have much contact with them, but when I did, they were super friendly. The resident director also kept everyone up to date on building happenings via both email and the facebook page. It was great! The Not-So-Good: The single worst part about my stay was the wifi issues. I got over it with my computer once I bought an ethernet chord, but it was incredibly annoying to have to sign in every single time I wanted to use it on my phone. Not just every time I went into the building. Every time I picked it up to google something, even if I had been in the building all day. Honestly, it only started working properly the day I left. Naturally. The only kitchen in the entire place is in the basement. I never used it because I could never find a time when it wasn't being used. I got really good at cooking delicious things with a microwave. I had consistant problems with my refrigerator leaking water. Condensation would build up inside and it would leak everywhere. I submitted a request to get it fixed, but I'm not sure anything happened with that. I think it was a combination of using the AC, which increased the condensation in the room, which somehow effected the refrigerator. I wish I could have gotten confirmation of this, but no one ever responded to my request. This may seem silly, but the toilets are SUPER loud. Just prepare yourself to wake up every night at 4am if your roommate always needs to pee then... All in all, it was an okay stay. Nothing fabulous, nothing glamorous. I needed last minute housing, and this was honestly better than I probably could have gotten in a sublet.

I lived at the Ludlow in January 2013 - May 2013 straight out of college. I moved t o New York to…read morework an internship at an entertainment agency in Flatiron District and overall truly enjoyed my stay. Pros: Location, location, location!! I was one stop on the F train to Brooklyn and just 4-5 stops uptown to Midtown. Even better, I was within walking distance of everything in LES and Soho/Chinatown wasn't too bad of a walk either. Apartment: My room was very clean and the building was nice. Elevators always worked and same for laundry machines. I was lucky to stay in a double as a single so I felt like I had plenty of space. My adjoining roommate was in a single and it was pretty tight but she mad it work. Great views and the terrace is nice too. Social Life: LES/The Ludlow is surrounded by some of the most fun lounges and tastiest restaurants. There are so many cool places to eat within walking distance. Right across the street, the DL has AMAZING brunch. There's also Beauty and Essex two streets over that is great for brunch and after hours they have a great DJ as well. Security/Management: They do their jobs well by checking IDs and making sure guests get signed in accordingly. They also hold big packages that don't fit in your mailbox behind the desk which is nice. Cons: Following the security piece in pros, the sign in aspect can get a little annoying. You can also only have guests stay overnight if you sign them in by a certain time (5pm or 8pm, can't remember) and you are limited to 10 stays a semester. If you have a guest that isn't on the overnight list and they don't leave by midnight, security WILL come to your room to personally escort the person out of the building. No questions asked. They don't play about that rule. Kitchen: There is one stove/oven and 2 microwaves and 2 toaster ovens. For a high rise building with as many students as ours, I think that's a bit ridiculous. Obviously, around dinner time, it was PACKED. Laundry: Although I never had any issues with laundry machines themselves, if your clothes were left in a dryer or washing machine you ran risk of finding them on the middle table because someone moved them to use the machine. I personally think it's rude to touch people's clothing but just know to keep your alarm on your phone so you can go get your things when the cycle is finished. (It's completely free though so that's a very nice aspect) Recap: Great location, nice clean building, invested security. I say it's a win for temporary NYC housing!