Leverett 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.

It seems that Houses, like data sets, tend towards the mean as they get larger. In that vein, this year's poll revealed that Leverett is just about average. Leverett is the biggest of the 12 residential Houses, with students spread across three different buildings whose variety give the House its charm. From McKinlock Hall (or Old Leverett) to the Leverett Towers to housing on two floors of 20 DeWolfe St., Leverett pleases those who tend toward more modern housing while still accommodating residents yearning for an ivy-lined, stereotypical Harvard building. Residents praise the middle House along the river for its "beautiful river view," "MONKEY BREAD," and of course for the fact that "Jeremy Lin lived there." As one resident eloquently put it, the best thing about Lev is "EVERYTHINGGGGG."

House Spirit: Leverites seem to be divided on the matter of House spirit. Leverett pulled a solid seventh place in the poll, and many respondents brought up House community as their favorite thing about Lev. According to one resident, the House boasts "lots of spirit and always cool community dinners." Another Leverett staple lauded by students is the Masters' Open Houses, which feature the renowned monkeybread. Providing a different perspective, one resident said that "there is absolutely no House spirit,” another said that "honestly, it is pretty boring," and a third agreed that there is "not much constant House spirit."

Housing Quality: The wide variety of housing and unusually good rooms for residents in their first years as Leverites is a source of glee from many a poll respondent. One resident exclaimed that "having an amazingly large quint as a sophomore" is the best thing about the House, while many referenced the views from the lofty Leverett Towers. Leverett's diversity of housing has something for everyone. Unlike those of other Houses, Leverett's two residential buildings embody a wide variety of architectural styles. Old Lev was built in 1925 and encircles a courtyard in an architectural style typically associated with Harvard. McKinlock Hall is also home to Leverett's dining hall and most of its social spaces. The Leverett Towers, with their own courtyard, look out over the Boston skyline. Some residents, however, bemoan a lack of guaranteed n+1 housing for seniors, asserting that "the senior housing kind of sucks."

Dining Hall: Leverett's d-hall is the one source of complaints for many poll respondents. The dining hall of the most populous House on campus can get overcrowded, and one resident complained that "there are some times when you walk into the d-hall and don't recognize anyone." The d-hall consists of many tables that seat six people, often making it difficult to find a private seat or to find a place to sit with a few friends. The dining hall was ranked tenth among Houses, the lowest of Leverett's rankings. One Leverite even said that the worst thing about the House was the dining hall, adding "the food is pretty damn bad."

Facilities: Leverett has ample social space, most of which is located in Old Lev. Leverett complements the standard pool table with a newly-added foosball table. Its JCR is designed in a style much like those of other old River Houses, giving residents a comfortable but classy space to relax. Some Leverites complain about the walk from their dorms to the dining hall, but with so many different options, that comes off as a minor detail.

Rating: With solid rooming and good location, Leverett just barely missed the top half of Houses in the rankings. Still, it's a desirable House, and for this reason ranked seventh out of 12.

Our rankings so far:

7. Leverett

8. Currier

9. Mather

10. Winthrop

11. Cabot

12. Dunster