Eliot House
Bad(ass) and Bougie
Eliotites are the classy (some might say bougie) younger siblings who are more successful than you and the life of the party. From events to amenities, they like to do things with a bit of pizzazz, but on the inside (in Eliot’s case) they are a (really) old soul whose age shows…a lot. They also have a beautiful Latin house catchphrase — floreat domus de Eliot (“long flourish Eliot House”) — that is very fun to say and gives a little ego boost of being able to identify as bilingual (that counts, right?).
Eliotites love fancy festivities, and the star of their show is Fête, arguably the best spring formal of all of the houses. The Housing Committee (HoCo) pulls out all the stops: think a swing band in the courtyard (bougie), a beautiful ice sculpture (bougie), luscious chocolate-dipped strawberries galore (bougie), and a DJ in the d-hall (hahahaha get it?). And as if that wasn’t enough, they even offer 1920s-style swing dance lessons to prepare the uncoordinated for the big bash. However, Fête’s legendary exclusivity isn’t just about having a good time — it’s a chance for Eliot residents to rake in the dough. Some Eliotites have turned selling plus-one tickets into a serious side hustle, charging up to a rumored $250 to the hottest party in the Square.
Eliot also offers smaller, more frequent opportunities for members of the community to get together through their steins and enhanced dinners. Steins are epic Thursday night gatherings that draw in a crowd of eager students twice a month. Picture this: pizza, snacks, drinks flowing, and a whole bunch of fun activities — recent themes include karaoke-stein and Valen-steins. But these shindigs are becoming so legendary that they’re practically a magnet for students from other houses looking to crash the scene (if you can’t beat Eliot, join them?). Eliot just exudes that unbeatable vibe. If that’s not enough to satisfy your appetite, every month Eliot serves up an enhanced dinner in their beautiful wood-paneled (Insta story-worthy) d-hall that is nothing short of a gourmet delight. Ranging from carving stations to lobster ravioli, students sorted into Eliot get to experience elaborate meals constantly — a major green flag.
Because of their elevated sense of class, the Eliot amenities aren’t your average Harvard house offerings, they are better. Want to dabble in a little rowing? Using Eliot’s own erg room (a fenced-in room full of rowing machines that might be as old as Harvard) will surely connect you to your high school crew days. Netflix and chill? Nah — Eliotites prefer watching classic cinematic creations in their recliner-filled Golden Arm movie theater (Legally Blonde, anyone?). Tired of studying in your dorm? Eliotites can be found cozying up on their satin couches in their private, double-decker library (that might even be fancier than Widener) — featuring a grand piano to entertain guests and many valuable works of literature — or their record room (a little classy/artsy aesthetic), which just sounds so sophisticated when I say it. Needless to say, these are just the beginning of the options available to residents of Eliot.
Side Quest Heaven
Eliot possesses a captivating duality that underscores the utilization of both its internal amenities, intertwined with an established tunnel system for an endless array of side quests, and the exploration of resources beyond its brick walls. As Felix Y. Chen ’25, an Eliot HoCo co-chair, astutely observed, “Eliot has a lot of those nooks and crannies that you don’t quite know about coming in and then you’re like, ‘Oh, that’s cool!’” This unique blend of hidden treasures and external opportunities positions Eliot as a formidable contender in this year’s Housing Market. Its allure lies in the promise of perpetual discovery – it gets the people going!
For the foodies, Eliot offers the newly-reopened Inferno, a grille that boasts a great menu for those action-packed weekend nights (and early mornings), and is rumored to have burgers, dino nuggets (emphasis on dino. nuggets.), and milkshakes that could revive anyone from the dead. The vending machine selection was also satisfactory — I’d give it a 7.8/10 (a solid score that implies a finer palette than the average vending machine). Chen’s Co-Chair, Helen A. Scarborough ‘25, also mentioned that Eliot is “dangerously close” to Noch’s, Black Sheep, and Dunkin’. I also want to emphasize (in classic Flyby style) that Eliot is the CLOSEST house to a Trader Joe’s (0.6 miles from the Allston location… sorry, Dunster), which is probably the most important reason to get excited about living there.
For the gym rats/athletic peeps, there is plenty to offer. There is a beautiful (in its own way), dungeon-like gym that gives ‘70s movie training montage vibes (if you want that) and has a good array of weights and cardio options, a dance studio that you can use at a moment’s notice to destress (to serenity songs?), or if you don’t have a lot of time, I’ve heard that Eliotites just run around the tunnels for some quick cardio. You can also make use of the ONLY housed-in courtyard at any house to play volleyball, yard games, or even (if you’re over 21, of course) a game of beer pong with fellow Eliotites. Also, Eliot boasts *backdoor access* to the river (letting you out right at Memorial and JFK) makeing you a hop, skip, and a jump away from the MAC, the Athletic Complex if you have practice, or the River if you want to enjoy a sunset walk or run.
For the artsy minds, there’s the Leonard Bernstein Room (in the tower) to play your instruments to your heart’s content, a nice Arts and Crafts Room (to channel your inner 5-year-old), and a dark room (apparently for photos? If you’re into that…). Another quirk of Eliotite creative life has got to be the woodshop, which is where students can go build things out of… well, wood… yeah. All graduating seniors get to build their own diploma frames, which is a wholesome thing that adds to the end of a transformative liberal arts education.
Lastly, in light of my recent article on the art of bush jumping, I would like to point out that Eliot House has the #2 best bush to jump into on campus, which gives it a massive advantage over all river houses — very classy indeed.
Needless to say, Eliot provides plenty of room for extracurricular success.
Community over Competition
A crucial thing to highlight for the Class of 2027 is that Eliot House will begin renovations in January 2025, so living conditions for today’s freshmen might look a little different from the current state of things — most students will be relocated to the Inn after the first semester, it seems (which does have air conditioning and a nice set-up).
The typical set-up of Eliot is suites, which might be a reason for their greater sense of community (and no sharing a hallway bathroom with nasty peeps). They usually follow the n or n-1 housing set-up, which means that people can usually plan on having a double (or rare single) until their senior year.
“They have good character too,” Scarborough said. “They all have fireplaces (they’re not working), but, you know, it’s nice to have, like, a mantle. The common rooms are beautiful — some of them will have built-in bookshelves and just random little elements that just make them more exciting and interesting.”
Scarborough also highlighted the prime locations of Eliot rooms. She pointed out that in “pretty much every room you’re gonna have a nice view. We have a really nice yard to look into, but also looking out at the river.”
Q&A
I took some time to ask some fun little questions to the chairs about their house. Could they handle the pressure? You decide.
What cartoon character would Eliot House be?
FYC: I like Pink Panther.
Which superheroes would you use to describe the adults around Eliot?
HAS: Sue [House Administrator] is literally Wonder Woman
HAS: Andi [Resident Dean of Eliot House] gives me, like, Elastigirl. She is so good at so many things, but also, she’s just so caring and thoughtful.
FYC: I could see [Paul, Eliot House Building Manager, being] Mr. Incredible. Having to deal with all the house’s quirks.
If you could change one thing about Eliot, what would it be?
FYC: I think the fire alarm is a little sensitive.
HAS: We aren’t the most accessible house, which is really tough. Like whether you have accommodation needs or if you get injured halfway through the year, it can be a little tough.
Keep your eye out for the great house of Eliot knocking on your door on March 7th. Domus!