For Ryan Counter '06, living off campus is a welcome change of pace for his social life.
"As a senior it is nice to have the independence of living off campus and the opportunity to gather outside of dorms or frat houses," Counter said.
Although they are not shirking Greek houses entirely, many seniors like Counter have chosen to live off campus this year in an effort to expand their social horizons.
"Don't get me wrong, I still spend my fair share of time in dirty basements," Counter said. "But once in awhile when you want to chill out by other means than pong, off-campus houses are a nice change. The lack of S&S presence is definitely welcomed, and I'm looking forward to living in one spot all year as opposed to moving every 10 weeks due to the D-Plan."
Counter is living near the Dartmouth Co-op this year, a location he said was close to a number of his friends' off-campus houses.
Olivia Zaleski '06 is also living with a number of close friends in a house on Prospect Street.
"Having friends who live off campus is great because it creates more social settings," she said.
Although the Office of Residential Life will not have final data on the number of students living off campus until they complete their fall census, Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman estimated that there are anywhere from 400 to 500 students currently living off campus.
The College also operates a Real Estate Office to aid students seeking off-campus options. The office maintains a list on their website of available rental properties, which are owned by private landlords in the Upper Valley area.
For those who wish to remain on campus, the College offers a selection of housing options that cater to upperclassmen and their changing social habits, Redman said. After freshman year, students can choose to live in Greek or affinity housing or in four-person River apartments.
These housing options give students the chance to congregate in larger numbers without needing to worry about causing an unwelcome disturbance in the dorms. A number of these residences also have kitchens and give students the option of cooking their own meals.
Although some upperclassmen are nostalgic about their old dorms and the way their living arrangements facilitated social interaction, most said they welcomed their new environments.
"You are spending time with the same people you always have," Zaleski said. "It is nice to be able to do so outside of the exhausted fraternity basement."
