Pace University will be downsizing the number of dorm rooms available to students at the St. George Hotel and eliminating student housing at Clark Hall (55 Clark Street), the Pace Press reports. The school recently signed a lease for new, state of the art facility at 55 John Street in Manhattan with Educational Housing Services. The new dorm features, among other things, a plasma screen television and central heat and air conditioning in every room.
For students, the move means an increase in housing costs — almost $2,000 more for a double room compared to Clark Hall and St. George.
"It messes up a lot of people's housing plans. It's horrendous that most students are going to be stuck paying over $7,000 for housing," sophomore Kimberly Egge tells Pace Press.
A spokesperson for the university tells the paper that the cost differential is not that significant and is more than made up for by the amenities offered at the new dorm.
Heard some students discussing this at the Eastern Athletic Club a few nights ago. At the time they didn’t seem to know what the plans were going forward. I am sure the new place on John Street will be nice, but I don’t think it’s appropriate to require student to pay for a new building filled with plasma TV’s (aren’t you supposed to get an education, get a job, and then get the plasma TV?).
Nevertheless, I wonder if any complaints about rowdy students led to them looking elsewhere.
Also wonder what they will do with the additional rooms available in the St. George (maybe another school is picking them up?)
I had heard that the original plan was for a boutique hotel. Then,it ended up being dorms. It´s strange to me that there are no hotels here.
good riddance….maybe this will mean less annoying drunk kids smoking out in the street and being stupid….
I agree!! maybe now the property will be renevoated to its original splendor!!! and maybe… this will include improving the condition of the subway terminal on clark street…what a disgrace.
yes, i too was looking forward to a sleek chic boutique hotel where grownups could hang with champagne cocktails on stylish little banquettes.
instead we got frat city. . .
(E7) A6 Dm7-5 A6
In some secluded rendezvous
E7 Edim E7
That overlooks the avenue
Bm7-5 E7
With someone sharing a delightful chat
Bm7-5 E7 A6 Edim E7
Of this and that and cocktails for two.
(E7) A6 Dm7-5 A6
As we enjoy a cigarette
E7 Edim E7
To some exquisite chansonette
Bm7-5 E7
Two hands are sure to slyly meet beneath
Bm7-5 E7 A6 D9 A
A ser-vi-ette with cocktails for two.
Bridge:
A7 Edim E7
My head may go reel – ing,
Dm6 A D9 A
But my heart will be o-be-dient
Cdim Bm7-5 E7 Bm7-5 E7 A Edim E7
With intoxicating kisses for the prin-ci-pal in-gre-dient.
(E7) A6 Dm7-5 A6
Most any afternoon at five
E7 Edim E7
We’ll be so glad to be alive
Bm7-5 E7
Then maybe fortune will complete her plan
Bm7-5 E7 A6 D9 A
That all began with cocktails for two.
“Cocktails for Two”, words & music by Arthur Johnston & Sam Coslow (from http://www.theguitarguy.com)
Why invest in a boutique hotel when the students offered a steady and (until now) guaranteed income? Maybe this latest developement will make the St.G’s owners reevaluate their plans. Sounds to me like the kids got the boutique hotel in the end.
Wah. What a bunch a bourgeois babies you guys are, particularly you, frelkins…
Lack of cheap housing is one of the biggest roadblocks for kids to afford to go to college in the city. It’s a shame the families of these kids are gonna get stuck footing an even larger bill when they move elsewhere, potential “amenities” aside.
$7k a semester is a huge nut for any kid to spend for housing. Between tuition and housing the yearly cost is insane.
As for the kids hanging out on the street, maybe if there was a decent bar/coffee shop place in the area the wouldn’t have to resort to the streets.
Brooklyn needs more hotels. The borough alone is larger than states like Hawaii, Nevada or Utah and we have ONE real full service hotel and a handful of shacks.
It doesn’t make sense. The Department of City Planning needs to revise how hotels are handled within the zoning guidelines.
There’s actually two issues here. Affordable education is a nation-wide problem, and housing costs is only the second biggest roadblock to higher education in the city, the biggest being the tuition itself. Pace University is a private institution and charges $30k a year in tuition alone (they estimate 10k a year in housing costs by the way). Any family that balks at sending their child to Pace will do so because of that, not the housing costs. It’s a shame that such institutions are so damn unaffordable, but this is what happens when you gut your public institutions, reduce the grants, and deregulate the student loan industry.
So the second issue is what would be a better use of that space. What’s wrong with frelkins’ idea? Why not restore it to its original splendor? Bring back the pool!
Personally I find this to be good news. A dorm in that area was always an odd fit for the neighborhood. I have nothing against the kids since I was in college once but seeing used condoms on the street more than once can start being a turnoff. In addition, I’m sure the kids think BH is a real snooze–I rather be in Manhattan if I’m under 30.
A nice boutique hotel and a much needed facelift to the clark street subway station would probably improve business in that area.
boutique hotel surely needed – The “W” is looking for property…. could be a great fit. what about the subway station at clark street – any thoughts on when it will be renovated.
Sorry, but I don’t really have any pity for those who can already afford the tuitions when it comes to housing. This is New York City, after all. $7000 a year (assuming that’s for 9 months) is $777/month or $9,333 annually.
At $200/night, a hotel would only have to book the room 4 nights a month to generate the same revenue.
Regarding Clark St. station, at least they fixed-up the awnings/overhangs (somewhat) recently, and all the shops along Clark got new storefronts.
Speaking of used condoms on the sidewalk, did anyone hear or know anything about some psychopath who was throwing bricks off the StG this morning? I heard that it was on the Henry Street side of the building.
Nabeguy, a friend of mine told me she had to dodge bricks as she walked to the 2/3. I was hoping to hear more about it on the blog but nothing but your comment yet.
workin on it
From the Brooklyn Paper:
Pace announced the move last week, prompting speculation about the future of the dormitory, which is at 55 Clark St. But this week, the company that runs the facility promised that it would be business as usual in the new school year.
“The Clark Street building is one of our premier student housing residences,” said Joan Cear of Educational Housing Services, which runs Clark Hall and other doms throughout the city. “It will definitely be filled with college students come the fall.”
Can someone clue me in a bit more on what’s going on at the St. George? I don’t even feel comfortable walking by anymore.
I avoid walking by the St. George all the time at night. I do not feel safe near there anymore. btw: first time poster. Love the site!
So are all the students gone?
I was just up there momments ago, it’s almost uncomortable now to walk by on the Henry Street side.
HUH?!? Yes there’s a lot of doofy kids hanging smoking cigs, but not comfortable walking by… Are you kidding me? Where are you from originally?
That hotel used to house crackheads and hookers and there was a strip club on Clark (between Henry & Hicks)…How could you possibly be scared walking down the street? Perhaps a move back to Connecticut is on order
I’m sorry I just don’t like the element.
It’s clear that “joe”, “average joe”, “jessasox”, and “sickandtired” (at least) are all the same person and clearly someone who has wants to be this site’s official troll and could very well have an interest in some of the establishments at 60 Henry Street.
who cares
btw: aren’t you joe as well?
There are many more colleges that use the hotel that aren’t from Pace. It’ll make no difference if they kick Pace students out or not. Also, it’s New York City. There are used condoms all over it, not just because there are dorms. And, for your information, the bourgeois students wouldn’t be living in the St. George, they’re the ones paying for the new dorm…all of us here, are on student loans.
eh. such is life.
and come fall it will be my life.
I am new to the neighborhood and the only blight in the neighborhood is a handful of hooligans who live in the St. George. They are giving a bad name to what I am sure are a number of very decent young people. In the last two months, to name a few incidents, I saw some drunk students tear a tree guard out of the ground around a tree on Hicks Street, was awakened by a noisy fight at 3 in the morning among students who then went back to the St. George and saw a student intentionally damage a stopped taxi with his skateboard. These kids are really bad for the neighborhood, depressing property values and frightening to other residents.
I’m relatively new to BH, which I find serene but lifeless.
I welcome the kids who hang out on Henry in front of the dorm as they seem–to me–to bring a bit of hip, albeit less than deluxe, to the nabe.
I’ve seen no destructive nor rowdy behavior; I expect I’ll see little student behavior at all as the weather gets colder
Poulenc, try living on Clark St, or the corner of clark/henry/hicks and you will find that the students can be incredibly loud and noisy late at night into the early morning (not talking 10 PM, more like between 1 AM and 4 AM). I don’t mind them hanging out to smoke or to get out of their stuffy dorms, but please, be quiet and talk softly!
The students NEED some place to live. Are you currently a student JL? I’m going to be in Grad school in Brooklyn at Pratt and the housing is damn near 11,000 for the year. The Clark St. place is one of the cheaper places to live. Maybe they are loud because they are cramped into a small space and paying out of the ears for it and need to blow off some seteam.
I meant steam…well you get the point. Finding student housing in NYC blows chunks.
Mik you said that the Residence hall is “depressing property values and frightening to other residents”
I guess you didn’t live here before the students came and the hotel was filled with homeless crack addicts and people dying from AIDS not to mention the stripper bar in the hotel. If students scare you more then drug addicts and the crowd strippers brought then you don’t belong in NY sir. And please don’t worry about property value going down, it has done nothing but go up in the years that students have filled the building.
Not to mention the money they are brining to the local merchants. The students whether you enjoy them being there or not have done nothing but improve the neighborhood.
I live directly across from 55 Clark Street and sure the kids can be a little loud but the staff does a pretty good job keeping it under check. They have put signs up on occasion informing the students to respect the neighborhood. I have talked to the staff personally and they ensured me that they do their best. After the fire in the Clark in 1995 I used to stare at a burnt shell of a building that was unsightly. I will take the students that live here now any day rather then that burnt out shell of a building that existed prior. I will also take the small amount of noise then the homeless filled building that was previously there any day.