Residential Areas

The dorms on the UMass Amherst campus are divided into six sections, or residential areas in different parts of the campus.

Northeast in the winter

• Northeast is the appropriately-named section of dorms in the northeast corner of the campus. It is composed of 9 dorm buildings (and one academic building, Arnold) situated around a grassy quad. Each of these brick buildings have four stories and are characteristic of a typical New England college setting. The buildings closely resemble those in Central, but Northeast is more level with the rest of the campus. Worcester Dining Commons is located in Northeast.

Central in the winter

• Central is a bit south of Northeast, and is very convenient to campus due to its central location. Central has charming brick buildings with yellow trim which look very similar to those in Northeast, and which are advertised as "New England" style in the UMass housing guide. Franklin Dining Commons is located in Central.

Southwest towers

• The Southwest residential area is also appropriately named, as it is in the southwest corner of the campus. Southwest is the largest and houses the most students. Southwest resembles city-style living, with five high-rise dorms and several low rises. The Hampshire and Berkshire Dining Commons are located in Southwest.

Orchard Hill in springtime (courtesy Drew Von Maluski)

• Orchard Hill is a residential area that is miles above the rest of the campus on a hill. The walk up to Orchard Hill is legendary for beating the Freshman 15, but once you're up there, you will enjoy catching your breath in the The Bowl, a grassy field in between the Orchard Hill buildings which is named for its strange sunken appearance.

A building in North (courtesy Drew Von Maluski)

• The North Apartments are the newest addition to housing at UMass. Located west of Sylvan, these apartments are generally nicer and more expensive than the dorms in the other five residential areas.

Sylvan in springtime (courtesy Drew Von Maluski)

• Sylvan is a group of three buildings in the northeastern-most part of campus on Eastman Lane. Sylvan features unique suite-style living and is located farthest away from campus. Parking is nearby, but food isn't.