The University of Virginia offers two major housing options for incoming first year students. Old dorms , located on McCormick Road, and new dorms , located on Alderman Road, are the two options among which first years can choose. According to the Housing Office, old dorms can accommodate a total of 1,404 students while new dorms can accommodate a total of 1,572 students. While more students live in new dorms, old dorms possess many clear advantages over new dorms. Old dorms are a better place to live than new dorms because they are closer to Central Grounds and more conducive to a strong social atmosphere.
Old dorms offer a wide range of benefits for incoming first year students.
First and most advantageous, is the fact that old dorms are closer to Central Grounds. Central Grounds is the area at the University where all of the classrooms and lecture halls are located. The walk from old dorms to Cabell Hall, the main classroom building, lasts about five minutes. The hike from new dorms to Cabell takes about ten to twenty minutes, depending on the new dorm in which you live. If you live in new dorms, the trek to class consumes much of your time, especially since the new dorms are spread so far apart.