Unit 1 Residence Halls

I lived here as a student and it looked a lot different from the time I started (2001) to when I left (2006). Their staff all around has always been the greatest and every building I’ve been in has been impeccably clean!!! Unit 1-​derful has always been the best unit in my book!
I’ve been back as a visitor now and things have only gotten better! The SMs are still fantastic and the unit is vibrant as ever. GO BEARS!

Unit 1 is one of the older dorms at Berkeley. It is identical to unit 2 which is a new version of the unit. Unit 1 sits on college ave and Channing. It’s at a really convenient location, close to the campus and food. There’s not much to say about the dorms besides that! I dormed at unit 3 so I can’t provide much insight about unit 1!

#136. I miss this place. Sure, the dorms are old, small, and pricey, but those living experiences are something you can’t forget. If you can’t stand living in these conditions, the mini-​suites are probably more fitting. But you might have issues with the phone reception in the newer buildings with those thick concrete walls.
Unit 1 still beats the other units due to its proximity to everything: campus, Crossroads, frat row, College Ave, etc. I miss college.

This is an amazing place to study during finals week. If you live in proximity to Unit 1, I would scrap any plans to walk all the way to Mainstacks — only to spend another 30 mins to look for a place to sit among a sea of stressed out students who don’t leave their seats for 10 hours at a time. There is the computer lounge, the APR, and another study room in the main underground area. There are also around 3 rooms you could study in underneath Slotman that offer a nice, quiet space and plenty of outlets.
There is a gym that supposed to be only to Unit 1 residents, but no one there really checks, so you could just exercise during a study break to get some endorphins.

What can I say about U1? It’s one block from the south border of campus and minutes from Durant Square (Asian ghetto) and Crossroads/​The Den. Café 3 and Bear Market are also within 5 minutes from U1. You save 5 minutes of walk time heading to and from campus compared to those in U2. Essentially, U1 and U2 are the same with the exception of Wada Hall in U2. There are 2 themed housing programs in the mini-​suite buildings and you can find out more on the website link above. Freeborn Hall is supposedly the «substance free» building but there isn’t anything different about it compared to the rest of the other buildings (Cheney, Deutsch, and Putnam). The 51B stops right at the corner of Durant and College so public transportation is highly convenient. For those who get rooms facing the S.F. bay, the view is brilliant!