The class of 2004 is about to be faced with a decision that will affect their entire senior year. It all comes down to this: the townhouses, the apartments, or, of course, the beach. Which one will everyone call home next year?

With the housing lottery right around the corner, underclassmen are gearing up for another year of frustration over bad lottery numbers. The class of 2004, though, will get the first crack at housing.

Last year’s disaster, which left many of the junior class in the dorms, created strong opinions on which residence will allow seniors to make the most out of their year.

But even those who weren’t lottery losers are convinced that they know where the best place to live is, and are ready to defend their current or future place of residence to anyone who will listen.

As much as some students hate to admit it, there are benefits and costs to living in all three places.

Obviously, the biggest draw of the apartments is privacy. Most students haven’t had their own room while at college, so the idea of being able to have a space they can call their own is appealing. Plus, apartment residents get the added perks of their own phone lines, their own cable, and their own heat.

Mary Gazella, ‘03, can’t imagine why anyone would want to live anywhere other than the apartments.

“I love having my own room,” Gazella said. “My room is always like Miami, and the heat doesn’t bother anyone else because it’s my room. Oh, and I don’t have to pay for that heat.”

Kerry Fuller, ‘04, currently a townhouse resident, agrees. “I’m living in an apartment next year because I want my own room and I’m sick of paying utilities.”

Townhouse residents loathe paying utilities, and as the winter wears on, and bills continue to climb, there seems to be no end in sight. Then again, townhouse residents argue that they’re living in a house, after all. The benefit of more space might outweigh the cost of utilities.

So they don’t have their own rooms. Forget privacy- think about the independence of having your own house! At the townhouses, you’re not living down the hall from an apartment manager in an environment that many find to be dorm-like.

Apartment managers are quick to respond that they are not the same as RAs.

“We’re not here to maintain control, we’re here as advocates for the students,” said Apartment Manager Lisa Porpora, ‘03. “At this point, students are old enough to make their own decisions. We’re not there to write them up.”

And what about the triple in the townhouses? Who wants to be an upperclassman stuffed in a room with two other people?

“I don’t understand how they reason giving us money back for being tripled freshman year, but not for the overcrowded townhouses,” said Lindsey Marx, ‘04, a townhouse resident.

Don’t forget that townhouse residents have three floors to roam around, while those in apartments only have one. The basement might be the single biggest draw of the townhouses, but don’t tell the administration that.

Oh, and don’t forget the back porch. It may be winter now, but come spring, the atmosphere up there completely changes.

“Living in the townhouses is great. You can barbeque in your own backyard,” said Luca Iacusso, ‘04.

Still, the apartments, which were open for student living in the fall of 2000, have updated furniture and appliances, while some townhouse furniture is decidedly retro.

“Who wouldn’t want to live in a new building?” Gazella said.

The apartments are considerably closer to class buildings. At times, being in the townhouses is like living off campus. The distance from the townhouses to the main part of campus is definitely a pain when it comes to walking to class (especially if you live in the one block).

A common gripe of townhouse residents is the 15-minute walk to class on a January morning when their car is sitting three feet in front of them.

Speaking of parking, it’s next to impossible at the townhouses. Thanks to the extra-resident townhouse, residents usually have to park in Dolan or the “overflow” lot by the Athletic Center after 8 p.m. The parking situation is slightly better in the Village.

The laundry situation is better in the apartments as well, considering residents can also use the Claver laundry room, while each half of the townhouse complex (including that pesky extra person) is expected to share four washing machines and four dryers. Four.

But before the townhouses are disregarded completely, let’s not forget where the social life is on campus. At the apartments, there doesn’t seem to be much of one.

At the townhouses, there’s always something going on, from the houses everyone knows to be freshmen traps, to what some consider the far more preferable, low- key parties. Those are the ones where you and twenty of your closest friends celebrate that fact that you have a whole house (complete with a basement) to party in.

“When you live in the townhouses, you’re always right around the corner from the party, which means you can walk in in sweatpants,” said Jessica Mauro, ‘04, a townhouse resident.

Off campus, however, the social life’s definitely at the beach. This is arguably the biggest draw to living there. Many students claim to have known they were going to live on the beach since they first visited Fairfield. The legends of Clam Jam and the Luau persists today, although both are long gone.

Freshmen on the hunt for a party may hate the beach, but those who live there know where the parties are (thanks, in large part, to the naut). And certainly not to be overlooked, those who live at the beach are within walking distance from the Grape.

Future beach residents should remember, though, that although they may be happy to be escaping the grasp of campus security, they might soon be dealing with Fairfield police.

While things may have changed down at the beach, students still feel that it’s the place to be. Even if it is no longer a constant party for freshman, upperclassmen are able to enjoy living in a real community together.

“Living at the beach is such a fun time, mostly because you really get to know your neighbors,” said Colette Landers, ‘03, president of the Student Beach Resident Association.

SBRA plays a large role in this sense of community, introducing themselves to all beach residents at the beginning of the year and organizing events such as 200 Nights and the Mock Wedding.

Of course, one of the most obvious drawbacks to beach living is the poor student-town relations.

Besides these problems, there’s the issue of cost. Students are often shocked by the high cost of rent, and that’s before you add on utilities, phone bills, and cable. That’s right, folks, in the real world, you have to pay for cable.

And, once you’re enjoying the luxury of living off campus, you have to commute, which can be annoying when you have classes scheduled far apart.

“For students who spend a lot of time doing campus activities, it’s just more convenient to live on-campus,” said David Hirx, ‘03, a townhouse manager. “[However,] being a senior, a lot of my friends live down at the beach, and I don’t get to see them as often anymore.”

Liz Daily, ‘04, a current townhouse resident, is looking forward to living at the beach next year.

“It will be great to be in a new environment. Also, next year we’ll have our own driveway, washer, and dryer, so we won’t have to worry about parking in Dolan or battling people in the laundry room,” said Daily.

Whether you’ve found a beach house for next year, or you’re putting in an application for an apartment or a townhouse, be sure to make your decisions wisely (sophomores, think ahead). Wherever you choose to live, though, make the most of your senior year.