Lerner Hall, Columbia University

I've attended a number of events here for numerous reasons and even hosted a number of international students in the summer through CIEE. It is a well maintained space with great sound capacity.

Bathrooms are seemingly small for the capacity but that's my personal pet peeve!

Modern facility which is quite often booked.

Alfred Lerner Hall!


What can I say? Lots of bathroom options, lots of light streaming in from all directions, many different chair and lounge furniture types available. Two pianos, a couple of eating options, a bunch of vending machines.


The banquet areas are extremely suitable to events that include catering. The theater has fantastic seats and acoustics.

Lerner Hall is the, relatively, new student center on Columbia's Morningside Campus. It replaced Ferris Booth Hall and is easily recognized by its awkward(?) yet modern (?) asymmetrical design. From the outside, Lerner Hall looks like two rectangles connected by a glass bird cage. From the inside, and especially on "The Ramps" it looks like the architect and former architecture dean, Dean Tschumi, tripped out after having a session with M.C. Escher.

The maintenance of Lerner all is what probably earns the most respect from me. The staff here (from facilities to catering) do a great job keeping it all together. All their good work, however, is countered by the dismal fault in the building's design.

Lerner Hall's main administrative tower (the Broadway side) has two elevators that never seem to show up during peak times. They recently put up the new DOH "Save electricity, burn calories, take the stairs" sign. Unfortunately, the stairs don't make it all the way down to the first floor (without setting off an alarm). Also, the restrooms on the main floors are practically a block apart. Seriously, if I was on the forth floor, I get to enjoy the benefit of a quick stroll to the men's room while my female coworkers have to walk down the ramp and around the corner to relieve themselves.

Ultimately, Lerner is a decent student center with nice amenities. It should be open and staffed 24 hours during the semester though.

Very clean and spacious.

Cafe 212 - Great for bottled beverages.
Bubble tea? Nope. My strawberry bubble tea tasted like a mix of shampoo, water and sugar.

Ugly but convenient interior with cafe and lots of open spaces with tables and chairs. Sometimes very noisy, but good place to work or study.

You need C U identification or a CU friend to get in.

Although this glass-ifed building doesn't fit in with the rest of campus it is a wonderful piece of art!

The network of stairs will drive a person crazy if they don't know how to navigate them!

Basics - yogurt, sushi, soup and sandwiches with juices and drinks. Next to no seating options so to go really and a mad house at smoothie area! I think if you're on campus and don't have time to go authentic in the NYC streets nearby then this will do for quick baked good and juice morning treat or lunch snack.

CU Swipe necessary as described, but it ain't as ugly as Diana said. Too modern-ish, yes, and it doesn't fit in with the rest of campus, but it's not that terrible inside. Go here to print, hit the ATM, check out some events in the auditorium, and get some grub.