Oakland Apartment Communities
Living and working in Oakland offers students and staff the opportunity to enjoy a more independent college living environment while maintaining the same community-building efforts and supports found in traditional on-campus residences. Residents in these houses live in both campus-owned and campus-leased facilities, some of which include a mixture of Carnegie Mellon and non-Carnegie Mellon residents. Each of the Oakland house communities focuses on developing involvement opportunities in the house, on campus and in the surrounding Pittsburgh area. For information on facilities, please click the building name.
The current iteration of house communities in Oakland will likely reconfigure in the 2009-10 academic year to accommodate for a critical mass of first year students to be clustered together in one house while the remaining houses will focus on a mixed upperclass environment. As we learn more about plans for Oakland for next year, we will be sure to communicate that to candidates as we advance through the selection process. Read on for more information about how the houses currently configure and to learn more about each of the houses’ identities.
The apartments known as “The Power Corner” sit adjacent to each other at the corner of Clyde Street and Ellsworth Avenue. Cathedral Mansions or CatMan offers the opportunity to live in spacious apartments on floors with students from other institutions and members of the Pittsburgh community. A dedicated lounge on the first floor allows Carnegie Mellon students to study, socialize and participate in a variety of programs hosted by the staff.
Shady Oak houses 82 Carnegie Mellon students in a variety of apartment configurations. Efficiency, two bedroom and three bedroom apartments allow 2 or 3 students to share a common living room, kitchen and bathroom. The basement of Shady Oak offers on site laundry, TV lounge, study room and exercise equipment.
Veronica houses 36 Carnegie Mellon students in efficiency style apartments. One RA helps to facilitate the intimate community experience that this building offers. A small back yard provides opportunities for socializing or relaxing outside. The Carnegie Mellon operated parking lot behind the building allows residents quick and easy access to their vehicles.
The five RAs of The Power Corner collaborate to provide a variety of social and educational programming for their floor, house community and the area. Each Wednesday residents of The Power Corner come together for the 10-spot, a weekly tradition that gives residents the opportunity to take a mid-week break from the rigors of class.
Fairfax Apartments offers residents the opportunity to live directly with other members of the Pittsburgh community. The house offers a variety of experiences to help students learn to transition into communities less like a traditional residence hall and more like what they will experience when they leave campus. Community gatherings and opportunities to mingle with long-time Pittsburghers are expressed through programs like the weekly Family Night, a variety of floor programs, holiday celebrations and newsletter and website.
Known as LTS, these small, close-knit houses are solely occupied by Carnegie Mellon students, and residents find the house community to be an anchor that links their experiences on- and off-campus. LTS is home to all majors and class years, which offers students the opportunity to network and build relationships with a diverse group of peers. The house has four staff-advised resident-involved committees that focus on cultivating experiences in the areas of community service, arts and entertainment, recreation and wellness, and multicultural exploration. Among the many programs in LTS, residents enjoy a weekly "10-Spot," which offers residents an opportunity to relax, unwind, and socialize with other members of the House.
Webster residents love the location of their campus home. Webster is across from Mellon Institute, around the corner from Craig Street shops and eateries, and not too far from campus. The Webster community includes not only Carnegie Mellon students, but students from nearby universities and colleges, as well as Pittsburgh community members. On Sundays, you can find our residents at Sunday Dinner, hosted by one of the Resident Assistants or House Council members as a place to gather with friends for good food and conversation. The Webster community is supported by caring and engaged staff who hope that all residents feel that the Webster experience will contribute to their Carnegie Mellon success!
