A Video Tour of Myles Standish Hall
Once a luxury hotel, BU’s oldest dorm offers great views, AC, and easy access to Kenmore Square and Back Bay
A Video Tour of Myles Standish Hall
A Video Tour of Myles Standish Hall
Few Boston University residence halls enjoy the storied history that Myles Standish Hall does. The building opened as a luxury hotel in 1928, a frequent venue for lavish balls and society weddings. And because of its proximity to Fenway Park, the hotel was a favorite destination for visiting baseball clubs. (Babe Ruth was a frequent guest.) During Prohibition, two speakeasies operated out of the basement. With its narrow edge, resembling the prow of a ship, the nine-story building, at 610 Beacon Street was considered one of Boston’s finest hotels before being turned into an elegant apartment hotel in 1943.
Boston University acquired the building in 1949 and converted it into a male dormitory. At the time, many returning World War II soldiers were entering BU on the GI Bill and the University found itself in need of housing for these veterans. In 1970, Myles, as the building is known, became the first dorm to allow guests of any gender 24 hours a day. WTBU, BU’s student-run radio station, operated out of the first floor of Myles and the Myles Annex from 1969 to 1997.
Starting in 2015, the building, which marks the official start of BU’s East Campus, underwent a LEED-registered three-year, $133 million renovation that included a complete rebuild of the interior and the addition of air conditioning, a communal kitchen, a game room, several study spaces, and a TV lounge. The project earned a Preservation Achievement Award from the Boston Preservation Alliance.
Today, BU’s oldest dorm is home to 730 students (largely underclassmen) who reside in a variety of suite configurations of two to eight bedrooms. The Myles fourth floor is designated as BU’s Global House, a living/learning community where students are assigned to language clusters and immersed in a culture of their choosing, with options ranging from Arabic to Japanese. There’s also the Myles Annex, a shorter adjacent building that was incorporated into the main building during the 2018 renovation.
In the video above, Myles resident Matthew Feliciano (CAS’26), a political science major, takes us on a tour of Myles, pointing out its numerous amenities, including awesome views of the Charles River and the Boston skyline and its proximity to Back Bay and Newbury Street. Take a look.
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