[Official Page] [Wilkinson Hall] [Gabor Hall] [Linstead Hall]
It was a little confusing to me what exactly Eastside Halls meant, yes, plural. Eastside is a collective term for three of the newest halls in Imperial, namely Linstead, Gabor and Wilkinson (see links above). In terms of location, nothing else beats the proximity to school other than, say, Southside Halls that are nearly identical to Eastside anyhow. On a typical day, it would take about 5 minutes to walk to campus, 2 minutes if running late. Naturally, the location is ideal for those wanting to stay really near school or those who have a natural inclination to be late. Don’t underestimate the awesomeness of living near campus; I could pop back to hall for a nap, make lunch, do laundry and watch glee between classes.
Eastside is also really near the gym and Knightsbridge (the Bukit Timah of London, but with shops), we have our own convenience store aptly named Essentials and an Eastside Bar (love the creative name, no?) that serves decent food. It is a quick walk (8 minutes) through a rather nice church to a small Marks and Spencer (with the best fruits and snacks in town, promise), good selection of restaurants and pubs, nice cafes and a pharmacy. Also, Eastside is within walking distance from Harrods, the Takashimaya of London. There is a direct bus from the Knightsbridge station to Chinatown.
Now we are near almost everything but a big supermarket. The nearest competitively priced supermarket takes about 15 minutes by foot, there is a Waitrose 10 minutes from hall.
Prices range from steep (a twin room is about £130/week) to cutthroat (single rooms range from £160 to £200/week) but considering the new furbishing and the location, it is actually a rather good deal.
Stepping into the hall for the first time would likely invoke a certain sense of grandeur — it is gorgeous. There are lifts, stairwells are pretty, there is a reception and the place is clean. Also, all rooms are en-suite (one toilet per room), something I definitely think is useful. The single rooms are definitely large enough but the twin rooms are rather tight. Roommates each get half a wardrobe and next-to-no storage space. Heating is absolutely a charmer; my room was a cosy little respite during the colder months. I don’t know if all halls are equally warm, but I doubt so. The rooms are cleaned fortnightly. Room is accessed by the college card, which makes everything seem cooler.
Hall activities are varied and heavily subsidised. Think £50 for a weekend trip to Paris including transport to Paris and accommodation. There are regular sporting events for the physically active and many discounted visits to the theatre (musicals and plays) for the artistically inclined. Every Sunday, the hall seniors prepare a hall brunch, no culinary breakthroughs, but an opportunity to interact with hall-mates. Also, free breakfast, is always a boon. The kitchen is an extremely conducive place for interaction as well. Possibly because awesome food is nearly universal and having a huge telly in the kitchen definitely helps. The kitchen is shared by about 15 persons and proves to be sufficiently equipped with freezers, fridges, kettles, stoves and ovens in the kitchen. Though everyone has a lockable multi-tiered storage space, it is likely to prove insufficient. Also, the freezers and fridges are not compartmentalised and so, it works on a first come first served basis. It is bad news if your floor happens to have fridge/freezer hoarders. Kitchen and other communal areas are cleaned every weekdays (thank goodness).
I enjoyed my stay in Eastside very much and would urge you to give it serious consideration. :]