To live in Máchova is to constantly argue with the Osadní that Máchova really is better — and to be constantly told that you’re wrong. It’s a constant battle, but a virtuous one. If you pick Máchova, you won’t regret it. It’s a small and mighty dorm, and by the end of the semester, it’ll have you fighting Osadníans over its honor, too.
So what makes Máchova better?
Máchova is a little bit smaller than Osadní, and sure, maybe it’s a little bit lamer. But what we lack in space and coolness we make up in location.
Our lovely dorm is a twenty minute tram ride or so from school. And unlike an unnamed other dorm, the tram comes quickly and reliably every three minutes or so. Even if you leave your room at 1:05, you’ll still make it to a 1:30 class on time, whether you run to catch the first tram you see or not. If you walk, it’s about thirty minutes away.
Máchova street is in the middle of Prague 2, in the massive neighborhood of Vinohrady. It’s a picture-perfect Czech street, lined with trees and framed by cotton-candy colored buildings. Vinohrady is residential, but lively. It’s full of locals commuting to work and going to dinner with friends, but blissfully free of gawking tourists.
There’s cafes and restaurants lining the main street, Francouzská. And don’t worry, there’s plenty of late night kebab, pizza and večerka (the Czech equivalent of a bodega) options too.
St. Ludmila’s Church, a massive gothic cathedral, is a five minute walk and the next stop on the tram to class. It’s a frequent host of neighborhood events; I’ve seen it full of farmer’s market stalls, a concert stage, and one time, it blasted EDM. I’m still not sure why, but it was pretty funny to witness.
What’s in your apartment
Another reason to choose Máchova: less roommates. Kind of.
Rooms in Máchova are mostly doubles. That means you share your bedroom — complete with a classic wooden dorm bed, a desk and a wardrobe — with one other person. Then, you share a full bathroom, a half bathroom and a kitchen with other rooms. Sometimes this can be as many as eight people.
It’s important to mention that twice a week, a cleaning lady comes in to clean these common areas. New York dormers, I know. It’s crazy. But what can I say? NYU Prague somehow deemed this necessary. And based on the state of our shared stove every Monday, I have to agree with them.
The bathrooms are stocked with toilet paper on NYU’s dime as well. The kitchens also have basically everything: paper towels, utensils, pots, pans, a microwave, a dishwasher. If you’re lucky, you might even have a coffee maker. You’ll have to buy your own groceries, though.
What’s in your common space
Máchova, like its rival, features a large study room open to all students, which functions as anything from a group project meeting place to a dinner venue. It has a beautiful view of the southeastern Prague skyline and is the best place to see the sunset, but it’s far from perfect.
First, I do have to mention that it is smaller than Osadní’s study room and it lacks a ping pong table. These are usually the first to be brought up when the great dorm debate begins. And they’re true. Also, the study room balcony is locked and therefore unusable for sunset-viewing or other various balcony purposes, whatever those may be.
Another big problem with our study room: it’s situated within the top apartment. So that means all students have access to the apartment. In all hours of the day. If you’re living in that apartment (like me), this can be a big inconvenience. Yes, I have left the bathroom in a towel and ran into someone on their way to the study room. And yes, I have been kept up at night by a group of particularly loud study room enjoyers.
But in its defense, the study room does have a cool spinning chair. So there’s that.
What’s downstairs
By our guard station, there’s a laundry room, another study room and a trashroom. Laundry is free, but it takes a lot longer to dry, and they’re usually full when you go to use them. There’s countless texts in the dorm group chat “politely” notifying everyone when a machine is done, and yet, somehow still full of clothes.
The ground floor study room is someone’s unused room plus three couches and a projector. It still has all the dorm furniture, so it looks a bit silly, but I’ve heard the projector is perfect for movie nights. Also, the wardrobes in there are stacked with free refills for toilet paper and paper towels. Feel free to take whatever you need from it.
You can also borrow various items for use, like a fan or a vacuum — just ask the guard, it’s a quick and easy process.
Across from the entrance, there’s a garden. It’s cute, but small, and it remains locked unless the guard unlocks the door for you. As the weather warms up, though, it might become a good place to have a little picnic.
The guard also functions as a, well, guard. So if you’re bringing a visitor to see your room or borrowing the aforementioned equipment, you’ll deal with them. Make sure to learn their names and say “na shledanou” as you leave for the day. That’ll help when you lose your keys in the middle of the night.
To learn more about Máchova, check out our dorm tour here.
By Holly Kase and Annabel Burba