One of the spaces that has made Harvard feel like home is my house — the best Harvard House — Leverett House.

During my first year at Harvard, I often heard upperclassmen boast about their houses, claiming theirs was the best. 

When my first Housing Day arrived, my block-mates (Harvard's term for the people you choose to live in the same House with) and I found out we had been assigned to Leverett House. I was initially underwhelmed. It wasn't the house everyone else seemed to want, and I hadn't heard much about it. As time went on, I wondered what house life would actually be like. Were people making it out to be a bigger deal than it really is?

I am happy to share that they weren't exaggerating, and I soon discovered I was in for a great time at Lev.

House Life:

There are so many elements that come with being a member of any of the Harvard Houses. I'll cover some of those here, and elaborate on some of the things that are Lev specific. If you want to learn more about residential life at the college generally, click here. 

Steins

Generally, houses will host weekly "Steins," which are essentially house-wide study breaks. There are cool snacks, and they are typically a space for house members to eat food and get to know each other. Lev has been wonderful about consistently having our Steins on Thursday nights, after community nights. (Community nights are when house dining halls ("d-halls") are only open to house residents, as opposed to other nights.) My two personal favorite Steins from the recent spring semester have been a PlayaBowls (acai bowl) Stein, and an instant ramen noodles stein, pictured below: 

Open Houses at the Faculty Dean's

Deans for different houses will host "Open Houses," events where they'll invite the house students to visit their home within the house, as Faculty Deans also live in the houses.

Since my time in Lev, Eileen and Dan, the Lev Faculty Deans, alongside a team of House Aides and the House Administrator, have put on amazing Open Houses, featuring anything from sushi, burritos, pizza, sliders, and other great main dishes accompanied by fresh berries as dessert.

The Views! 

As a Lev resident, you will likely have some of the best views that you can have as an undergraduate at Harvard. You can live in McKinlock Hall or the Lev Towers. Both of these have great room options facing the Charles River. For the last two years, I've loved the views from my windows, as well as being just a 3-minute walk from the Charles River and the Weeks Bridge (which has a great sunset view). 

One of my favorite things about my junior year was my room in Lev and the view I had with its big window. Here is a picture of my view I had during a particularly nice sunset.

Lev Events I've Loved:

Lev also has semesterly event traditions, like a cookout at the start of the fall and at the end of the spring semester. 

Outdoor BBQs: Happen at the start of the fall semester and at the end of the spring semester. 

Hare's Kitchen: Another event that happens at least once each semester is Hare's Kitchen, which is essentially an opportunity for friend groups to participate in a cooking competition in the Lev dining hall.

Faculty Dinners: Lev hosts Faculty Dinners, where they'll decorate our dining hall and host a reception for Lev students to invite faculty to join them for dinner.

Lev Love Fest: Annual dinner before Valentine's Day. Typically features a chocolate fountain and balloon decorations with Lev colors. 

Lev House Spaces: 

Lev also happens to have arguably the best dining hall and the most beautiful library. 

Pro tip: the dining hall can be a great study and work space outside of meal times. 

Lev's common rooms in the McKinlock building are great for studying or even for watching a show or movie with friends. There are many of these across the top floors of McKinlock, all with couches and a TV. 

Some Concluding Thoughts:

Ultimately, house life is what you choose to make of it. Other ways to get involved include competing in intramural sports against the other upperclass houses, managing the house's social media, and joining the House Committee (HoCo) to plan everything from Steins to the semesterly formals and storming procedures on Housing Day. You can propose various events, like weekly show screenings in the Lev Library Theater or Lev-sponsored listening parties for new albums with Trader Joe’s snacks in the dining hall. Both of these ideas came to life in the spring of 2024.

I am very grateful for Lev House, and the people that make it what it is. Through it, I met someone who has become one of my best friends, had unexpected dining hall conversations with people I otherwise might not have known, and strengthened friendships with people I care about, regularly seeing them over meals or while studying together.

I wouldn't trade the conversations and memories I’ve had at Lev House for anything. I am excited to have one of my final college memories be walking across Lev's graduation stage and receiving my diploma in front of all my classmates in Lev House.

Live, Love, Lev always.

Disclaimer: While the author makes a compelling argument for Lev House, an ultimate opinion on the best Harvard House has not been released by official sources. Most college students would make the same argument for their house. 

To keep up with Lev House, follow the Lev Instagram.