Life at das Zëtehaus
At the Alpha Chapter, we occupy a historical brownstone (an architectural style common in New York so called because it's built our of brown stones) let from Columbia University, located at 531 West 113th Street. (Our house is the one with the gold ΖΨ painted on a black door.) Midway between the major thoroughfares of Broadway and Amsterdam, this location affords easy access to the main Morningside campus just a block north, and to the commerical district and transit (bus and subway) access on Broadway. The neighborhood is among the most beautiful and pastoral in New York, with turn of the century architectural styles abounding, and Riverside Park one block to the west, Morningside Park one block to the east, and Central Park three blocks south.
We are near most of the other fraternal organizations on campus, which are primarily on 113th and 114th streets, and just down the block from several of the major upperclass dormitories, including McBain, Broadway and Watt Halls. With thirteen Greek houses within about one city block, this is party central for the Morningside area. Our location on 113th allows us the benefit of a slightly quieter street less exposed to the campus itself (and the omnipresent CU security and NYPD patrols that roll down 114th), with all the same benefits of proximity.
Life has never been so good as living in the Zëtehaus, a five-story brownstone. A set of common rooms occupies the entire main floor, equipped with leather couches, television, and various games of skill (foosball, ping pong, darts, etc) to pass the time; a kitchen can be found in the rear of the house. The upper floors provide fourteen rooms for the housing of brothers: four each on floors two through four, with two toilets and showers per floor; and two rooms with their own bathroom in the fifth-floor penthouse. Our rooms are furnished with standard desk, bed, dresser, and lamp, though many brothers donate additional furtniture to the house, and all have a high-speed internet connection through Columbia. Additionally, our rooms are have an average square footage of almost two hundred square feet, over a third larger than the average senior dormitory. The basement houses the chapter room, as well as a laundry room with washer and dryer. The private backyard sports ample seating and a panoply of grills for lazy summer days. Housing is decided on a basis of seniority and service to the fraternity.
The house is the physical center of Zeta Psi operations, and brothers are in residence year-round. During the school year, it is the site of weekly chapter meetings and pledge events, as well as the venue for many of our legendary parties. The expansive downstairs area, when cleared, provides ample space for any event, and we have a full-length bar on the main floor and a half-length bar in the basement. Anyone that wants to find out more about the fraternity, or just have a good time with the brothers, can stop by any time; there’s always someone around the house.
The house is indicated on the map at right by the red pointer. You can see a navigable map online of our location at Google Maps. If you're coming from out of town, you'll probably be coming via the Henry Hudson Pkwy (aka the Westside Highway); the nearest exits to us are at 125th and 96th Streets. Keep in mind that our street is one-way from east to west, so you'll have to turn onto it from Amsterdam. It's unlikely you'll find parking on 113th, except over the summer; you'll probably have better luck on Morninside Drive, which is one avenue east of Amsterdam, or on cross streets west of Broadway.
As might be imagined, the party scene around Morningside Heights is very oriented towards college life. There isn’t much between 105th and 90th Streets, so you’s either going to need to convoy downtown or stick it out up here. Following are the notable venues for the nightlife, categorized by their general ambiance. You can find their location on the map at right by number.
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- The West End · (1) · the archetype and role model of all local bars, in existence from the turn of the twentieth century, right outside of Columbia’s gates
- 1020 Bar · (7) · for every ying, there is a yang: this is the ultimate alternabar for the community, revelling in a more upperclassman vibe
- The Heights Bar & Grill · (5) · the smallest of the bars, since they were forced to close their roof at night, but they’s got a good crowd and good bartenders
- The Abbey Pub · (15) · passable bar food and excellent draughts on tap convince people to walk down to 105th, along with their liberal policy on IDs
- · (14) · a true dive bar, but the room is a real antique, the bartenders are skilled and talkative, and the pool is competetive
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- · (2) · under new management for the last few years, this place has moved upmarket and gotten a new decor, albeit while shedding some customer base
- · (11) · the local gay bar (though everyone’s welcome), with a particular emphasis on karaoke and (inexplicably) tequila
- · (10) · probably the classiest place in the nabe, complete with plush furniture, billiards room, and so forth
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- Underground Lounge · (16) · the epitome of the bohemian place, featuring poetry readings, amateur performace art, and the like
- Amsterdam Cafe · a real spacious establishment, recently renovated and expanded, adding a tapas bar and various other exotica to its offerings
- · (8) · open literally twenty-two hours a day, from 6 AM to 4 AM, vending coffee and the like until the evening, and then plying the booze
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- Lion’s Head Tavern · (12) · a nice compact place with almost as many TVs as seats, good deals on booze, and a kitchen that makes nice hot bar food as long as they’re open
- · (11) · just next door to Mona and owned by the same folks, with a giant plasma screen centered right over the bar
- O’Connell’s · (13) · the most dedicated of the sports bars, with twelve TVs and darts to while away the time before kickoff, but a less collegiate crowd
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- · (6) · a hookah bar with a surprising array of flavors, decent eatery, and after-hours party spot
- Cafe Pertutti · (4) · good Italian food and a fairly active bar scene in the evening, mostly because it’ so close to campus
- Deluxe · (3) · a high-end diner, with a bar that does a fair amount of trade and has some of the best desserts in the neighbourhood