Fordham University: A Non-Native's Guide to the Rose Hill Campus
Fordham University's Rose Hill campus, a sprawling 85-acre oasis in the Bronx, offers a rich tapestry of experiences for students and visitors alike. For those unfamiliar with the campus, this guide provides essential insights into navigating Rose Hill, from academic hubs and dining options to recreational spaces and transportation.
Academic and Administrative Hubs
Starting on the east side of campus, O’Hare Hall and Tierney Hall are home to majority underclassmen. Urban Kitchen and the campus bookstore are located directly underneath O’Hare. Urban serves bowls, wraps, smoothies and grilled food. Up Constitution Row, one of campus’ main roads, is Houlihan Park, Fordham’s baseball field. Adjacent to Houlihan Park is Moglia Stadium, where football and soccer games are held. Fordham football competed in the first televised broadcast of a football game in 1939, winning 34-7. And the Lombardi Trophy that NFL teams compete to win at the Superbowl? Named after Fordham’s very own Vincent T.
Next to the field is the Rose Hill Gymnasium, home to both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Fordham’s men’s basketball team played the first televised college basketball game ever in 1940, and our very own Rose Hill Gymnasium is the oldest regularly used NCAA Division I gym in the country.
Directly across from the gymnasium is Keating Hall. Keating is home to classrooms, offices and WFUV, an NPR radio station affiliated with Fordham. Keating Hall also holds plaques for numerous famous alumni, including singer/songwriter Lana Del Ray, FCRH ’08. The steps to Keating Hall host the convocation for the incoming first-year class and commencement for the graduating class. Next to Eddie’s is Freeman Hall, home to the majority of lecture halls on campus. Behind Freeman is John Mulcahy Hall (JMH), which houses STEM classes.
Next to the gymnasium is the newly renovated McShane Campus Center, home to the Career Center, the Office of Student Involvement, the Center for Community Engaged Learning, Campus Ministry and the McShane dining hall. The McShane basement houses the student gym (Ram Fit), club suites, eateries Dagger John’s and Bronx Bagel Company and the University Post Office.
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Directly across from the McShane is Hughes Hall, housing the Gabelli School of Business. Next to it is Dealy Hall, the hub for the College of Arts and Sciences and the campus Starbucks. Sandwiched between both buildings is the university fountain, as well as the iconic Ram statue. Behind the fountain is Cunniffe House and Collins Auditorium, where the various campus performance groups put on shows. Next to Collins is the University Church, which holds mass daily. The stained glass windows were donated to Fordham by King Louis Phillipe I of France after they didn’t fit in St.
Beyond Dealy Hall is Duane Library, home to the theology department and the office of admissions, and further past it is Walsh Library, the main library on the Rose Hill campus, open until midnight, Monday through Thursday, and at varying times on weekends. Behind the library are Campbell, Salice and Conley Halls, known as CSC by students, and is upperclassmen housing. Below Campbell is Cosi, an on-campus eatery that serves salads, flatbreads and pizza. Next to Cosi is the Metro-North gate which leads to the Metro-North train.
Martyrs Court, the largest first-year dorm, has three wings. Jogues is one of three Integrated Learning Communities (ILC) for first-years, and is for STEM majors. LaLande and Goupil are the other two halls. Across from Martyrs is Alumni Court South, and farther behind is Loschert Hall. Across from Loschert and next to the church is Queen’s Court, another ILC. First-years who live here pledge to prioritize their mental and physical health and avoid substance abuse. Next to the church is Faber Hall, which holds academic offices and first-year dorms. Directly adjacent is Loyola Hall, home to the Manresa Scholars, a first-year ILC.
Prime Study Spots
For Lincoln Center students seeking a change of scenery or Rose Hill students looking for the perfect environment to focus, several locations stand out:
- Walsh Library: This library embodies the quintessential college library experience. It’s like Hogwarts, but minus the students and the transphobia.
- Basement of Keating: The basement of Keating is a personal favorite as comfortable chairs and a chill environment make it easy to get work done, and it’s adjacent to Rose Hill’s Visual Arts Complex where student projects are on display.
- Eddies Parade: Eddies Parade, on the other hand, is a great place to have lunch or bask in the sun in nice weather, but it is important to note that you will face competition, both from fellow Rose Hill loungers and from different Fordham events.
Food and Drink
One of the great injustices of the universe is that Rose Hill has approximately quadruple the food options of Lincoln Center, including a Starbucks. If you have a meal plan, you can use your swipes and make meal exchanges. The biggest eating locale is the Marketplace (which cool kids call “The Caf”), the equivalent of Lincoln Center’s Community Dining Hall. The three most important things about it, in order: the food is roughly the same quality, there are far more options and I once saw Fr. McShane there double-fisting two slices of pizza sophomore year. The Starbucks is incredibly popular because it accepts DCB, so expect a long wait. I stood there for 40 minutes with a friend waiting for our orders, lost in conversation, before we realized that we had been there for, well, 40 minutes. Instead of the Community Dining Hall’s vegan rice and salad (with bonus pasta days), you can try things like Starbucks (on campus!) or the iconic Pugsley’s.
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For off-campus dining, several neighborhood favorites beckon:
- Taqueria Emilio 2: Whether Taqueria Emilio 1 exists is the subject of legend.
- Last Call Bar & Grill
- Full Moon Pizzeria
- Pugsley’s Pizza: While many things can be overhyped, one place isn’t: Pugsley’s Pizza.
Nature and Wildlife
With the Bronx Zoo and the Botanical Gardens, they’ve got miles more green space than we do. The NYBG sits directly across from Rose Hill’s main entrance, and for several years now, Fordham University and NYBG have struck a deal that allows Fordham students and staff to access the grounds for free in exchange for overflow parking at Rose Hill. Because of the pandemic, NYBG recommends timed-entry tickets purchased online. However, to take advantage of the Fordham deal, you cannot buy a ticket online and must go in-person. Bring your ID, and go at a less crowded time for guaranteed admittance. Access to the Bronx Zoo is a little trickier. Instead of seeing only fearless Manhattan pigeons, you can find feral cats, racoons and black squirrels at Rose Hill. The best fauna, however, can be found right on campus. Fordham has stray cats roaming the green, but you need to be extremely lucky to catch a glimpse. Your best chances are by the library (they like to emerge from the hedge when you least expect it) or by Murray-Weigel Hall. Fordham raccoons, on the other hand, are much more elusive to spot. The only time I’ve ever seen them is by the bushes in front of the athletic stadium at dusk.
Transportation
The Ram Van is a rollicking ride from Lincoln Center to Rose Hill, made worse by NYC traffic. In no traffic, a trip to Rose Hill takes around 30 minutes, but can take over an hour depending on how much the universe hates you any particular day. The one thing to know about the Ram Van is the Hunger Games that emerges around seating. Do not ever, ever, sit in the back, unless you would like the tumult of a roller coaster ride but without any of the space to raise your arms to scream. Some LC students declare themselves too bougie for the Ram Van and pursue other options. To get to campus by subway, you can either take the D train to the Fordham Road station, or the 4 train if you hate yourself and want to walk even longer. It’s around a 10-15 minute walk to campus, depending on how much you love jaywalking.
When traveling to Rose Hill, you can travel via the Metro-North Harlem line and disembark at the Fordham Road stop. You can also access the campus via the B, D, and 4 subway lines or via a variety of city buses.
Nightlife
We at the Observer know nothing about the nightlife at the trio of bars a few blocks from the Rose Hill campus. The three most famous bars by Rose Hill are Howl, Mugzs and Barnyard. As a proper Jesuit student pursuing an education, this is a subject I would know nothing about. I’ve heard that all of the bars are set to close because of how rarely students attend them, too busy with socially distanced Bible study instead.
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Visiting the Campus
One of the best ways to get a sense of what your life could be like as a Fordham student is to visit both of our campuses located in the heart of NYC-Rose Hill in the Bronx and Lincoln Center in Manhattan. Our campuses are just eight miles apart and connected by an intercampus shuttle called the Ram Van. We're so excited you're interested in coming to explore our campuses! Please explore our calendar to see posted offerings. When booking, select the date of your choice on the calendar to view options and availability. Fordham's Lincoln Center campus is vertical, comprising of four high-rise buildings.
The below locations appear on our YouVisit trails, but are not linked to any specific tour. Street Level: To access the locations on “street level,” please refer to the signage posted around the ground floor of the Lowenstein Center. Second Floor: To access the second floor, go up the escalators on your right when you first enter Lowenstein Lobby. Gerald M. Street Level: After entering the Gerald M. Quinn Library on the plaza level, walk straight across the walkway, turn right and continue straight until you see stairs on your right. Going down these stairs will bring you to street level and Platt Court. The minimum size for a group tour is 10 students and the maximum size is 30 students. All requests must be received at least two weeks prior to the desired visit date. A request does not guarantee a tour. You will be contacted to confirm a date and time.
Tours are led by Fordham students, and they're busy. Regretfully, group tours are not offered in May or December, on weekends, during University holidays, on Undergraduate Admission Office event days, through self-guided visits, during mid-terms and finals, or when our tour guides or staff have other conflicts. See our calendar of available dates when you make your request below. Please note: Offerings for future seasons will not be posted until the times listed above. How long do tours typically last? Tours typically last 45 minutes to one hour. Visitors will have an opportunity to walk through academic buildings, the student center, and the library, while learning about services offered to students both current and prospective.
Fordham does not provide lunch or transportation as part of the visit experience.
We do not offer a standard information session as part of the group tour experience. Our student ambassadors who lead the tour are very knowledgeable and involved in the Fordham community and are happy to answer any questions during your tour. If there is a question you would prefer to ask an admission counselor, you may come back to the Office of Undergraduate Admission and ask to speak with an admission representative. During your visit, you may also ask the receptionist for your admission counselor's business card. Counselors are welcome to join our weekly visit options, which vary day to day. These hour-long student-led panels are for prospective students only. Student panelists will discuss a different topic during each week’s Ram Talk, then answer questions live & via chat. Our on-demand events are exactly that-recordings of presentations that are ready for you to view at any time. Spend as long as you like.
Let’s say you’re on the campus life route and you want to get from Eddies Parade to Walsh Library.
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