Lodging
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Unless you are married or have a child, you
must live on post in one of the guest houses. If you are married or
have a child, you have the option of living on or off post. There are
three guest houses
on Fort Gordon, and each one is a little different. All rooms have
their own bathrooms, a television, a refrigerator, and daily maid service. All rooms
have free internet access as well (T1). Each building offers a free
breakfast (milk, juice, fruit, cereal, sausage rolls, muffins, donuts).
There are pros and cons to
each building.
While you will get assigned to a building depending on room availability,
you may switch rooms to a different building. Almost everyone will be
in Ring or Stinson Hall. Overflow students are placed in Griffith
Hall.
Griffith Hall
You have to report to this building to get your room once you arrive.
Griffith Hall is located next to the gate and the gas station. The
building is newly renovated and has a lobby with a front desk. This
front desk serves as the front desk for all three buildings. Griffith Hall
is located on the main road leading into post, so it is difficult to make a
left turn out of the parking lot (and across the multi-lane road) to come
onto post.
Pros: Newly renovated rooms. 24-hr front
desk. Two beds. Close to front gate.
Cons: Small refrigerator. No oven or kitchen sink.
Traffic coming onto post/leaving post makes it difficult to pull out of the
parking lot.
Ring Hall
Ring Hall is an 8-story building located next to the swimming pool and officer's club.
The rooms are approximately 20'x15', not including closet, bathroom, and
5'x4' "kitchen area." Each room has one bed, a small table (3'x3')
with two chairs, and a computer desk with a swivel chair. The kitchen
area consists of a full-size refrigerator, pantries, a counter area, a
kitchen sink, and a microwave-convection oven (can be used as a real oven). Ring Hall does not have a front desk and the at
least one of the elevators is always broken. In the mornings, the
maids are usually using the other elevator, so you will have to take the
stairs. There are laundry rooms located on each floor. In addition, if you need to pick up a package or get a new
room key, you will have to go to the front desk at Griffith Hall (a 5 minute
drive). You also need to go to Griffith Hall every month to pay
your room bill (so you can fill out your travel
voucher).
Another annoyance is the fact that each room's occupants has only
limited control over the air conditioning/heating unit in each room.
These units are centrally controlled. After the first cold spell of
the year, the whole building's heating system will turn on. Once the
weather returns to its usual sweltering heat, Ring Hall will become a
blazing inferno not unlike Hell itself.
Pros: Full-size refrigerator.
Kitchen area. Convection oven. Computer desk. Pool and
officer's club are within walking distance.
Cons: No front desk. Room 435 does not have a convection oven.
Horrible elevator service. Parking at Ring Hall is a pain. Air
conditioning/heating units.
Stinson Hall
Stinson Hall is located within walking distance of the PX, commissary,
Post Office, PXtra, and PT field. It is a 2-story guest house built
motel-style, with all doors on the exterior of the building and no inner
hallways. The rooms are approximately 30'x15'. Each room has two
beds, a small table (4' diameter), two chairs, a "desk" (2' x 4'), and a
mini-fridge. Stinson Hall does not have any elevators. This is
not a big deal if you live on the first floor (even better, you can park
right in front of your door), but if you are moving into the second floor
this can be a pain. The guest house has two laundry rooms. In
addition, if you need to pick up a package or get a new room key, you will
have to go to the front desk at Griffith Hall (a 5 minute drive). You also need to go to Griffith Hall every month to pay
your room bill (so you can fill out your travel
voucher).
Pros: Two beds. Full control over
air-conditioning unit. Parking available in front of each room.
Cons: No front desk. Mini-fridge. No real desk. No
kitchen area.
OTHER NOTES/SUGGESTIONS:
Room keys: The magnetic door cards are easy to lose and will run out of
their charge at least once while you are at Fort Gordon. You will have
to go to the front desk at Griffith Hall to get a new key. If
possible, tell them you lost your key and get a new key. Leave this
extra key with a friend in your building so you do not have to go all the
way to Griffith Hall to get a new key.
Cooking: The convection ovens in Ring Hall allow you to cook/bake
food. The full-size refrigerator and kitchen sink make it easier to
store food and to wash dishes. However, if you plan on cooking, it is
a good idea to buy additional cooking appliances such as a Foreman grill and
an electric range (2 burners). You should also buy cheap pots and
utensils at the PX.
If you plan on cooking something that will produce smoke/steam, take your
appliance into the bathroom so the smoke/steam can exit through the vent.
Video games: Each room has a TV, but if you plan on playing your
video game system, make sure you have an RF connection. The A/V
connectors on the backs of the TVs have been covered up.
Packages: You can have FedEx and UPS packages delivered to the front
desk. This is much more convenient than having them delivered to the
battalion orderly room. You will get notified in a timely manner (the
front desk will call you) and you can pick up the package any time during
the day or night.
