Lev is huge, Lev is forgettable, and something something rabbits and monkeybread. Leverett lacks a distinguishing characteristic, and is typically viewed as a middle-of-the-road house. “The majority of Leverettites I've talked to, including myself, all shared a similar sentiment on Housing Day: ‘I wasn't disappointed to get Lev, but I wasn't excited. I was just kind of neutral,’” says current HoCo Chair Kelly A. Flaherty ’15. However, when speaking with current Lev residents, that initial neutrality swiftly shifts to contentment when they learn what the House offers, especially when they realize that means good food and drink.

Leverett’s McKinlock Hall is currently being renovated, and will be completed by Fall 2014, so no more swing housing! Basically this means no more walkthroughs, more singles, more elevators (holler, moving in made easier!), and horizontal entryway connections (no need to put on shoes to cross entryways or get to the dhall).

Lev also has rooms in DeWolfe, which is still close to the rest of the House and conveniently, rooms are decided for everyone early—juniors choose their rooms in February, sophomores before Housing Day, and freshmen will know their room set up prior to leaving campus for the summer.

Besides McKinlock and DeWolfe, Lev also offers F and G Towers. Although not the most aesthetically pleasing, the Towers boast beautiful views of the river and city skyline, as well as enormous (basically guaranteed) singles. The common areas have huge flatscreen TVs and the gym is brand new. The Towers are where most parties happen and you can expect at least a few in Lev every weekend. Sophomore housing includes some 5-person setups with gigantic suites that are perfect for throwing ragers.

Lev’s House masters, Howard “Chief” and Ann “Coach” Georgi, are very dedicated and often eat in the dhall. After being sorted into Lev, Chief welcomes most freshman by name at the annual freshmen welcome, “Raising Rabbit Bash.” This is wildly impressive, especially since Lev is the biggest house. He has even been known to change people’s Leverett Facebook pictures if HUID really messed up.

House staff is spectacular, with tutors with cute dogs, Bonnie, the chatty purple-haired card checker, and Marvin Marvelous the Chef’s amazing Sunday brunch omelet bar. But no matter how great the staff is, the dining hall still attracts a lot of complaints. It is pretty atrocious: the murals are actually hard to look at and the set up of the servery is confusing. The dhall can also get really crowded as DeWolfe residents come for meals, but there are essentially no dining restrictions because the House masters want Lev to be an open and welcoming House. The other good thing is that they offer a lot of cereal options!

The Stein Clubs are well attended, and “have been killing it,” Flaherty says. They’ve hosted the band Hot Breakfast, and have served McDonalds, Domino’s, Finale, Taco Bell, fried dough, waffles and Nutella, sausage, and cake, and feature the infamous (read: artery-clogging) monkey bread. They also have decent booze, with kegs of Stella Artois and Blue Moon, André, and Woodchuck.

“Basically, at pretty much at every social event HoCo puts on, there is good food and good booze,” says Manny M. Mendoza ’14. Leverett hosts Wednesday’s Physics Night at Brain Break, which means there is an endless (that’s what’s important here) supply of sweet treats to power those p-setters.

Every Thursday is Community Dinner, and the normally bustling dhall is filled with only Leveretities for a night. In the past they’ve served braised lamb, lobster (!!!), double baked potatoes, and homemade gnocchi. Recently they featured rich, thick, homemade hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream. “It was glorious,” Mendoza says. Also, there’s a fancy white tablecloth “Old Library Lunch” every two weeks for juniors, seniors, and SCR members.

Lev spring formal, Luxe, is a highlight (which freshmen can attend!) with good food and drinks, and one of the best bands in Boston. “Chief” also hosts weekly “Not Just Sherry” Hours which offer wine, port, and, of course, sherry for those who are 21+, as well as snacks and nonalcoholic refreshments. During reading week, the House masters buy a ton of donuts and fuel the appropriately-named “Donut Bash.”

One of Lev’s most significant drawbacks is its dhall—unfortunately it’s already been “renovated” and it’s still lacking, to say the least. Luckily, Dunster is nearby.

Leverett has at best average house spirit, but that’s to be expected with such a huge House, especially with relatively disparate residential areas. Hopefully once renovations are complete, Lev will feel more united and according to some Leverettites, HoCo has really been amping up its presence in the House.

Also, that traditional “Harvard” feel that the Yard offers doesn’t exist at Lev. It’s no concrete Mather, but as one resident put it, the towers are a bit “Soviet.”