The student neighborhood is truly a cornerstone in the campus community. Where you live, from your first-year dorm to your senior year house, becomes a part of your UD experience. It’s no wonder that UD Magazine has a whole feature dedicated to housing each issue (see “My Old House,” page 48). Travel through the neighborhood and hear what nicknames these hallowed homes have come to bear.
The Village 321 - A Kiefaber Street
The whole neighborhood is like its own ecosystem. But tucked into the middle of all of that is a block of 10 houses tucked in its own alcove of Kiefaber. The houses — nestled next to each other and separated down the middle by a walkway and landscaping — earned themselves the nickname The Village.
The Barbie House - 311 Kiefaber Street
Well before Barbie (2023) took over the world, this house on Kiefaber stood out among the rest. With pink columns lining the perimeter of the porch and a Barbie sign on the front door, the UD Dream House is sublime.
The Castle - 1519 Frericks Way
You can’t miss The Castle on a drive through campus. Standing tall at the front of the house is a stone turret resembling a castle tower poised for prince-scaling, or maybe just people watching from the second-story hexagonal window.
Slanty House - 302 Stonemill Road
Slanty, according to longtime landlord Thomas L. Ostendorf, lived up to its name with slanted floors, slanted roofing and slanted porch pillars. Over the years, each leaning element has been fortified or fixed, but the slanty name sticks.
The Warehouse - 1908 Brown Street
Sometimes you pass by a building on campus and think, “I wonder what that is?” The gray boxy building sporting a garage door in the alley behind Buffalo Wild Wings definitely sparkes that question. The simple answer? Student housing masquerading as a warehouse.
The Mansion - 1912 Brown Street
Sandwiched in between boutiques and businesses on Brown Street stands a house with massive Grecian columns. Columns also support a small room jutting out the left of the house that acts as a carport underneath. The size and grandiose of the 1900s house brought The Mansion moniker to life.
The Cabin - 525 Irving Avenue
Summertime leaves campus pretty empty, but The Cabin on Irving brings the summer camp spirit year round. The house is easy to spot with the names of the residents written down the chocolate brown porch siding in multicolored chalk.