Accommodations

Foundation House, its teaching facilities and student housing are located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, one of the most prestigious districts in London. In the immediate neighborhood surrounding Foundation House and Metrogate Study Center (student residence) are to be found some of London's most famous streets, academic institutions and cultural treasure houses where youth culture mixes with historical tradition.

Students live and study in the shadows of some of the world's great cultural institutions, the Royal Albert Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Natural History Museum. On the doorstep are the Imperial College, the Royal College of Art and the Royal College of Music. Incidentally, London plays host to over one-fifth of the UK's student population.

Kensington is a residential area of unparalleled charm and architectural beauty, a mixture of small alleyways and grand boulevards, where the ghosts of famous past residents such as T.S. Eliot, Charles Booth and Beatrix Potter mingle with those of the present. The streets are dotted with pubs--a great British tradition--restaurants and all the amenities.

London has the oldest and most comprehensive public transportation system in the world and Foundation is served by three major Underground stations--Gloucester Road, South Kensington, and High Street Kensington while the West End is just 15 minutes away. In addition, the bus network runs all night.

If the bustle of the city becomes overwhelming, there are always the parks--breathing space and time to think and relax! Kensington Gardens with its lake, Italian Fountains and Kensington Palace is within minutes walking distance of Foundation House. Adjoining Kensington Gardens is London's most famous Hyde Park which runs all the way to Speaker's Corner and the start of the West End. And Holland Park, just off Kensington High Street, plays host to an opera season in the summer and the serenity of the Japanese Garden all year round.

Student residences are in the Kensington area located within walking distance of the Metrogate Center. Most Foundation housing is Victorian and Edwardian, renovated for student use. All housing is designed to be self-catering, whether self-contained flats with small kitchenettes or dorm-type housing with larger kitchens. This means the buildings have lots of character--but are very different from dorms on a US campus like SDSU. There are private or shared bathroom facilities. Housing is supervised by trained Residence Life staff. Accommodations in London are comfortable but not luxurious, and students should not expect the standards of housing they may be accustomed to in the United States.

You will be living in the same building with students from other U.S. universities and colleges. Details of the residence in which you will be staying will be e-mailed to you 30 days prior to the beginning of the London Summer Program.

Personal information provided by the student on the London Summer Application is taken into consideration when pairing roommates and the student can also indicate a roommate preference but may not be accommodated. Housing assignments are given upon arrival. It is important to provide all relevant information concerning age, medical conditions, housing preference and roommates on the application.