University of Washington Husky Union Building

The HUB at UW is a very great place for students and visiting family and friends. When I started at UW there was no HUB, or it was under renovation, 2 years later it was finished and wow it sure turned out spectacular. I somewhat disagree with their food choices, its very commercial (pagliacci’s c’mon) and not local which I think doesn’t represent Seattle well, but the student benefits other than food outweigh these downsides. There is even a bookstore location and hair cut place on top of those amenities. As for student activities there is a freaking bowling alley, I’ve never gone but how awesome is that? Also the pool hall and other game rooms downstairs really intensifies its value to the student body. I’ve done a lot of work with the RSO area there for clubs and overall it’s been a very beneficial place to me and my career as a student. If you are on campus go check it out, its new, has a great atmosphere and is even a nice place to meet friends or relax for a few. I wish the downstairs was open later than 5, but I was used to not having anything there so something is better than nothing in my opinion. Enjoy!

The HUB opened during Fall Quarter of 2012. It’s a very large building that has a variety of services within it.
I like to go to the HUB to hang out with friends. There is a nice space that has comfy couches and chairs with a few tables. However, it’s not the biggest space, especially for the amount of college students that attend the UW. There are two fireplaces at the end of each one and it’s definitely warm and cozy, especially at night. If you come to hang around this «relaxing» area at night, there are not very many people and it’s actually quite peaceful. There are also a few outlets here and there — but I do wish they could have more right next to seating.
There are also regular tables and chairs that people use to do homework and study. Most of the time it’s pretty full during the afternoon.
Also on the main floor there is the bike shop and commuter commons. The commuter commons are for those who commute. You will need to show your Husky ID to gain access. It’s a place where people can chill with other commuters and wait for their bus to come. They have a microwave and a refrigerator for people to use along with plastic utensils and paper plates/​bowls.
On the second and third floor there are «ballrooms» which are just giant rooms that can be reserved and used for big events. Furthermore, there are a few more places to sit and relax with others.
On the bottom floor is where most people who dorm use their money for food. This is where you will find some of the overpriced college food. Some of the dorm food places include ETC, Subway, Pagliacci, Firecracker, Banh and Naan, Dub Street Burgers, Red Radish, Freshens, and Pastario.
–ETC is basically your mini convenient store that has snacks, a few deli items, ice cream, and they also serve Starbucks coffee.
–Subway, your typical subway but overpriced compared to regular subway.
–Pagliacci, pizza of course.
–Firecracker offers Chinese food, however not a lot of people have been a fan of it.
–Banh and Naan has pretty good Banh Mi’s and there Naan bread is pretty good. This is probably my favorite place.
–Dub Street Burgers sells your classic burgers.
–Red Radish is a place where you create your own salads and you pay by weight. They also have soups and bread bowls.
–Freshens seems to be closed as of recent but they did sell smoothies.
–Pastario sells pasta and it’s pretty good but a bit heavy on the sauce and oil. However, I do enjoy their Mama’s Meatball pasta.
You can also find a hair salon and a smaller version of the UW bookstore if you’re looking for some scantrons or school supplies.
There is also ATMs down there which is quite nice. There’s Bank of America, Chase, BECU, and WSECU.
Furthermore, on the next floor down there is a games area where you can play video games, play pool, ping pong and go bowling for cheap. You can also book a party there.
Overall, the HUB offers quite a lot of services and is a well rounded place to just go out and hang with friends and family.

We came here for an Admissions Orientation Meeting for our son, while we’re on a vacation trip to Seattle.
The Admissions Visit was very well organized, and easy to schedule from the U of Washington website. It included a 1-​hour overview in the Welcome Center in the Husky Union Building (HUB), followed by a 1-​hour walking tour of the campus. Both were very informative and interesting, and led by current/​former students.
The HUB building was rather new and modern and included everything you would expect in a full-​service student center — lots of study/​meeting spaces, bookstore, barber shop, food court, and game room with rows of pool tables and 4 table tennis tables as well as a free foosball table. Our son liked the game room the best, as he is still learning about the importance of academics.
U of W also has great architecture throughout the entire campus, and lots of great nature and green open space. Our son also liked the automatic water bottle fillers at many of the drinking fountains across campus.
A great college to consider when it comes time to apply!