JJ's Place
JJ's Place is the late-night dining location at Columbia that is only closed between 10 AM and 12 PM. JJ's is located in the basement of John Jay Hall. As of this year, you do need to use a meal swipe to access it. The location used to house a student cooperative organic market. It was at one time an on-campus bar, serving alcohol to upperclassmen.
JJ's menu features chicken fingers, burgers, smoothies, fries, and other artery-clogging options, as well as a salad bar. The staff is also fun, nice, and all-around awesome. There was once a candy-by-the-pound rack and a small "mini-mart" section.
JJ's has OK seating with lots of tacky timber. A pool table arrived in 2007, LCD televisions were installed in 2006 at each booth, and there's a television at the far end of the room which primarily features ESPN, though can be changed to different channels using the handy channel up/down buttons on the front. It also has wifi.
It was recently renovated in the summer of 2012, turning its once run-down appearance into a dining hall reminiscent of Applebee's, complete with sound system and bright orange and green paint. There's now a (broken) air hockey table and couches with board games. There is also now a Jamba Juice machine with various flavors. Rumor is the CEO of Jamba Juice's daughter, who attends Columbia, made this happen.
The facility was originally designed to resemble a German rathskeller, which explains the roof beams. A heaving stone hearth off to one side bears an inscription memorializing Columbians who lost their lives in the First World War.
History
Prior to JJ's Place, the basement of John Jay Hall was occupied by the Lion's Den. When the Den moved to Ferris Booth Hall, the space was renamed the "Crown Room", although undergraduates were at times excluded from the space.[1] Later, part of the Crown Room became the "John Jay Pub", which closed in the summer of 1985 after New York raised its minimum drinking age to 21, effectively killing off its business.[2] The space was then renamed the "John Jay Lodge" following a renovation that gave it a hunting lodge theme (though some students uncharitably compared the decor to a "French harlot house" and the "Amityville Horror.")[3][4][5]
Opening hours
Some students believe JJ's should open on weekend nights as well as weekday nights. EDIT: Starting in Fall 2011, JJ's Place is now open on weekend nights
| Location | Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Sat | Sun |
| JJ's Place | 8pm-1am | 12pm-8pm | 8pm-1am | ||||
References
- ↑ http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19601007-01.2.3
- ↑ Drinking Age Cited in Closing of John Jay Pub, Columbia Spectator, 28 August 1985
- ↑ http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19870331-01.2.5
- ↑ http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19870317-01.2.8.1
- ↑ http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19870211-01.2.16
