Roomettes 1 & 2 are as far away from the coffee machine as one can get, without booking a bedroom. Roomettes 11 & 12 are the closest to the coffee pot.

I would say that anything between 1 & 10 are decent rooms. Eleven and Twelve are the noisiest by virture of their proximity to the end of the car and the door leading to the next car.

As for which has the better view, it's a toss up for many reasons. First of course, simply because Amtrak can orientate the car in either direction. Probably 75% of the time though, the car will be orientated with the bedrooms closest to the engine. In that case the odd numbered rooms have the best view of the Hudson river eastbound, assuming that you reach that point before night falls. The even numbered rooms however have a better view of the Great Lakes, mind you though that one sees far less of the Great Lakes than the Hudson river.

Westbound the even numbered rooms would have the best views of the Hudson River. But again, there is absolutely no guarantee that Amtrak will orientate the car with the bedrooms at the headend, and the roomettes on the trailing end.