Boston vs. new york for college

Basically, i have to choose between boston and new york city (northeastern vs nyu). These are some things i want in college ignoring the academic aspects (because i find them to be relatively equal):

  • i hope to have a lot of friends. I get lonely terribly easy. Therefore the lack of campus and supposedly “cold” feel of the student body and nyc itself scares me
  • i want to be able to party. Obviously im not going to college to party but i do want to have a good time. Since im going to a city school, im not expecting the HUGE state school parties of course
  • this part may sound even more stupid, but i want a love life. This is a stereo type, but ive heard there are more girls than guys at nyu and most of those guys are gay. I dont have a problem with that at all…except for that i want to be able to get with men… (im a girl btw so the gay men dont count for me)
  • i dont want to be bored. This is where nyc appeals to me a little more. I want to always have something to do…like i said, i want to have fun in college, since i honestly had a pretty boring high school experience. Also, im more arts oriented, so the nyc activities (museums, theaters, etc) appeal to me a little more than the boston ones (sports). But also, i will be a poor college student so i can only afford so much lol
  • i like to be near the water. This one isnt really a MUST have but just a bonus for boston

So yeah if you couldnt tell already, im leaning towards boston. Im only hesitant because i really do love nyc and would love to live there one day, but i dont think its the college experience i really want. Im just worried that my life wont take me there or something idk…thoughts??

Are you into Northeastern’s coop culture?

You apparently deposited at both schools, that’s not right.

-You can make a lot of friends in both Boston and New York. You could also be terribly lonely in either Boston or New York. That is really more dependent on you and your personality than the city that you’re in. Lacking a campus (or not) isn’t necessarily a determinant of that either, particularly if you get involved. NYC’s not really a “cold” place, it’s just a straightforward and direct place. I met some of my best friends in life as a student in New York (albeit a graduate student). Much like any other place, you have to get out there and do stuff to make friends; the friends won’t come to you magically.

-You can party in either Boston or New York. Generally speaking young people like to party, and they are going to throw parties - whether those parties are in college town fraternity houses or someone’s tiny walk-up in the Village. The character may be a bit different but the concept is the same. New York parties are pretty awesome IMO, but I’ve never been to a party in Boston (or to Boston at all, really). But the point is you can have a good time in either city.

-New York has over 8 million people, many of them in the same general age bracket as you, and there are lots of other colleges besides NYU in New York. You can definitely date if you want to. It’s certainly not true that most of the men at NYU are gay. It is true that NYU is a bit gender-imbalanced, but it’s about 57% women - not so overwhelming to the extent that you’d have trouble finding someone to date.

-You can be bored - or not - in either NYC or Boston. There are tons of things to do in either city. Also, Boston has museums and theaters as well.

-Uh…New York is near the water…Manhattan is an island, and it opens to the Atlantic.

You can get what you want at either university - the question is simply a matter of preference. If you’re leaning towards Boston, take a moment to listen to your gut and figure out - why? Have you visited? is it because you just genuinely prefer the vibe of Northeastern? Are these stereotypes about NYC mostly blockers for you?

You do have your entire life to live in NYC, and if you still have a burning desire to move there after you finish college, you can.