@theaterwork, I hate traffic as much as the next person, and your experience sounds super annoying, but I personally wouldn’t let traffic be the factor that makes or breaks a school. It can be managed, and for a student it’s moot as they wouldn’t drive. Statin Island can be a pain for sure, but driving around NY is like driving around DC: you have to know when to drive and what traffic to expect and when it’s best to take pubic transportation.
If I drive around DC at 8:30 am on Monday or during major construction, I am going to expect major delays. For Staten Island, it is annoying driving around there, for sure, but you can really mitigate it if you only drive through it off-peak, or use public transportation if possible. So let’s say you wanted to visit to see a show that was on Saturday night–you wouldn’t drive in on Friday at 4 pm. The other option is to expect the traffic and budget time for it just as you’d do for DC. If you have to arrive during peak hours, you just know it’s going to take longer, and also know there is always a chance that you will get unexpected traffic. I know for me that a big annoyance in traffic is not expecting it and getting there so much later than I thought.
But regardless, your D wouldn’t be impacted. She’s not going to be driving around Staten Island. And the ferry to and from Manhattan is really nice! 
@connections no I wouldn’t let it be a deal breaker on a school. That’s why we are even letting her apply at Wagner since I believe it is a good program. However we did actually plan for the trip to Long Island . We aren’t that naive. and we went there back and forth twice in several different time periods and it sucked every time. There seemed to be no off time or “not peak” time. Now maybe the one night , which was a Thursday eve, was just bad luck cause there was a wreck on nj turnpike and we sat for an hour & then hit traffic after that. But really every time it was a mess. I feel like even DC driving is not quite as bad. There seem to be absolutely no traffic rules whatsoever. The motorcycles split lanes etc which I’ve never seen in DC etc. when we drive to the Kennedy Center for shows at least on a Sunday etc there is at least a traffic lull which doesn’t seem to exist there. I don’t think we would be taking public transportation really as I have to drive there anyway. It’s not like I’m flying into NYC and then taking public transp to the school.
I know she wouldn’t be driving but she might like to have a car at her school @ some point and that just wouldn’t be something I would be comfortable with, her driving with not tons of experience
Just taking into consideration that yes if you want to get there on Friday for a show you basically have to leave Thursday just figures in to school expenses because of tolls, bridge fees, hotels etc. it does play into school choice at least for us.its all about what you’re accustomed to and we just aren’t used to that pure mass of people and cars around here lol. The school has to be stellar for us for that kind of location.
My D has slipped back into her " I need to be near NYC for school" thing again at least a bit & I don’t subscribe to that notion. Move there later!
But how often do you anticipate even going to your kid’s college in a year? In my opinion, there is the drop off at the start of the year and the pick up at the end of the year and maybe 2 to 3 shows you may see or possibly a Parent Weekend event. I can’t imagine going any more than that. So, it is likely to be 4-6 times per year. That is not a lot.
If your D lands in the NYC metro area, she really won’t need a car.
Your expenses to visit are going to be less at a school like Wagner because you can drive there, compared to a college where you would have to fly to visit.
PS, our kid went to college right in Manhattan (NYU) and we were not used to ANY traffic as we lived in rural Vermont in a town that didn’t even have any traffic lights. We were able to tolerate driving to NYC several times per year. Wasn’t bad. It also had NO bearing whatsoever on our D’s college list or selection.
@theaterwork, I hear your exasperation and of course this is your decision. But I grew up in North Jersey and have driven many times in the area. There is usually a traffic lull at fairly predictable times barring construction or an accident. However, this is summer, and on Sunday evenings nights, people are returning from a weekend at the shore, so if you drive into the city Sunday evenings in the summer, you will hit that traffic.
I’ve never lived in Staten Island, but I’ve driven through it many times going to the airport or to Brooklyn. I’ve only had a few times in which I’ve been stuck in bad traffic. Most times I drive through. NJ Turnpike is the same. I drive up and down that quite a lot, and very often sail through. But I am very mindful of the times I go, and when I can, I avoid rush hour entirely, as well as Friday & Sunday evenings during the summer especially.
As a student, you really wouldn’t want a car in the area. It’s much more convenient and cost effective to take public transportation. If she absolutely needed a car for a trip, she can always use uber, or she can use zipcar if she wants to drive herself. Zipcar is a great service for college students who want to drive very occasionally (like if she wanted to go to a store in Staten Island, for instance). But I wouldn’t advise her using a car to get into Manhattan.
@theaterwork, connections is spot on with her driving advice and I’ll add another. Other than schlepping your daughter’s stuff TO college and then schlepping it back in the spring… don’t drive.
Once you have a target school that you are going to vs.college shopping which involves visiting many schools and a car is handy for that, there is no need for even you (never mind your daughter) to drive to a NYC area school. Skip the traffic woes entirely. The cost of fuel, tolls and multiple day’s parking in NYC alone can quickly add up to far more than a $49 train ticket from Baltimore Penn to NYC Penn. (Or whatever train station in MD/WV area that would be convenient for you.). Subways, additional train rides and ferries will get you wherever you want to go in the area often faster than you can drive with far less stress.
Or if you really feel like you want a car at a school outside of the city (like Wagner or some of the Long Island area schools), then take public transportation out to a close location with easy access to inexpensive rental cars and rent from there. I’m doing that exact thing this coming weekend to see a show outside of Manhattan. Taking the train out to Stamford, CT and renting a car for MUCH less money than renting from JFK and then driving to where I want to be. I hate driving out of JFK so this takes that off of the table. With all of the construction near the airport, elevated roadways that throw off a GPS, it’s very confusing without a co-pilot. I’ve done it several times and never once driven out of there without a mistake that sent me where I didn’t want to go. (Scenic route… )
I have to echo what @halflokum wrote above. There really is no need to take YOUR car to NYC to visit your D should she land at a college there, other than to move her in and move her out.
When my D was in college at NYU, yes, we drove from VT many times. When I went alone, I often took a plane. The trains were not a convenient way out of VT to NYC, however. But I often would drive 3 hours to Albany, leave my car there and take a train to NYC. Now, I live in Boston. I have a car and could drive to NYC, but often I don’t take my car. I’ve been taking a train. I could park for free because my D lives in Brooklyn and it is free to park on her street. But having a car is not necessary and can even be a hassle in the NYC area. I went to NYC less than two weeks ago by train and am going again in less than a week by train again. I think @halflokum’s suggestion that you take a train to NYC if you visit your D there is an excellent option.
Well thanks for all the tips and I do appreciate them . I suppose it’s just what you are comfortable with and I do like being in the drivers seat so to speak and controlling the drive and doing it myself so the stress of the traffic sucks. Where we are you drive everywhere . No public transportation to speak of. We mostly drive to DC as its so close but sometimes take Metro from park and ride if we are doing the tourist stuff. Or ride Amtrak. Really most people here drive into DC unless they’re going on the 4th or something.
We will see what ends up happening & of course if school in the NYC area turned out to be her “fit” school then so be it. I wouldnt let my personal driving issues keep her from attending. No i don’t intend on being there a lot lol. Just if she attends a semi nearby school that’s easily accessible we can have more freedom to see shows and so forth & she could take her car eventually.
To be honest I would prefer weather wise and so would she that she go south! No offense to the NY contingent but no love for that weather you guys have! I will give you props for driving in those areas on a daily basis if you’re doing that.
I understand that driving is what you are used to. After all, I spent 33 years living on a dirt road in a rural area of Vermont. There was no public transportation to speak of and one could not walk anywhere either.
But it is real different in the NYC metro area. A car can be a hassle. And it can be very expensive to park as well. So, when in NYC, I have had to learn to be like a NYer, and walk, take taxis, and use the subway. It is different there, and for many out of towners, it is not what we are used to but we adjust to what is the norm in NYC if visiting frequently. My D has been in NYC for almost 11 years and so I have to go with the flow of the norm there when visiting.
The need to drive into NYC - and more importantly unload/load a dorm room full of stuff was my husband’s biggest negative for NYU. We do it twice a year- and he whines EVERY time. And then he gets over it
We live about 8 hours from NYC - and we tend to drive to visit a couple times a year in addition to drop off/pick up. The cost of parking for the weekend is cheaper than flights. (Though we fly in sometimes- and she flies home) It really became NBD once we had done it a couple of times and knew the routine. :). And once we arrive we park and don’t move the car til we leave
@theaterwork I live fairly close to Long Island University and I also have an apartment in Chelsea (Manhattan). I would say that the driving time can vary from 45 minutes to an hour and a half door to door from LIU to Midtown. Heading in on a Saturday night towards the city almost always takes on the longer side year round. Going east towards Long Island will always be the heaviest on summer weekends (beginning with late afternoon traffic on Thursdays because people are headed for Fire Island and the Hamptons.) The return traffic to the city during the summer happens on late Sunday nights and Monday mornings. Also using an app like WAZE will really help out in avoiding accidents and most trafficked areas. But to be honest, I always count on trips to Boston or DC taking on the longer side, just because there are so many areas that have heavy usage. I would say that Baltimore to Long Island would probably average more like 5 and a half hours. I would never expect 4 and 1/2 to happen–and if it does it’s a treat. But traffic definitely eases up during non-peak periods.
^^Also, I don’t know how you went to Long Island, but we always drive through Staten Island to get to Long Island from Baltimore. So Staten Island is definitely closer.
@toowonderful is also right. One can figure the whole thing out like they have from Ohio and get it down to a science that makes sense and involves using your own car possibly saving time and money.
We are not within driving distance at all. Were we within striking distance, absolutely sometimes we might drive. And I’d be padding the time, using WAZE etc.as @uskoolfish mentions above. My point was if driving to the NYC area feels daunting - you don’t have to. Or not all of the way and at least not through the parts you dread. Many ways to skin the cat for NYC area schools.
@Mel2421, beware of the huge construction project going on currently in the middle of the campus at Montclair! It will be amazing when it is done, but is annoying right now. @theaterwork, I drove to Wagner from the Jersey Shore area a few times and it was a piece of cake. Yeah, avoid rush hour.
I have driven to Staten Island from Laguardia and just Sunday from Jersey, I had no problems at all. I also drove around Staten Island with no issues. I am driving back to Laguardia today and I am leaving around 1 p.m. So hopefully it won’t be too bad.
So driving from Staten Island today at 1 pm was a nightmare! Took half an hour to get 1 mile. Took two hours instead of one.
Sorry drove from Staten Islan to Laguardia.
Thanks for the info @Mel2421 …So after reading all these comments it appears I’m screwed with traffic regardless lol. It’s just a crap shoot really and I get that. …basically I’m just a wuss, Bottom line. Just get stressed out easily even though my hubby says I’m a great driver when I’m under the gun. Lol . I just want that comfortable country driving! we all know it won’t matter in the long run since wherever your kid gets in is where they will go , right?
Hey, Wright State is in the middle nowhere. Easy, peasy drive from all directions - unless there’s snow or freezing rain. Or a tractor trailer overturned. Or highway construction. Or a presidential debate comes to the Nutter Center. (September 26. Theater is dark that night, whew.) Or. . .
Lol @mom4bwayboy point taken
Wagner has a great shuttle service for students that runs to and from the ferry landing every 20 minutes from around 6am to 1 or 2 am.