<p>I need your opinion/advice on making plans---</p>
<p>My child will be in Freshman Class 2016, and my plan is to fly out on the 19th of August, first stop is San Francisco to visit relatives then fly out to NY on the 23rd.
This is not our first time in the US but our first time in NY.
<em>I say "we" 'coz I'm "dropping" off my child.</em></p>
<p>Since check-in day is on the 26th yet, I thought of booking an accommodation outside NY, maybe somewhere nearby, NJ maybe?</p>
<p>Then on check-in day, I still haven't work out our plan.
With the above scenario, can you tell me your plan?</p>
<p>I don't know where to start...maybe someone out there who knows NY and NYU student can help! ...or some ideas from a Mum like me! :-) </p>
<p>Also is NY just so overrated? Most of my friends who've been there loves the city except it's overcrowded!
Thanks in advance for your replies!</p>
<p>I have been in NYC my whole life, and being a frequent traveler to other places i can confidently say that NYC is like no other place - especially the area where NYU is. NYC’s crowds and activity are superb… something is always going on. The culture/people blend in the city are also something that is quite unreal. Once you live or experience the city life for a while you will probably see what your friends meant. But then again some people arent city people…</p>
<p>If you want to book an accommodation outside of NY, what is your plan of getting to the school if you arent near any public transportation…taking a cab works but that is more expensive also. Checkin is early in the morning of the 26th (9 or something iirc) so you want to get there sometime early so you do not encounter the hoarde during 10-11am. If the only person going with your kid is you, I dont think renting a car and driving is an option…calling a cab or a private car service is another option but also a lot more expensive… so your only other option is to take the MTA. (the public transportation). I would book a hotel not directly in manhattan if you want to save and be sure it is somewhere close to a subway terminal (near a bus stop is ok too, but taking the bus, the train, etc…might be a little too confusing for a first timer). Spend the initial few days at NY familiarizing yourself with the MTA system. As a NYer for all my life i can easily see the MAP looking like a maze the first time you take a look at it. The MTA subway system configuration sucks. really. </p>
<p>My ideal scenario for you would be to </p>
<p>1) book a hotel near a subway terminal. </p>
<p>2)Then spend an afternoon familiarizing yourself with the public transportation before the check in date. Main subway terminals that are around NYU are [8TH Street NYU, Astor Place, and West 4th Street].
OR
3) Take a cab or private car service</p>
<p>4) Once checkin date rolls around, bring your stuff and have fun (if you can NOT bring it, DONT bring it. There are major stores near NYU that are within considerable distance that can provide everything. You want to arrive relatively early.</p>
<p>TL;DR
easiest and most expensive: day of check-in just call a car service to drop you off in front of your dorm
practical(maybe fun) and a whole lot cheaper: take the MTA and find your dorm.</p>
<p>My D is a rising sophomore-Class of 2015 at NYU. I am from India. Her check-in was on 29 August. We reached NY, checked at a hotel in Times Square, right next to the 42nd Street subway station. Made it easier to get to college empty handed at least. Also being in that part of the city also makes our visit more worthwhile with things to do when you are not involved with move-in part of the visit. And since we planned our visit about 4 days ahead of check in, first we visited the room she was allotted to get an idea of the space, and then started buying stuff for her room. Staying close to dorm is practical as it makes move-in and multiple following visits in the settling down process convenient.</p>
<p>And on 29th just loaded everything in a cab and settled her down. The advantage we had was that due to Hurricane Irene the check-in was pushed ahead so there was no particular slot to adhere to. The people at the University were very accommodating and helpful. The move-in was very smooth and relaxed. Although there are lines it was not a headache at all. And we also were able to buy more storage and other stuff like rugs after the initial settling down, you know how things keep adding on to the list once you start unpacking.</p>
<p>And regarding NYC, we lived about half an hour from Manhattan about 10 years back. Always loved the city. And part of the reason for our mutual consent to Ds choice of NYU as number one on her list was that it is also one of our favorite places in the world. </p>
<p>Also want to share that freshman year the biggest challenge and learning will be to to figure out how to balance the multitude of attractions/distractions while keeping academics one’s number one priority. Some do take time being on their own in a totally unstructured environment for the first time in their adult lives. But the skills that they learn are phenomenal.</p>
<p>Your replies are really helpful, thank you!</p>
<p>woopthack —how do you arrange for a car service? is it a taxi service? excuse my ignorance!:-)</p>
<p>anialways —are we allowed to check out the room assignment before check-in day? do we have to make an appointment with housing? I would love to check it out before the “chaos”!
And when did you say goodbye? did you get to see your child after check-in day?
I’m planning to stay for a week more, do you think I should just fly home after that?
what did you do after your child check-in?
…too many questions!!!</p>
<p>Intlstudent - We have used New York Limo Car several times for car service from the residence hall to LaGuardia. It has been reliable. Go to newyorklimocar.com. Not sure if you can book online from where you are, but there is phone info. Since D always has a very, very early plane, and I do not want her standing on a street corner waiting for a cab, it has been a comfort to me to use the car service - and not that much more expensive than a cab.</p>
<p>Also, regarding hotels - I would follow Anialways advice and not stay too far out - the cab costs will get very expensive fast. D has stayed in a little hotel on Union Square - nothing fancy but also not very expensive. </p>
<p>D is a big advocate of public transportation but when you have several suitcases, and/or don’t know your way around, it’s a challenge! Not what I would use for move-in day, for sure.</p>
<p>I have lived in NJ all my life and visit NYC very frequently. If you want to check out nice areas in NJ, I recommend Princeton, historic beach towns and perhaps check out our famous farms and malls. Traveling from NJ to NYC is convenient by either car (get a taxi) or NJ Transit (train.) If you visit Princeton, you can take a train directly up to NYC which takes a little over an hour. You can simply take a train from the airport down to Princeton and then take one back up to NYC.</p>
<p>Intlstudent</p>
<p>We just walked in and my D just requested them and though they said no at first, she told them that she was an International student and would really appreciate it as it would help her with shopping for the room. We let her handle the negotiations and convincing. I have a feeling NYU appreciates the student taking charge, whether it is asking for directions, in the bookstore, computerstore…so let your child be the leader and you will feel confident when you are saying goodbyes.</p>
<p>And yes I did visit her a few times after move in, because one can never really have all things set in one go, especially if you are moving from another country.</p>
<p>As for saying goodbyes, for us it was also a family holiday, so we were there for a little over 2 weeks. But we let her be once she moved in, busy with orientation and getting to know the roommate, and making friends. And my H and I went on short driving holiday, upstate NY. And then said our goodbyes on our return. She too had settled in well by then.</p>
<p>For private car servies just google private car services NYC and lots of options should come up, just choose your pick. If taxis are available where you are, then just take that.</p>