<p>Hey, I'll be going to Hamilton next fall, and I was wondering how easy it is to get to NYC and Boston from Clinton, and how often students do it. Thanks!</p>
<p>Hey, I'm ED II from Oregon, and I've been wondering the same thing! I wish Hamilton had a bus, like Dartmouth. My friend says she has to fly into Syracuse and take some transfer thing, then a bus, then a rickshaw, etc. It seems like Hamilton goes out of its way to be isolated.</p>
<p>I know that you can take the train out of Utica down to NYC.</p>
<p>Hamilton College is about 260 miles away from Manhattan. By the NYS Thruway it takes about 4:15 to get to NYC from Clinton. As Naplesgirl noted, Amtrak serves Utica. Amtrak can take up to 6 1/2 hours, depending upon the train you take and normal delays. The handful of trains serving Utica may also not run on a convenient schedule. One thing is certain, few if any Hamilton students will be relying on Amtrak for a quick day trip to the city.</p>
<p>Private car is probably your best bet unless the college is running a charter. I wouldn't count on seeing NYC too much as a Hamilton student (excepting internships, special programs, etc.).</p>
<p>If you're going to Hamilton, it's not to be close to a city, that's for sure. Once a semester CAB (campus activities board) will sponsor a charter bus to NYC. For example, my senior year there was a trip to see the Broadway show Avenue Q for fairly cheap. Also, for long breaks, they'll usually charter a bus. </p>
<p>It ultimately depends on what you want for your college experience. I liked the fact that there wasn't a huge city nearby. It meant that students stayed on campus for the weekends and weren't commuting to the city. Besides, there's so much happening on the hill, and usually for free, that it never bothered me.</p>
<p>Blondie and King: are you planning on doing AA?</p>
<p>Yep, I've already arranged my summer around leaving a week early, I've heard lots of really great things about AA, and I can't wait to get to Hamilton!</p>
<p>Yeah-- I really liked the look of one of the hiking ones. Gothics Range or something or other.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong-- I chose Hamilton because I liked the secluded liberal-arts-college atmosphere. It's reassuring to hear that there are charter buses, especially because I'll have to fly to either BOS or JFK/LGA/EWR.</p>