<p>I have never been to NYC, but it's a big reason I want to go to NYU. I've gone to London on vacation many times, and despite trips to Big Ben, and dozens of other tourist sites, my favorite part is just going out and walking around. I absolutely love the feel of being in a big city. Does anyone know though if NYC is anything like London? I've heard London has less crime, I always felt really safe walking the streets. Will I feel safe walking to my classes? I really want to go to NYU so I can be in a big city, but I'm worried I'm going to get there expecting London, and find that it's nothing like it. Any advice?</p>
<p>I've also spent time in Chicago and love that too.</p>
<p>I lived in London for a while, and I currently go to NYU, so....</p>
<p>London and NYC are absolutely different. You can't really compare them. London is more spread out with many smaller urban centres, while NYC's city-feel is more centralised in Manhattan. Personally, I don't think that NYC is anywhere near as pretty or charming as London, or nowhere near as interesting, but many people would disagree with that. </p>
<p>I'm sure you will feel safe walking around New York. I've not really heard of any problems in that regard (in most areas, of course). And, you will most certainly feel safe while walking around between your classes. </p>
<p>Either way, New York City is also a great city, and a fantastic city for walking around... However, I would not compare at all the area where NYU is to London (in terms of being a walking-around, discovering kind of place)... You should really visit before you make major decisions. New York's architecture and layout can seem at times very generic to me.</p>
<p>You might also consider going to school in London, which has many exceptional colleges and universities.</p>
<p>Oh, and if you like Chicago as well, then.... that is much more like New York than London is. More of an American-style metropolis.</p>
<p>I agree with Daniel. NYC is very different from London. I love both cities but London is a much more beautiful city, the people are much more friendly, it's even more diverse than NYC, and the history there is amazing. Physically, it looks nothing like NYC. The only downside I can think of for London is the cost of living there, it's even higher than NYC which is high enough. </p>
<p>Safety in NYC isn't an issue if you are smart. There are parts of the city you won't want to go to but that's not difficult. One thing I would say, though, is that it's probably a mistake to make location the main factor in determining where you want to go to college. NYC is a great place but living here is not for everyone. And if you haven't even visited, I think that's really a mistake. I wouldn't recommend going to college ANYwhere without visiting first, but especially NYC. Good luck.</p>
<p>I live in NY and it is NOTHING like London! London is charming with low rise buildings and you can see the sky. NY has giant buildings, lots of garbage, and you can't see the sky. Have you thought of any Canadian Universities (is there one in Vancouver - a charming city). Or look at other American cities, like Boston (more of a low rise feel). You won't find anything as pretty as London, but NY is a very different experience. We do have some nice cities though - like San Diego, San Francisco, Boston and Washington, all of which are cleaner and you might want to check out.</p>
<p>Thanks. I've thought a little about going to school in London, but I really want to stay in the US, which would put Canada out of the question to. I didn't mean it to seem like I've chosen NYU basely merely on the fact that it's in NYC. I went through a lot of colleges and tried to decide which ones I'd be interested in based only on the school (mainly how well they were with my major and overall academics incase I change majors). I'm only trying to narrow it down by using location.</p>
<p>I'll offer a bit of a dissenting opinion from most here. I've lived in both NY and London, and though I live in NY now, I spend a lot of my time in London (girlfriend, and my work takes me there).</p>
<p>First you have to understand that no 2 cities are exactly alike--especially those as large and globally significant as the ones you seek opinions on. What you can compare are certain aspects of a particular city. In fact, New York and London strike me as similar more than any 2 other cities, though one can make an arguement that Hong Kong and Tokyo are much more like New York in physical layout, but I speak more of the culture and the vibe the city gives off. Certainly New York is more like London than any other American city is, and if one had find the city most similar to London, I believe it would be New York hands down. </p>
<p>Similarities that I can list between New York and London:
a) Both are centers of finance and commerce.
b) Both have a tremendous nightlife--though I'll give the edge to New York (London pubs close early, and the later part of the nights are focused on night clubs, and private venues such as gambling houses or after hours places).
c) Both are tremendously diverse.
d) In neither city will you need a car--public transportation is very good.
e) As MattH pointed out, both cities are very expensive, though London is much more so than New York city now due to the current GBP/USD exchange rate.<br>
f)Saks 5th vs. Harrods: Both cities have an enormous concentration of wealth--point (a) has much to do with this.
g) You'll get a fantastic education in either city--for an all around urban experience, these 2 cities cannot be beat. </p>
<p>Please do not listen to people who say things like "London is charming and NYC has a bunch of garbage"--these are short sighted comparisons who I bet come from people who've only visted London as tourists. I will agree that New York has more skyscrapers, but as someone whose lived in both cities, the atmosphere of each is strikingly similar. </p>
<p>If you need to be in the US but need a taste of London, perhaps you can consider a school like NYU which has a London satellite campus. </p>
<p>NYU in London:
<a href="http://www.nyu.edu/global/london/about.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.nyu.edu/global/london/about.html</a></p>
<p>Also, London schools may have their own visiting student programs for American. </p>
<p>Good luck and keep us posted.</p>