<p>I was going to apply to Vassar, in fact i was rather enthusiastic about it, except when i asked my college counselor about the atmosphere, she said it was kind of.. dead, that poughkeepsie used to be a great industrial city but it a bit .. cold now. i really can't visit vassar, but i was contemplating the validity of that.. any thoughts? of course, she might just be bitter because she's a bard alum..</p>
<p>Its a *****hole. When I visited Vassar, I thought it was a complete and utter dump.</p>
<p>Yeah, I absolutely love Vassar but Poughkeepsie kinda brings it down. Princeton Review says Vassar has some of the most strained relations with its town. However, I'm sure theres still a lot of stuff to do ON campus and NYC isn't far away.</p>
<p>I actually don't live thatttt far from Poughkeepsie, Im only 45 minutes from the city compared to the 1 hour and 45 minutes it takes to get there from Vassar. However, depending on the part of town, Poughkeepsie comes off differently. No doubt, some areas are terrible looking, just run down and clearly under middle class while another area I passed by, the commercial sections where the major stores are and where the main roads cut through, life looks a little better. However, theres no doubt that you wouldnt want to go off campus for a stroll around town. For Vassar, its essential to have a nice campus and lots of room because as opposed to Boston schools, i don't see Vassar students going off very frequently or making the hour and a half trip to the city on train.</p>
<p>Dont pick Vassar if you have a college town in mind. Its far from it but far from being in the middle of nowhere or in a ghetto</p>
<p>I live 10-15 minutes from Vassar and Poughkeepsie is one of the worst cities ever. The city proper is very rough and dangerous. It is a huge ghetto. The area right in the couple of blocks surrounding Vassar is not bad though, and there are lots of things to do on campus. Its best to leave Poughkeepsie alone and go elsewhere in the area.</p>
<p>Pougkeepsie is NOT a terrible place to live! I'm a freshman at the local community college but I spend a lot of time hanging out at Vassar. The students all seem fairly content with their location, since the surrounding several blocks around Vassar have a bunch of of great ethnic restaurants and coffee shops. Vassar is located in the nicest part of Poughkeepsie, a long walk away from any "bad" neighborhoods. As far as cities go, Poughkeepsie is quite safe at night and very safe during the day, even in the worst areas. Although granted it's not the nicest city out there, it's nowhere near the horrible place that it gets the rep for on this board. The Vassar students also get sucked into Vassar life, where there is more to do every night than you can shake a stick at. If you're feeling hestitant about the location, give it a visit and see that its definately not that bad.</p>
<p>Ods post being questioned, "one of the worst cities ever" versus a pretty okay city. Im gonna hope everything mqbs says is right...</p>
This thread is @ 13 years old; has Poughkeepsie improved in the interim, or is it still a depressed town with an antagonistic relationship with Vassar?
My spouse went to Vassar. I went to Williams. Both of us found our towns somewhat irrelevant to our college experience. There is so much action on campus-- speakers, concerts, shows, games, social events, etc.-- that there is no need to leave the campus for entertainment. That said, Vassar is a short drive from some really beautiful hiking in the Shawangunk Mountains, the FDR museum, historic mansions, etc., and a weekend trip to NYC by car or train is not too far. If you really love hanging out in cities, pick Macalester or a similar school, not Vassar. But there is no need to worry about being bored on campus!
Poughkeepsie right around the school looked nice enough to me on a recent visit (this November). Nice restaurants, safe looking area.
Current Vassar freshman here: Poughkeepsie is nowhere near as bad as described in this thread. First of all, Vassar is right on the border of Arlington and Poughkeepsie. Arlington is a very nice, wealthy town. My friends and I occasionally go into town to get lunch, and the area is super nice. Poughkeepsie definitely has some more depressed areas, but it is by no means awful. I am involved in a Vassar program that gives students the opportunity to go to Poughkeepsie schools to tutor students once a week. The school district is below average, but I have never felt unsafe in the area. If anything, the experience has been humbling and something I feel would do a lot of the privileged Vassar students good. Additionally, the Vassar bubble is very real - you will rarely have time to go off campus because there is always so much happening on campus. The Poughkeepsie area directly off campus is very nice as there is a great assortment on restaurants and shops perfect for parents’ weekend, etc. Hope this helps someone!