<p>What's Schenectady like? How close is the school to the city? More or an urban feel on campus, or largely isolated?</p>
<p>Schenectady is in close proximity and easy access to places like Albany and Saratoga Springs. There is a free shuttle to Albany from Campus. That said, there is a lot to do in Schenectady, too. There are many restaurants, music hubs, cinemas and a theater, all in addition to what is happening on campus. And between club events, Minervas, and the like on campus there is a lot to do.
Schenectady is about 3 hours driving from New York City. There is also a train station right near campus. Though not necessary to find something to do, there is access to other places easily from campus, even without having a car.</p>
<p>The campus is in Schenectady within walking distance of the relatively upscale and cute small downtown shopping and eating district. Schenectady itself is best described as “sketchy” - it’s a very small city that has been hit hard by a long term bad economy, and a large percentage of the population consists of low income people who barely get by. There are a lot of sirens at night, and a lot of places that don’t feel safe to walk in alone.</p>
<p>That said, the architecture and “bones” of the city are really lovely - at one point it was a thriving place and you can see it in the beautiful and historic homes. It’s really a shame how decrepit many of them are, if there ever was a place ripe for urban pioneering it’s downtown Schenectady.</p>
<p>In contrast, the Union campus is an absolutely gorgeous and beautifully maintained oasis in the middle of Schenectady. If you have a chance to visit it you absolutely must, there is no way not to fall in love with it.</p>
<p>The campus doesn’t have an urban feel at all. It was the first planned campus in the US with a big quad surrounded by the original college buildings and then newer and more modern additions as the college grew. At the heart of the campus is the Knott building, a temple of sorts that is featured in all the literature but is even more fun and impressive looking in person. The Union campus feels like it could be in the middle of nowhere, but instead it is right in the center of the city. Union has purchased real estate and houses a few blocks deep on a few sides of the campus and those have been renovated into apartment style student housing that is lovely as well. The campus is well policed and feels very safe, and as the Union Admissions response said there is tons to do on the campus. It’s quite possible to go weeks at a time without ever setting foot in Schenectady, and my guess is many students do.</p>