<p>Are there any actual columbia students or parents here who can tell me about life at Columbia? Dorms, neighborhood, Core curriculum, etc.?</p>
<p>search the forum, there's loads of them</p>
<p>My S just came home today from his freshman year. He loved his dorm (John Jay). He likes the neighborhood, but by second semester he spent most time in other parts of the city. The Core was his number one reason for going there, and he loved his Core classes this year, especially Lit Hum.</p>
<p>Do you have specific questions? There are several parents who post regularly (mostly me, Sac, and Elleneast), and quite a few students.</p>
<p>Is the neighborhood safe?</p>
<p>2nd safest precinct in Manhattan. Extremely safe.</p>
<p>Whats the 1st?</p>
<p>they said it was the safest ivy league school in the tour</p>
<p>when I visited, there were cops and security guards at every corner</p>
<p>Thanks, that eases my mind, and I'm sure it would ease my mother's. What are the dorms like? From what I've read, I think I would like John Jay the best, but any info would be great.</p>
<p>Safest Ivy? Sounds great, but it is difficult to believe, isn't it? Is it the kind of neighborhood you could walk around at night?
Say "yes" and you made my day, cause I'm on my way there and that was my prioritary concern</p>
<p>atu23: New York is considerably safer than Mexico City. On my first trip to Columbia, I visited Tom's Restaurant (the one featured in the TV show Seinfeld) at about 1:00am in the morning, after walking several blocks. I was with several other people, but we encountered no trouble and the streets were well-lighted.</p>
<p>I even felt comfortable walking around Riverside Park at night. Again, in a group there is absolutely no cause for concern.</p>
<p>Alone, I would say it's possible to safely walk along the main streets of Morningside Heights at night, but it is of course never wise to walk alone late at night in any city. But the area feels very safe.</p>
<p>Certainly the campus itself is secure at all hours.</p>
<p>abcdefghijklm: Thanks for that, so it should be really safe it you can walk at 1:00 am It's good to know</p>
<p>new york city is the safest big city in the country. ive lived here for almost 19 years, gone out every night of the week up to 4-5AM in the morning (or later) since junior year of HS, and nothing has happened to me. as long as you have a brain your shoulders and follow common sense, you'll have a blast.
C
<a href="http://www.xanga.com/SoHo%5B/url%5D">http://www.xanga.com/SoHo</a>
the best pictures from the best nights of columbia - 2005.
<a href="http://www.CUfestival.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.CUfestival.com/</a>
Columbia National Undergraduate Film Festival.</p>
<p>"when I visited, there were cops and security guards at every corner"</p>
<p>Doesn't that imply a need for them?</p>
<p>Other cities also need them. New York has them.</p>
<p>caballero05: I guess in a way you're right, man. But it is also true that you can't avoid needing the cops, but you can face the problem and have them.</p>
<p>In Mexico you can also see a lot of cops, but that doesn't mean you're safe, I guess it depends on the cops. In your opinion, what kind of city will be safe enough to make you feel just fine without the cops?</p>
<p>I can name a whole bunch of towns in CT that need no cops, but cities always need them.</p>