As the title asks, what do you do for fun at Columbia? Also, how much time on average do you have per week to hang out with friends? Thanks!
Anyone?
What you do for fun at Columbia is what you do for fun in New York City. It’s the capital of the world.
Morningsider, I’m asking for specifics–I know where Columbia is located.
OK, sorry for being dismissive in my first post. Here’s a quick guide to “Fun at Columbia.”
– Exploring the City. NYC has five boroughs, dozens of ethnic neighborhoods, historic sites, rivers, beaches, the Atlantic Ocean. Just the subway system, the largest anywhere, is a whole world of its own to explore.
– Eating & drinking. Check out some of the world’s best and most famous restaurants and bars. Granted, most students can’t afford the five-star places, but there are plenty of cheaper alternatives: the Chinese restaurants of Jackson Heights, Greek fish places in Astoria, bagels & lox, the Oyster Bar at Grand Central, chicken & waffles at Amy Ruth’s in Harlem, classic Italian-American joints on Arthur Ave. in the Bronx. Closer to campus there is Zabar’s (world’s most famous Jewish deli) and the Cuban-Chinese restaurants of the Upper West Side.
– Culture. Music, opera, ballet … Broadway. Again, the top tickets may be beyond most student budgets but there are many cheap alternatives. Walk from your dorm thru Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and if you happen to be broke, they’ll let you in free.
– Sex, drugs, rock & roll. It’s called the City That Never Sleeps for a reason. Whatever party scene you’re into (or just want to sample a bit), it’s there. Indeed, campus parties tend to be lame because there’s no point trying to compete with all the fun going on outside the gates.
Compare all this potential fun to what you get at a liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere (cough Dartmouth), a place where the big thrill is driving 20 miles to some dive bar and stopping off on the way back to campus to harass the cows. As Mayor Ed Koch said, living outside of NYC is “sterile … wasting your life.”
Thanks! 