I’ve always pictured myself as someone who would like to live in a major city at some point in my life. I was wondering, from anyone who has gone to a college in a city setting: what is it like? I am applying to quite a few schools that are in the heart of cities such as Tulane, Boston U, Pitt, and even Ohio State(is Columbus considered a city when compared to places like the aforementioned?) so I figured I would like to know what it is like.
I attend college in Philadelphia, at La Salle.
Transportation is very convenient. I often take the subway to see my boyfriend, or into center city. I take the bus to work, and trains home. For $2.50, I can get anywhere in the city! This does depend on the city, since southern and western cities often lack a strong public transportation system.
I love having access to museums, restaurants, and activities. There’s a ton to do off-campus, and LSU gives students a “Philadelphia Passport”. I have free or discounted tickets to attractions such as Eastern State Penitentiary or shows like the Pennsylvania Ballet.
My school is located in quite a dangerous neighborhood. To me, this is the biggest negative of an urban campus. Many urban schools are in nicer areas, but a decent amount aren’t. Our campus is safe enough, but I’ve witnessed a ton of drug deals and a few fights. As a girl, I’ve gotten used to catcalling, and even men approaching me to “talk”. My hometown isn’t nice, so I’m not extremely bothered. A student from a suburban or rural area will definitely need to gain street-smarts, though!
I attend college in Newark,NJ at Rutgers Newark.
Transportation is convenient. There’s Newark Penn,other stations, the light rails,etc.You can go to NY,JC,Hoboken, & New Brunswick for a reasonable price.
We get free/discounted tickets to different places, such as Newark Museum.
NYC is just a train ride away, & has everything there
The area the my school is in (University Heights) isn’t that bad & is walking distance to Downtown. There’s a couple other colleges in the area(NJIT,Berkeley,Seton Law, & Essex County)
Although it is pretty dangerous at night, & anytime we go somewhere at night(rarely) we go in groups. I feel safe on/near campus, although you see a random or two near campus every now and them.
A student from a suburban or rural area will definitely need street-smarts.
Thanks guys! I come from the burbs so I do think I will need a bit to adjust street smarts wise. Do you ultimately think it’s worth going to college in such an urban environment?
I’m at Northeastern right now and absolutely loving it. As others have said, restaurants, museums, and constant activities are always available. The quality of public transportation is important. I could go on and on, but let’s get to the root of the question:
This question is completely based on you. Personally, I see absolutely no downside for me. I’ve absolutely loved my time in college and can’t picture going to a college not in a city. But obviously, that isn’t the case with everyone.
What aspects of living in a city (while in college, but also in general) are you most curious about?
In your mind, what are the disadvantages of living in a city?
My S attended CMU in Pittsburgh and really liked the city. UPitt is right next door to CMU. Lots of things to do in the area- restaurants, parks, some museums. He always felt pretty safe in the area. It’s a part of the city that has a lot of students. Public transportation around town not super great (buses) but doable. Much easier if you have a car but he didn’t have one the entire 4 years. He really liked the bus to and from the airport to campus.
We go to NOLA frequently- my H’s family is from the area. Tulane is removed from downtown in a really nice part of town. The students seem to love the area- there are restaurants and shops within easy access.
You should do some campus visits and get a feel for an urban campus. For example, my D really disliked UPenn (and actually also Northeastern) because it was noisy and it’s campus was too integrated into the area blurring the boundaries too much. But she loved UChicago with its campus more defined within a boundary and more of a campus bubble feel to it.
Not all urban universities are"equally located".
UChicago s removed geographically from downtown Chicago and it is surrounded by some not so safe areas. So it is to be expected that there would be a campus bubble.
Tulane and Case Western are in outlying residential districts and feel sort of suburban. It is easy to create your own bubble there if you so choose.
Northeastern BU, NYU, GWU are located a short distance from downtown and within walking distance. Others like McGill University and the University of Toronto are located literally in the middle of downtown. It is very difficult to create a bubble. That is what draws some students to these schools.
I attended GW in D.C., and I can’t imagine a better college experience. I think the biggest perks to college life in a city are access to internships and more things to do after class gets out (tourist stuff as well as bars/clubs). I think it’s also great for adult development in that you have more opportunities to operate independently like most adults.
I went to college at UW-Madison. The first three years I was there, I lacked a car, scooter or bike. Some of my walks around campus were fairly lengthy, but they were great for my health i suppose. I managed to avoid slipping on ice while i was there.
To go off-campus, I typically would grab a ride with a friend or use a bus or a taxi.
I loved being in Madison: there are lakes to the north and south of campus; hilly and flat terrain; concrete and foliage; State Street for people-watching, libations, food or just a nice walk to the capitol – not to mention some unique shopping experiences; and arts/cultural opportunities and malls nearby. I felt like Madison offered some of the perks of a larger city with some " small town" charm, natural beauty and outdoor opportunities.
Back to State Street, though: I did encounter homeless people and the occasional fight on this famous street. (I had grown up fairly sheltered in northern Wisconsin). I’m not sure if i ever witnessed a drug deal on campus, but i may simply not have been paying attention or, had i been, might not have known what was happening.
Anyway, yes, if you’ve grown up in a rural or suburban area, your eyes will be opened to new experiences in a city.
Advice: Don’t travel alone at night and try not to look lost. Walking around a city, you can be friendly, but be careful to avoid long conversations with people you don’t know – some may try to take advantage of you.
Columbus is more [url=<a href=“https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population%5Dpopulous%5B/url”>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population]populous[/url] than any of the other cities you listed.
I’m currently a freshman at Case Western and from the suburbs of Western NY, so this has been a big change from the environment where I grew up.
Personally, I love it. While some consider this area more suburban, it’s urban to me. A RTA pass is included in what we pay, so I can get almost anywhere in the city for “free.” Since I didn’t have a car back home, I feel so free here, since I can get around on my own.
I am surrounded by so much culture- the museum of art, museum of modern art, Cleveland symphony, botanical gardens, and museum of natural history are within a 5 minute walk of my dorm. I can get to Cavaliers, Indians, and Browns games with a short ride on public transportation. As an Aerospace Engineering major, the NASA Glenn Research center being so close is really cool. I am also surrounded by diversity. To be frank, I have never seen so many POC before in my life. Western NY suburbs aren’t exactly a diverse area, so moving to East Cleveland has come with a bit of culture shock. I am so glad for that- I am learning how to meaningfully interact with people of all backgrounds.
As for safety, I definitely have had to acquire some street smarts. Case is really close to East Cleveland, which can be a pretty dangerous area. I’ve never been in danger or anything, but I have to be more careful that I did at home- don’t walk alone at night, stay in areas that I know, and be aware of my surroundings. We’ve had a couple scary security instances (1 robbing at gunpoint and 1 daytime mugging) , but most could have been prevented if the victims just didn’t walk alone at night or didn’t flash their expensive possessions while in bad parts of town.
I can’t imagine going to school anywhere else- I almost went to Clarkson University way up in rural Potsdam, NY. My experience here in Cleveland has been so much more enriching than what it probably would have been in Potsdam.
Just to offer a different perspective, I went to one urban college (in Philly) and one not in a city. I really honestly loved the sprawling college campus, where you knew that everyone around you was a student, where you couldn’t just leave to head into the city every day and you “had” to spend time on the quad, with other students, in the nature preserve, etc. I like the campus bubble. I liked discovering local, colorful town attractions, I liked the beautiful view of the trees for miles, I liked that we were all forced to interact with each other instead of heading into the city all the time.
From my perspective, though, I grew up on Long Island so NYC was always a quick train ride away. And I knew I was going to live in Manhattan post-college. So it wasn’t as if I grew up in some area where the city was a novelty and I really wanted that experience of having access to theater and top restaurants and museums. If you are from such an area, then spending 4 years in a city could be really cool and valuable. For me, though, I always had a vision of college as a more secluded campus surrounded by nature and students reading under trees and the like. I think it depends on where you’re coming from, where you’re thinking of going afterwards, and what you envision as your college experience.
The great thing about Ohio state is that it is a campus but in a city.
I have to agree with the above that Case Western is definitely not a suburban campus. It feels very urban. The day we were on the campus tour, a police officer was directing traffic in a very busy area. There are so many cultural opportunities around the campus. That was so cool. Very vibrant vibe. And a huge medical complex right by the campus for health career opportunities as well as volunteer opportunities. It was actually one of my favorite campus tours. Very diverse student population. And the best food we encountered- so many diverse ethnic foods to choose from. I would want to be a student there!
As many have said earlier, each city is different with its own positives and negatives. My son attends school in Charleston , SC. The school blends with the city . It does not offer a sprawling campus feel like some other campuses, but there is a “core” to the campus which definitely feels like a traditional campus. He is able to ride public transportation for free. He has easy access to grocery stores, drug stores, restaraunts , shopping, sporting events and other cultural activities . He loves it, but he will also be the first one to say it’s not for everyone.
Thank you to all who answered! I’m now pretty sure I would like to attend a college with an urban setting.
Coming from a town of 50k to NYC has certainly been eye opening.
Personally, although I do love the amenities and beautiful sights, I am looking to transfer to a small LAC. Perhaps I could come back to work, but it is too high strung for me, and working 30 hours plus 5 classes isn’t helping