<p>I would say it depends on the kind of atmosphere you prefer. I visited Brown, and did not like it; the architecture wasn’t too beautiful, the Humanities library, called the Rock, was astoundingly ugly, the student body was definitely on the liberal/hippie/hipster side… Oh, and Providence is not my favorite city at all - you can just breathe the liberal! Columbia, on the other hand, is beautiful and not blatantly left-wing, and, although Morningside Heights is no paradise on Earth, you have the whole city at your disposal. Personally, I can think of nothing more wonderful than enjoying an excellent education and the marvels of NYC simultaneously.</p>