<p>Re. transport options, if there’s a flight to La Guardia for a good price and schedule, Supershuttle and goairlink have van service to Manhattan for around $13-15 per passenger.</p>
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<p>Columbia, especially SEAS is no slouch academically as your son will find out. However, it’s not impossible as plenty of friends, colleagues, and uncle have proven. Granted, your S will bond with other SEAS students over the workload, stress, and jealously over the more slack lifestyles of their counterparts at the college, Barnard, GS, and even the business school*. </p>
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<li>HS friends who are SEAS alums never tired of griping about having to work late into the night while the MBA students at nearby Uris Hall seemed to throw loud parties every week…even during exam periods for the sake of “perfecting networking skills”.<br></li>
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<p>As a native NYer, I can tell you the fears of subway crime…while true from the late '60s till the early '90s is greatly overblown. NYC nowadays is much safer now than it was during my '80s era childhood. </p>
<p>The “subway stance” and the “mugger money” bit of advice sounded like something a clueless suburban aunt whose NYC knowledge comes from outdated Hollywood movies like Pelham 123, Death Wish series, and Warriors imparted to me. Well-meaning advice that said more about her lack of knowledge about NYC realities than anything else. </p>
<p>Better advice, always be aware of one’s surroundings and don’t come across as extremely clueless or lacking in common sense. It’s also a reason why I did the exact opposite of my aunt and carried the absolute minimum amount of cash possible(Usually no more than $10-20 even now). Much easier to do it nowadays with credit cards and pre-planning with knowledge of every nearby bank branch/no-fee ATM from my bank in areas where I will be hanging out.</p>
<p>I agree with cobrat.</p>
<p>One reason there has been an upswing in subway deaths is an increase in the number of young people who are engaging in the “game” of running across the tracks–all too often while drunk. At least two of the recent deaths are a result of this “game.” Another young woman is believed to have fallen off the platform while severely intoxicated. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that NYC students who ride the subway are not driving and/or riding in cars as much as their counterparts at most other colleges. As a NYC mom I worried about my NYC offspring going off to college in places with inadequate public transportation as I knew it meant spending more time in cars.</p>
<p>Maybe moms just worry 
!</p>
<p>Of course things can go wrong in NYC-- as they can anywhere. But NYC is so safe and fabulous! I would say that the phrase “mugger money” hasn’t been heard here in, oh, probably decades. Definitely don’t be stupid about stuff. Like iPhones should be safely put away, but that is advice for anywhere. Don’t flash your expensive stuff and all will be fine. He will have a great time.</p>
<p>I will second (third? fourth?) the advice about not buying too much stuff for winter before he leaves. Second hand stores abound, and there are plenty of other less expensive places that you might not know about, in California. Cheaper not to ship stuff anyway, and he will find the stuff that he likes after he gets here. As someone above said, it won’t get cold here until November, which is plenty of time to get acclimated.</p>
<p>Congratulations!</p>
<p>Was crime in the NYC subway worse than NYC as a whole even during the past high crime years for NYC?</p>
<p>Of course, NYC crime is now much lower than it was when the Escape from New York movie was made.</p>
<p>Thanks to all of you again for such great advice! Honestly, the more I read here, the more excited I become for him so thanks for posting. The more I read, the less worried I become. Yes, it’s hard for me to have him go so far away but I can’t imagine that he would have a more exciting experience anywhere else. </p>
<p>Thanks cobrat, for your insight into SEAS. He has been told that it’s difficult but engineering would be hard anywhere so he may as well be in NYC. I hope he finds a good group of kids to study with because he is so used to that here! LOL-“a clueless suburban aunt”=how did you know?! </p>
<p>I am trying to keep any “well meaning” advice away from him because I don’t want him to become fearful and not take advantage of what great things NY has to offer him. I really WANT him to get on the subway and go to the museums or whatever else interests him. The worst thing that could happen now is if he begins to second guess his choice and doubt that he’s made the right decision so we are all trying to be supportive and excited for him. Sure enough, someone said, “Oh, so and so went away to the east coast but got homesick and came back a year later”-ugh-please SHUT UP! People do have some outdated ideas about the area and many have said it’s so scary RIGHT next to Harlem, how could I LET him go there-lol. Luckily I posted my worries here and learned that it wasn’t MY choice to LET him go and I am SO happy that he is happy.</p>
<p>The transportation tips are great! We’ll sit down and sort through the choices as soon as we know if he is going to do the pre-orientation program. I do like the idea of planning for nonstop when the weather is sketchy but he is fine with the layover if he had to do it. The more money we save on travel, the more spending money he’ll have!</p>
<p>I think I have the clothing down pat now except for the few things left but what shoes?! Any ideas of what type of shoes the kids wear in the rain or in the city in general? I’m pretty sure he has outgrown the style of the converse high top tennis shoes all the kids wear here. I think he has to have at least one pair of shoes-lol. It looks like the only things to ship will be the guitar/amp and maybe bedding so that’s good. The rest of the clothing will fit in his luggage because I didn’t get him too much.</p>
<p>Again, THANK YOU all so much for your posts. It really helps in more ways than one!</p>
<p>My D attended Barnard and the entire Columbia community has orientation together. They have them running all over the city so they get used to the subway immediately. PM me if I can be of any help.</p>
<p>I only know what the girls are wearing. The girls all wear cute rain boots. I don’t see guys wearing those! One of my D’s biggest complaints though is that she doesn’t have comfortable walking shoes. Not gym shoes/tennis shoes, but comfortable loafers or something. All of her shoes are like ballet flats that give no support and are bad to walk in for long distances.</p>
<p>My D wouldn’t be caught dead walking anywhere without healed boots. Drives her BF crazy. She did it all through Barnard, and as a grad student who lives half the week in Brooklyn continues to do so.</p>
<p>That doesn’t help guys LOL.</p>
<p>Converse (sp?) are popular. Workboots are worn in winter.</p>
<p>Low hiking boots (or trail sneakers) would work well. Or walking shoes. Or plain old fashioned sneakers.</p>
<p>I second other people opinion - no need go stock up on stuff. NYC is the shopping capital and there are all kind of stores with great bargains. My D saves her money and shops when she gets home to NY. And Columbia area is safe, has been safe for years if not for decades.</p>
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<p>That would be a no. Subways have always had a lower rate of crime than the streets. </p>
<p>In more recent years, the switch to weekly and monthly passes has brought a lot more bodies to the subways, making them safer. If I went to a show with 3 friends 25 years ago, it was often cheaper to take a cab than the subway,i.e, a cab ride with 4 people sharing the cost was cheaper than 4 rides on the subway. Now that almost all working adults have monthly passes, there’s no “extra” cost and people take the subway. </p>
<p>I went to a weekly meeting at Columbia last year, riding the subway. There were always lots of people out and about at 9-9:30 and lots of people waiting for the subway. One reason for this is that Columbia Teacher’s College offers a lot of night classes for working teachers.</p>
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<p>That’s what I expected, given that a subway train can be a trap for any criminal who commits a crime and risks finding the police waiting for him at the next station if a witness has called the police, deterring criminals from trying anything in the subway.</p>
<p>But it does seem that people who never use public transportation seem to fear subways for some reason.</p>
<p>In the early 80s subways were nasty. So covered with graffiti you couldn’t see out the windows. I often took the bus even though it was slower. Now I always take the subway if I can.</p>
<p>One thing I do ask my kids to carry is a small flashlight in their purse. If there is a black out while in the subway, it is something good to have. They argued that their iphone has a good flashlight app, but I said it would be better saved for making phone calls. </p>
<p>My college age D takes the subway every where when she is home on breaks. We’ll ask her to take a cab home after 10 if she is by herself. Over this past winter break she did have have wallet stolen while shopping. The wallet was returned a week later with everything but the cash. A store owner actually called AmEx (it was in the wallet) to report it and AmEx called us to let us know her wallet was found.</p>
<p>This is for women - I wear a lot of Ara loafers around the city. They have rubber soles and give me a lot of support. They are also stylish. :)</p>
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<p>Wouldn’t the cab be more dangerous than the subway in terms of risk of car crashes and crime?</p>
<p>Why would a cab be more dangerous? No more dangerous if we were driving by ourselves. When it is late there are more strange people on the subway. As a young woman(attractive), there is higher chance of being harassed. It is just common sense.</p>
<p>Guys seem to wear sneakers all the time. Not Converse, although those are popular too, but I mean the ones with leather on them. Don’t know specifics. Also heavy duty moccasin-type loafers. All he needs to do is look around him when he gets here. There are PLENTY of examples of what to wear. And, people are very happy to help out with answers to all sorts of questions. No one minds being asked where such-and-such came from, etc. Also brings to mind that no one in NYC minds being asked for directions to places. We are very friendly people once you break the crust-- that is very easy to do. </p>
<p>Subways are always full of normal people (and abnormals, too, for sure) and my twenty-something daughter never is daunted. I agree with the monthly metro cards. Unlimited rides for $112 (each ride is $2.50, so you do the math). I think you have to wait 20 minutes between card swipes so that the unlimited aspect is not abused by a bunch of people at the same station. They make subway travel very convenient. More than any other form of transportation.</p>
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<p>I’d think the above advice is more appropriate if we’re talking the NYC of the late '60s to the early '90s or if it’s past 1-2 am. The latter is more due to longer travel times due to less trains during off-peak early morning hours…especially on the less busy lines. </p>
<p>Moreover, with many more people…including young women riding the subways…including the early morning hours, it’s actually more safer to do so within the last decade than it was than the '90s. </p>
<p>Saying this as someone who rode the subways as late as 1-2 am back from the prom or from hanging out at a HS friend’s for homework help/projects in the early-mid-'90s as a 13-17 year old high schooler.</p>