<p>If you have access to Morningside Heights by Andrew S. Dolkart, pick it up. It quickly became one of my favorite books last semester, and the pictures are breathtaking. It’ll answer probably all of your questions about the surroundings…</p>
<p>Before the superblock (116-120 / Broadway-Amsterdam; later extended to 114 for Butler and early housing) was Columbia, the Morningside campus was actually home to the Bloomingdale Insane Asylum. The exact date of acquisition escapes me, but Columbia essentially “built up” the surroundings. Barnard’s immediately across Broadway and the Teacher’s College is to the north, each affiliate schools of the university. There’s certainly a communal-feel to the campus, but sadly, you find that many of the students fail to leave the neighborhood (mostly because - as a plus - everything academic exists within the gates for most classes; though a few courses - ArtHum comes to mind - thankfully require students to experience more of the city).</p>
<p>While you said you can’t visit that many colleges, experiencing New York is certainly worth it to get a better idea. Morningside Heights is really an off-shoot of the Upper West Side (traditionally of Central Park), so expect pre-war residential buildings lined with shops and restaurants with a number of bars the closer you come to 116th.</p>