I wouldn’t recommend any of the CUNYs (city college of nyc) for someone out out of state or even from Upstate, because they’re almost entirely commuter (98%+). There’s a dorm at City and Baruch but the way the colleges operate follows their mission, which is dedicated to residents of NYC. For instance, each college has one dedicated hour in the week where there’s no class so students can join a club, but the assumption is that the rest of the time students are either in class or working, plus transportation time. Most commute from home and work in their neighborhood or borough. Honors and Macaulay students have “social” (networking, professional and cultural) opportunities in addition to the basics.
I also wouldn’t come from Wyoming for Hofstra, which is a regional university in a not so great area for college students.
A bit different from your wishes but worth looking into: Macalester. It’s very small but it’s ideally located. Being in a city doesn’t mean being close to exciting things to do, it really depends on your location. Macalester has the advantage of being in a fantastic neighborhood for college students. You can walk to shops, restaurants, a movie theater, a park, hop on public transportation or bike and be downtown in a few minutes. That area is one my favorite urban areas. 