I have an opportunity to move to either of these cities for law school. Assuming the schools to which i can go are equal, who can vouch for the cities. I have only been to NYC once for a brief time on business and went to D.C when i was in middle school.

Which city is better overall? And for what reasons?

5/2/2007 1:30:21 PM

they are two completely different cities. its going to come down to your personal preference.

5/2/2007 1:31:19 PM

name the schools. i have lived in nyc for about a year, and am leaving. I came up here for grad school, ended up getting a job, ended up not liking it. nyc is a really cool place to frolic about for a few months, but if you actually have to do the daily grind of working and shit, it can suck. i've only been to dc once so i can't really speak to that. have you ever lived in the north?

5/2/2007 1:34:58 PM

Yeah, I understand that, but i was just wanting to throw it out there to hear what other people liked or disliked just so that i could hear some opinions other than my own.

^Columbia in NYC and George Washington in DC

[Edited on May 2, 2007 at 1:35 PM. Reason : ^]

5/2/2007 1:35:03 PM

I live in NYC and love it. I've visited DC several times, but haven't lived there. NYC is much more old school and designed somewhat in a European manner, in that you don't need a car to get around conveniently. But it is a huge lifestyle change. But I think almost anyone would enjoy it for a few years (i.e. someone only up for college).

5/2/2007 1:39:08 PM

cool, i went to columbia for grad school also. the school is everything you'd expect from ivy and more. very rigorous, very demanding, highly helpful admin and professors. Are you planning on living in the upper west/morningside/harlem area? i could probably answer a lot of questions for you if you had any. where are you planning on working after graduation?

if you grew up in nc i would lean towards gw, but i might just be jaded since nyc didn't really work out for me.

5/2/2007 1:39:41 PM

Actually, my current boss has a hook up at a place in the Village - that is not definitely where i would live in NYC, but its in a rent-controlled apt that would be very cheap. I am leaning toward NYC, but nothing's certain for a little while longer. How long would it take on the subway to get from around 14th st. up to columbia?

5/2/2007 1:44:48 PM

20-25 min, probably 35 door to door

5/2/2007 1:46:40 PM

I would say that is a pretty doable commute. I don't know where i plan to go after finishing up yet...i really don't have strong ties anywhere, but i probably don't plan on living in NYC long term

5/2/2007 1:48:04 PM

DC you can get around without a car, but having one isn't out of the question. It also has tons more green and open space than NY, and not nearly as tall buildings. To me, NYC is more stressful, but others like that it is always happening. Of course, in law school you will be busy so it isn't like you'll be partying constantly.

Do you have career preference that would make one location better than another for internships, etc?

5/2/2007 1:48:47 PM

just make sure the place is near the 123 line in the village (e/w). getting across manhattan is 1000times harder than going n/s.

5/2/2007 1:49:33 PM

^^ I'm in the education field now, and i plan on working in educational law, but both locations offer a good bit of that, as well as other places around the country.

^good advice there, thanks

[Edited on May 2, 2007 at 1:50 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on May 2, 2007 at 1:50 PM. Reason : .]

5/2/2007 1:50:05 PM

if you google "nyc mta map" you can check out the subway maps of the city and you will see what i mean.

5/2/2007 1:52:16 PM

awesome, thanks

5/2/2007 1:52:39 PM

Quote :

"Actually, my current boss has a hook up at a place in the Village - that is not definitely where i would live in NYC, but its in a rent-controlled apt that would be very cheap. I am leaning toward NYC, but nothing's certain for a little while longer. How long would it take on the subway to get from around 14th st. up to columbia?"

Even if its rent controlled, very cheap up here in manhattan is like $1000 for a 1br

5/2/2007 1:54:11 PM

^that would be INSANELY cheap. I've never even heard of a 1br for 1000/month except maybe up in the bx.

i'm in hoboken, nj right now, and my "rent-controlled place" is a 2br for 1700/month. and that's fucking nj.

[Edited on May 2, 2007 at 2:11 PM. Reason : lkj]

5/2/2007 2:10:22 PM

Go to NYC and do it up...More of everything: Culture, Entertainment, Schools, and Job Opportunities. Not to mention 5 Boroughs. The choice is easy BIG APPLE!

5/2/2007 4:17:27 PM

14st? ne, nw, sw, se?

5/2/2007 4:23:15 PM

NYC & Columbia > anywhere

5/2/2007 4:36:49 PM

Those schools aren't even close to equal. Columbia is a much better law school. Go live in NYC for 3 years. A Columbia law degree will pay huge dividends. Plus, unless you are at the bottom of your class, you can go anywhere after you graduate.

5/2/2007 4:38:02 PM

Stay in Brooklyn! Quick drive on West Side Highway to class

5/2/2007 4:50:45 PM

NYC all the way... And I'm pretty jealous... and random fact: that "Big Bad Wolfpack" newspaper cut out in your photo gallery is my original scan in... that's awesome... first time I'd seen that in another's gallery

5/2/2007 7:13:11 PM

im moving to park slope, Brooklyn in a few weeks and I have to say that nyc makes dc look like a little retarded kid.

nyc 100%

dc sucks


[Edited on May 2, 2007 at 7:29 PM. Reason : dc = 0%]

5/2/2007 7:28:11 PM

both will be the first to go when the war starts.

5/3/2007 1:49:09 AM

you're debating going to Columbia law?

5/3/2007 4:15:02 AM

yeah...the scholarships are better at GW, i appreciate all the input, im taking it all in

5/3/2007 11:26:01 PM

Both are expensive as fuck to live in.

5/3/2007 11:39:03 PM

Quote :

"I live in NYC and love it. I've visited DC several times, but haven't lived there. NYC is much more old school and designed somewhat in a European manner, in that you don't need a car to get around conveniently."

Well in DC proper you don't need a car to get around, it has a good Metro system as well. However you have the NoVa/MD sprawl to contend with. For example Dulles and BWI are nearby airports (if you don't want to go to Reagan), but they aren't reachable by Metro.

5/3/2007 11:39:30 PM

Dulles will be--in a few years--and I imagine BWI will follow suit once they see their profits decline. That said, even right now, Metrobus makes it easy to get to either location.

I love DC, so typically, I'd recommend it, but I think Columbia's the better school, so just grin and bear it for three years.

5/4/2007 12:37:40 AM

As far as the law goes

there's more influence in D.C.

anywhere near capitol hill is primo

5/4/2007 2:35:58 AM

^^Basically my thoughts. Of course, depending on what your aspirations are you could potentially get an internship that made up for the difference in schools. It all depends on your aspirations and priorities, but I always say for grad school or law school school will be your focus, so pick the best school for you as long as you have a living situation you can deal with.

Metrorail to Dulles planned to open in 2015. Baltimore would benefit tremendously (and DC would as well) if Metro connected to their light rail.

5/4/2007 9:20:22 AM

the MARC already provides a link from baltimore to DC (with a BWI stop)....i dont think anything beyond that is really going to have a significant impact. BWI is essentially the baltimore airport.....its already way overpacked as it is, especially with the new southwest wing open, so i really dont see any near future money being spent on any moving any more people through it.

[Edited on May 4, 2007 at 9:27 AM. Reason : d]

5/4/2007 9:26:52 AM

If you're not planning on anything political in terms of your practice, then absolutely choose columbia.

Though, if I can get my hands on that rent controlled apt, then go to DC

5/4/2007 9:31:02 AM

Quote :

"yeah...the scholarships are better at GW, i appreciate all the input, im taking it all in "

Columbia is hands down the better school. You can do anything with a Columbia degree that you could do with a degree from any law school in DC, including summer internships in government (legal, political or policy).

That said, money is a big issue. I graduated with significant debt from a school roughly equivalent to GW and that debt has forced me to make certain decisions about my career that I might not have otherwise made. If you are interested in public service, strongly consider the total, three-year cost of school and look at each school's loan foregiveness programs. If you want to do private practice, go to Columbia. Your salary coming out (this year starting salary at big NYC firm's is $160,000 + bonus and $145,000 + bonus in DC) will more than cover your loan debt.

[Edited on May 4, 2007 at 9:45 AM. Reason : ]

5/4/2007 9:43:58 AM

im in my expensive ass apartment in park slope and its completely worth it.

move to nyc

5/4/2007 8:56:40 PM

both places got blown up in Independence Day.

5/5/2007 3:14:02 PM

nyc

5/5/2007 7:36:37 PM

I don't know... NYC gets twice as many hijacked planes flown into it as DC.

5/7/2007 4:09:53 PM

you can use hopstop to get shortest door-to-door routes based on whether you'd rather transfer subways/buses more or walk more. gives you an estimated time... basically mapquest for the mass transit system.
http://www.hopstop.com/?city=newyork

5/7/2007 7:14:33 PM

thats a pretty cool website

5/8/2007 9:41:09 AM

Quote :

"that would be INSANELY cheap. I've never even heard of a 1br for 1000/month except maybe up in the bx"

They exist, but they're like 3-400sq ft, which is insane in its own right. I even came across a place for 750/month. It was a 10 x 12 room with a common bathroom out in the hall!!!

And don't forget that Hoboken prices almost match Manhattan at this point (which is retarded).

I have a bunch of friends in DC/Baltimore and they say the NYC subway is hands down better than the DC Metro.

[Edited on May 8, 2007 at 1:20 PM. Reason : k]

5/8/2007 1:20:03 PM

DC metro is expensive as a mofo. It costs more the longer the distance and can get retarded really fast.

also im shelling out $1650 for a place in north park slope. Its a 1 bed with the kitchen attached to the living room. Its about 400sq ft and im sharing it with my gf which seems like a tiny space but its working out great. We have a pretty large fire escape with is easy to sit on and we're on the back side of a brownstone on the 4th floor so there is zero noise and tons of light.

the area is great and has everything i need and im half a block from the subway and it takes me about 25min to get to work right below 14th street.

move to brooklyn

bloggin

5/8/2007 2:13:45 PM

Brooklyn is where a lot of people i work with live, they all like it really well. One lives right near Prospect Park and the other lives closer to Manhattan - they say better prices and somewhat more space

5/8/2007 4:59:57 PM

quick question:

what's the cheapest way to get from JFK to LaGuardia?

how much would a cab cost?

thanks,
i didn't want to make a separate about it unless i had to

5/8/2007 5:13:14 PM

^There is a bus between the two airports for under $15

5/8/2007 6:13:52 PM

do you know how long it takes with and without traffic?

thanks

5/8/2007 6:44:27 PM

^varies widely. 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on traffic conditions

5/8/2007 9:32:18 PM

I would recommend Columbia. I understand the scholarship money is important, but especially for a field as competitive as law, the name of your school and the connections it provides can overcome any initial debt you may take on. As general rule of thumb, you usually want to gun as high as possible for graduate school.

That being said, both NYC and DC are amazing cities in their own right. However, I would probably lean toward NYC. This is a good opportunity for you to experience the City on a short basis, and the law school will help provide some semblance of community to ease into what can be at times a very lonely place. The fast pace, sheer masses of humanity, and unrivaled diversity may be overwhelming at first, but there's a richness on so many dimensions to New York City that is unrivaled by any other city in the United States. DC is also a culturally rich city too, but honestly, New York is going to provide a better experience.

5/9/2007 2:19:57 AM

Quote :

"NYC is much more old school and designed somewhat in a European manner"

seriously? have you ever been to Europe? NYC is nothing like European cities.

5/9/2007 9:22:46 AM

^ ha seriously

Boston has the Euro feelishness

5/9/2007 12:23:27 PM