Universities

Columbia - main square

We visited a few universities whilst in New York, there is Columbia, which I never realised was actually in New York. And we also went to Princeton, not technically in New York, but New Jersey. So ticked off another state, that must be seven by now. Columbia is an amazing university, it's a completely different style to the universities I am used to. The ones in Australia are characterised by massive amounts of space, and the ones in the UK have their age. Whereas Columbia was tightly packed, with these winding passageways between different buildings, crossing roads and surrounded by an impassable fence. You were kind of trapped on the campus, since all the gates were shut, perhaps it wasn't term time or something.

Now that's a library - Columbia University

Of course it's the Philosophy department

The buildings were amazing, par for the course I guess in New York. It definitely felt like a rich campus, but then at $65,000/year I guess that's to be expected. It's kind of weird, because the campus is almost in Harlem, but none of the people who live in Harlem go to this university. We only went to Columbia because we were taking a look at this massive church around the corner, the Cathedral of St John the Divine. Along the wall outside this church had a photography exhibition of poverty in America. So to see all that and then walk almost around the corner to Columbia was a bit of a juxtaposition.

We also went out to Princeton for a night, we weren't planning on spending the night, but then it was just so peaceful there, we thought why not. It was a really pleasant break from New York.

This is another insane campus, it's definitely levels above Columbia. What makes Princeton feel even more crazy, is the journey to get there. There is a train from Penn Station in New York, now that is a depressing train station. You come out of the pee-scented metro, into what really feels like a prison. The ceiling is really low, it's super dark, there's just hordes of homeless people wandering around. And the journey through New Jersey is another level of dystopian future. Imagine massive factories, industrial wasteland, polluted streams and lakes, massive parking lots full of cars, and you are probably still picturing something nicer than what New Jersey actually is. The next stop on from Princeton is Trenton, which is in the top ten of murder cities in America. So yeah, it's a nice train ride.

But then you get off at Princeton, and there is a little tiny train that takes you all the way into the campus. It's only 5 minutes, and the train will wait for everyone getting off the one from New York. Princeton university actually got the train station moved 200 metres so they could build a new arts centre, now that is power.

Don't even know what this department is - but that's an awesome door topper

Princeton is a lovely little town, totally a bubble, it's completely different from everything around it. It's got this little village square surrounded by cute little shops, it's got nice restaurants, it's really clean. And oh so quiet. A couple of illustrations as to how rich this place is, they have these alumni weeks, where the different years try to out-compete with how much money they donate. One year built a lake once, and not just a little lake, but a massive rowing lake. It's so they could be like Cambridge I think. They have an art gallery on campus, free entry, and it's full of Turner's and Monet's, Warhol. It's crazy, and there's hardly anyone in there, for such great art. And it's all been donated by various alumni. It really is a different place. I can't even imagine what it's like to go to undergraduate there.